Poirot's Early Cases читать онлайн

table-knife being snatched up off the table would fit in with the murder being done in the heat of a quarrel.''What does Mr Beltane say about the matter?''Declares one of the waiters was the worse for liquor, and that he was giving him a dressing down. Also that it was nearer to one than half past. You see, Captain Digby's evidence fixes the time pretty accurately. Only about ten minutes elapsed between his speaking to Cronshaw and the finding of the body.''And in any case I suppose Mr Beltane, as Punchinello, was wearing a hump and a ruffle?''I don't know the exact details of the costumes,' said Jap. p, looking curiously at Poirot. 'And anyway, I don't quite see what that has got to do with it?''No?' There was a hint of mockery in Poirot's smile. He con-tinued quietly, his eyes shining with the green light I had learned to recognize so well: 'There was a curtain in this little supper room, was there not?''Yes, but - ''With a space behind it sufficient to conceal a man?''Yes - in fact, there's a small recess, but how you knew about it - you haven't been to the place, have you, Monsieur Poirot?''No, my good Japp, I supplied the curtain from my brain.Without it, the drama is not reasonable. And always one must be reasonable. But tell me, did they not send for a doctor?''At once, of course. But there was nothing to be done. Death must have been instantaneous.' Poirot nodded rather impatiently.'Yes, yes, I understand. This doctor, now, he gave evidence at the inquest?' 'Yes.' 'Did he say nothing of any unusual symptom - was there nothing about the appearance of the body which struck him as being abnormal?' Japp stared hard at the little man.'Yes, Monsieur Poirot. I don't know what you're getting at, but he did mention that t