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

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It was very late when I got back, and I hoped that Caroline would have gone to bed. I might have known better.

She had hot cocoa waiting for me, and whilst I drank it, she extracted the whole history of the evening from me. I said nothing of the blackmailing business, but contented myself with giving her the facts of the murder.

‘The police suspect Parker,’ I said, as I rose to my feet and prepared to ascend to bed. ‘There seems a fairly clear case against him.’

‘Parker!’ said my sister. ‘Fiddlesticks! That inspector must be a perfect fool. Parker indeed! Don’t tell me.’

With which obscure pronouncement we went up to bed.

On the following morning I hurried unforgivably over my round. My excuse can be that I had no very serious cases to attend. on my return Caroline came into the hall to greet me.

‘Flora Ackroyd is here,’ she announced in an excited whisper.

‘What?’ I concealed my surprise as best as I could.

‘She’s very anxious to see you. She’s been here half an hour.’