Читать книгу The Murder of Roger Ackroyd / Убийство Роджера Экройда онлайн

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Miss Russell looked at the weapon composedly.

‘I can’t say I’m sure,’ she replied. ‘I didn’t stop to look. I knew the family would be down any minute, and I wanted to get away.’

‘Thank you,’ said the inspector.

There was just a trace of hesitation in his manner, as though he would have liked to question her further, but Miss Russell clearly accepted the words as a dismissal, and glided from the room.

‘Rather a Tartar, I should fancy, eh?’ said the inspector, looking after her. ‘Let me see. This silver table is in front of one of the windows, I think you said, doctor?’

Raymond answered for me.

‘Yes, the left-hand window.’

‘And the window was open?’

‘They were both ajar.’

‘Well, I don’t think we need go into the question much further. Somebody – I’ll just say somebody – could get that dagger any time he liked, and exactly when he got it doesn’t matter in the least. I’ll be coming up in the morning with the chief constable, Mr Raymond. until then, I’ll keep the key of that door. I want colonel Melrose to see everything exactly as it is. I happen to know that he’s dining out the other side of the county, and, I believe, staying the night…’