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Five Little Pigs :: Christie Agatha
Страница: 57 из 147But Meredith Blake had known Caroline well. It was the first confirmation Poirot had got that Carla’s belief was to be depended upon.
Meredith Blake looked up at him. He said slowly:
‘If-ifCaroline was innocent-why, the whole thing’s madness! I don’t see-any other possible solution…’
He turned sharply on Poirot.
‘And you? What do you think?’
There was a silence.
‘As yet,’ said Poirot at last, ‘I think nothing. I collect only the impressions. What Caroline Crale was like. What Amyas Crale was like. What the other people who were there at the time were like. What happened exactly on those two days.That is what I need. To go over the facts laboriously one by one. Your brother is going to help me there. He is sending me an account of the events as he remembers them.’
Meredith Blake said sharply:
‘You won’t get much from that. Philip’s a busy man. Things slip his memory once they’re past and done with. Probably he’ll remember things all wrong.’
‘There will be gaps, of course. I realize that.’
‘I tell you what-’ Meredith paused abruptly, then went on, reddening a little as he spoke. ‘If you like, I-I could do the same. I mean, it would be a kind of check, wouldn’t it?’
Hercule Poirot said warmly:
‘It would be most valuable. An idea of the first excellence!’
‘Right. I will. I’ve got some old diaries somewhere. Mind you,’ he laughed awkwardly. ‘I’m not much of a hand at literary language. Even my spelling’s not too good. You-you won’t expect too much?’
‘Ah, it is not the style I demand. Just a plain recital of everything you can remember. What every one said, how they looked-just what happened. Never mind if it doesn’t seem relevant. It all helps with the atmosphere, so to speak.’
‘Yes, I can see that. It must be difficult visualizing people and places you have never seen.’
Poirot nodded.
‘There is another thing I wanted to ask you. Alderbury is the adjoining property to this, is it not? Would it be possible to go there-to see with my own eyes where the tragedy occurred?’
Meredith Blake said slowly:
‘I can take you over there right away. But, of course, it is a good deal changed.’
‘It has not been built over?’
‘No, thank goodness-not quite so bad as that. But it’s a kind of hostel now-it was bought by some society.
Meredith Blake looked up at him. He said slowly:
‘If-ifCaroline was innocent-why, the whole thing’s madness! I don’t see-any other possible solution…’
He turned sharply on Poirot.
‘And you? What do you think?’
There was a silence.
‘As yet,’ said Poirot at last, ‘I think nothing. I collect only the impressions. What Caroline Crale was like. What Amyas Crale was like. What the other people who were there at the time were like. What happened exactly on those two days.That is what I need. To go over the facts laboriously one by one. Your brother is going to help me there. He is sending me an account of the events as he remembers them.’
Meredith Blake said sharply:
‘You won’t get much from that. Philip’s a busy man. Things slip his memory once they’re past and done with. Probably he’ll remember things all wrong.’
‘There will be gaps, of course. I realize that.’
‘I tell you what-’ Meredith paused abruptly, then went on, reddening a little as he spoke. ‘If you like, I-I could do the same. I mean, it would be a kind of check, wouldn’t it?’
Hercule Poirot said warmly:
‘It would be most valuable. An idea of the first excellence!’
‘Right. I will. I’ve got some old diaries somewhere. Mind you,’ he laughed awkwardly. ‘I’m not much of a hand at literary language. Even my spelling’s not too good. You-you won’t expect too much?’
‘Ah, it is not the style I demand. Just a plain recital of everything you can remember. What every one said, how they looked-just what happened. Never mind if it doesn’t seem relevant. It all helps with the atmosphere, so to speak.’
‘Yes, I can see that. It must be difficult visualizing people and places you have never seen.’
Poirot nodded.
‘There is another thing I wanted to ask you. Alderbury is the adjoining property to this, is it not? Would it be possible to go there-to see with my own eyes where the tragedy occurred?’
Meredith Blake said slowly:
‘I can take you over there right away. But, of course, it is a good deal changed.’
‘It has not been built over?’
‘No, thank goodness-not quite so bad as that. But it’s a kind of hostel now-it was bought by some society.