We found Mrs. Ackroyd in the hall with the lawyer, Mr. Hammond, a little man with sharp grey eyes. «Mr. Hammond is staying to lunch with us,» said Mrs. Ackroyd. «You know Major Blunt, Mr. Hammond? And dear Dr. Sheppard — also a close friend of poor Roger’s. And, let me see — » she paused, looking at Hercule Poirot with some difficulty.
«This is M. Poirot, Mother,» said Flora. «I told you about him this morning.»
«Oh! Yes — » said Mrs. Ackroyd. «Of course, my dear, of course. He will find Ralph, won’t he?»
«He will find out who killed Uncle,» said Flora.
I noticed that Poirot and the lawyer walked to the window. I went and joined them.
«I am going to ask a little information from the good Mr. Hammond,» said Poirot. «Mr. Hammond, I understand that you know the contents of Mr. Ackroyd’s will?»
«Certainly. That’s why I came here today.»
«You know, perhaps, that I am acting for Miss Ackroyd. Can you tell me the contents of the will?»
«Yes. It is all quite simple. After paying some small sums to some people — »
«To whom?»
«A thousand pounds to his housekeeper, Miss Russell; fifty pounds to the cook, Emma Cooper; five hundred pounds to his secretary, Mr. Geoffrey Raymond. Then to some hospitals — »
«Oh, that does not interest me,» said Poirot.
«Then he had shares for ten thousand pounds. The income of those shares goes to Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd during her lifetime1. Miss Flora Ackroyd inherits twenty thousand pounds. The house and shares in Ackroyd and Son go to his adopted son, Ralph Paton.»
«Mr. Ackroyd was rich, wasn’t he?»
«Very rich. Captain Paton will be a very wealthy young man.»
«Mr. Hammond,» called Mrs. Ackroyd from the fireplace.
The lawyer went to the fireplace. Poirot took my arm. «Do you really want to help me?» he said. «To take part in the investigation?»
«Yes, indeed. I would like it very much,» I said.
«Good. In a minute or two Major Blunt will come up to us, I think. There are some things which I want to know. But I don’t want to show him that I want to know them. Do you understand? So I want you to ask him questions.»
«What questions do you want me to ask?» I said.
«I want you to speak about Mrs. Ferrars.»
«Yes?»
«Ask him if he was here when her husband died. And when he answers, watch his face.»
There was no time for more conversation, because Major Blunt came up. I suggested walking on the terrace, and he agreed. We went out and Poirot remained in the drawing-room.
We talked about flowers and nature, and then I managed to begin speaking about Mrs. Ferrars and her husband. Major Blunt remained calm and did not try to change the subject of the conversation. He was sorry for Mrs. Ferrars and was sure that her husband had been a very unpleasant man.
1 during her lifetime — пожизненно
«He was a man with more money than was good for him,» I said.
«Oh! Money!» said Blunt. «All the troubles in the world happen because of money.»
«What was your trouble?» I asked.
«Oh, I am lucky,» he said. «I have enough for what I want. But a year ago I got some legacy and was foolish enough to put it into some business — and lost all of it.»
I said that I was sorry and told him that I had the same trouble with my legacy.
When I saw Poirot, I told him about our conversation. «I am sure he is all right,» I said.
«No doubt,» said Poirot.
After lunch Mr. Hammond was leaving. Before going he asked Mrs. Ackroyd and Raymond if they wanted some money. «Ready money1, you know,» he said. «If you don’t have enough, I can get you some.»
«No, that will be all right,» said Raymond. «Mr. Ackroyd cashed a cheque for a hundred pounds2 yesterday, for wages to the servants and other expenses. And this money is not spent.»
«Where is the money? In his desk?»
«No. He always kept his ready money in his bedroom. In an old box. It was a funny idea, wasn’t it?»
«I think,» said the lawyer, «we must make sure3 that the money is there before I leave.»
«Certainly,» agreed the secretary. «We can go up now… Oh! I forgot. The door is locked!»
Luckily Inspector Raglan was still in the house, speaking to the housekeeper. He came down and brought the key. He unlocked the door, and we went into the little lobby and up the small staircase. The door of Mr. Ackroyd’s bedroom was open. Geoffrey Raymond went up to the bureau. He opened the box which stood on it. «Here is the money,» he said, taking out a thick pack of banknotes4. «You will find all the hundred pounds. I know it because Mr. Ackroyd put the money into the box in my presence last night when he was dressing for dinner, and of course there was no time to touch it.»
Mr. Hammond took the pack and counted. He looked up. «You say a hundred pounds. But there is only sixty here.»
Raymond looked at him. «Impossible,» he said. He took the money from the lawyer and counted it himself.
«Impossible,» he said again.
«Then the thing is very simple,» said Poirot. «Either he paid those forty pounds himself some time last evening, or somebody stole the money.»
«We must clear up this matter,» said the inspector. «What about the servants? Are they all right? Was anything stolen in the house before?»
«No, never,» said Mrs. Ackroyd. «Are any of the servants going to leave?»
1Ready money — Наличные деньги
2 cashed a cheque for a hundred pounds — получил по чеку сто фунтов
3 we must make sure— мы должны удостовериться
4 a thick pack of banknotes — толстая пачка банкнот
«One maid is leaving. Ursula Bourne. She gave notice1 yesterday.»
«To you?»
«Oh no,» — said Mrs. Ackroyd. «It’s Miss Russell business.»
«Then I think I shall speak to Miss Russell,» said the inspector.
Miss Russell was called.
«Why is the maid leaving?» asked the inspector.
«As I understand, it happened yesterday afternoon,» said Miss Russell. «It was her duty to do the study2 and she misplaced some papers on Mr. Ackroyd’s desk. He was very displeased about it and spoke to her, and she gave notice. That’s what she told me, but perhaps you would like to see her yourself?»
Ursula Bourne was a tall nice-looking girl with a lot of brown hair and grey eyes.
«You are Ursula Bourne?» asked the inspector.
«Yes, sir.»
«I understand that you are leaving.»
«Yes, sir.»
«Why?»
«I misplaced some papers on Mr. Ackroyd’s desk. He was very angry about it, and I said I had better leave. He told me to go as soon as possible.»
«I must tell you, my girl, that a large sum of money is stolen from Mr. Ackroyd’s room.»
The girl’s cheeks became red. «You can search my things, if you like,» she said. «But you won’t find anything.»
1 gave notice — предупредила об уходе
2 to do the study — делать уборку в кабинете
Ursula Bourne went away. The inspector turned to Miss Russell. «How long has she been in Fernly Park? Have you any references from the place she worked before?»
Miss Russell brought a letter of reference and gave it to the inspector.
«H-m,» said the inspector, looking through the reference, «It looks all right. Mrs. Folliott, from Marby. Who is this woman?»
«Quite good country people,» said Miss Russell.
«Thank you, Miss Russell,» said the inspector.
When Poirot and I left the house, he showed me the paper which the inspector had given him that morning. «Look, my friend,» he said, pointing to the name of Ursula Bourne on the list, «Nobody confirmed this girl’s alibi.»
«You don’t think — »
«Dr. Sheppard, I can think anything. Ursula Bourne had a time and possibility to kill Mr. Ackroyd. Only I can see no motive. If the person who blackmailed Mrs. Ferrars was a man, then she cannot be the black mailer — »
«But — » I said.
«Yes? What?» he said.
«But,» I continued, «Mrs. Ferrars in her letter did not use the word man. She spoke about a person. But we decided that it was a man.»
It seemed to me that he was not listening. He was thinking hard1. Then he said, «Where is Marby?»
«It’s on the other side of Cranchester.»
«How far away?»
«Oh! — fourteen miles, perhaps.»
«Can you go there? Tomorrow?»
«Well, yes, I can. What do you want me to do there?»
«Go to this Mrs. Folliott. Find out all you can about Ursula Bourne.»
1 He was thinking hard. — Он глубоко задумался.