said the inspector. ‘It’s an idea. I’ll look into it all right, but don’t you be disappointed if nothing comes of it.’
He endeavoured to make his tone kindly and patronizing. Poirot watched him go off. Then he turned to me with twinkling eyes.
‘Another time,’ he observed, ‘I must be more careful of his amour propre. And now that we are left to our own devices, what do you think, my good friend, of a little reunion of the family?’
The ‘little reunion’, as Poirot called it, took place about half an hour later. We sat round the table in the dining-room at fernly. Poirot at the head of the table, like the chairman of some ghastly board meeting. The servants were not present, so we were six in all. Mrs Ackroyd, flora, Major Blunt, young Raymond, Poirot and myself.
When everyone was assembled, Poirot rose and bowed.
‘Messieurs, mesdames, I have called you together for a certain purpose.’ he paused. ‘To begin with, I want to make a very special plea to mademoiselle.’
‘To me?’ said Flora.
‘Mademoiselle, you are engaged to captain Ralph Paton. If anyone is in his confidence, you are. I beg you, most earnestly, if you know of his whereabouts, to persuade him to come forward. one little minute’-as flora raised her head to speak-‘say nothing till you have well reflected. Mademoiselle, his position grows daily more dangerous. If he had come forward at once, no matter how damning the facts, he might have had a chance of explaining them away. But this silence – this flight – what can it mean? Surely only one thing, knowledge of guilt. Mademoiselle, if you really believe in his innocence, persuade him to come forward before it is too late.’
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
