The A B C Murders / Убийство по алфавиту. Книга для чтения на английском языке

About once or twice a week I was in the habit of purchasing two ounces of John Cotton[105 - John Cotton – название марки нюхательного табака] mild.’

�Did you know Mrs Ascher at all? Anything of her circumstances or her history?’

�Nothing whatever. Beyond my purchase and an occasional remark as to the state of the weather, I had never spoken to her.’

�Did you know she had a drunken husband who was in the habit of threatening her life?’

�No, I knew nothing whatever about her.

�You knew her by sight, however. Did anything about her appearance strike you as unusual yesterday evening? Did she appear flurried or put out[106 - appear flurried or put out – казаться взволнованным или расстроенным] in any way?’

Mr Partridge considered.

�As far as I noticed, she seemed exactly as usual,’ he said.

Poirot rose.

�Thank you, Mr Partridge, for answering these questions. Have you, by any chance, an А В C in the house? I want to look up my return train to London.

�On the shelf just behind you,’ said Mr Partridge.

On the shelf in question were an А В C, a Bradshaw, the Stock Exchange Year Book, Kelly’s Directory, a Who’s Who[107 - the Stock Exchange Year Book – ежегодник фондовой биржи; Kelly’s Directory – справочник по фирмам; a Who’s Who – ежегодный биографический справочник] and a local directory.

Poirot took down the ABC, pretended to look up a train, then thanked Mr Partridge and took his leave.

Our next interview was with Mr Albert Riddell and was of a highly different character. Mr Albert Riddell was a platelayer and our conversation took place to the accompaniment of the clattering of plates and dishes by Mr Riddell’s obviously nervous wife, the growling of Mr Riddell’s dog and the undisguised hostility of Mr Riddell himself.

He was a big clumsy giant of a man with a broad face and small suspicious eyes. He was in the act of eating meat-pie, washed down by exceedingly black tea. He peered at us angrily over the rim of his cup.

�Told all I’ve got to tell once, haven’t I?’ he growled. �What’s it to do with me, anyway? Told it to the blasted police, I �ave[108 - �ave = have], and now I’ve got to spit it all out again to a couple of blasted foreigners.