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

Mixed up in all the celebrated cases of the day. Train mysteries, air mysteries, high society deaths—oh, he’s here, there and everywhere. Never been so celebrated as since he retired.’

�I have already told Hastings that I am like the prima donna who makes always one more appearance,’ said Poirot, smiling.

�I shouldn’t wonder if you ended by detecting your own death,’ said Japp, laughing heartily. �That’s an idea, that is. Ought to be put in a book.’

�It will be Hastings who will have to do that,’ said Poirot, twinkling at me.

�Ha ha! That would be a joke, that would,’ laughed Japp.

I failed to see why the idea was so extremely amusing, and in any case I thought the joke was in poor taste. Poirot, poor old chap, is getting on. Jokes about his approaching demise can hardly be agreeable to him.

Perhaps my manner showed my feelings, for Japp changed the subject.

�Have you heard about Monsieur Poirot’s anonymous letter?’

�I showed it to Hastings the other day,’ said my friend.

�Of course,’ I exclaimed. �It had quite slipped my memory. Let me see, what was the date mentioned?’

�The 21st,’ said Japp. �That’s what I dropped in about. Yesterday was the 21st and just out of curiosity I rang up Andover last night. It was a hoax all right. Nothing doing. One broken shop window—kid throwing stones—and a couple of drunk and disorderlies. So just for once our Belgian friend was barking up the wrong tree[30 - to bark up the wrong tree – ошибиться (букв.

�I am relieved, I must confess,’ acknowledged Poirot.

�You’d quite got the wind up[31 - to get the wind up – испугаться] about it, hadn’t you?’ said Japp affectionately. �Bless you, we get dozens of letters like that coming in every day! People with nothing better to do and a bit weak in the top storey[32 - the top storey (шутл.) – мозги] sit down and write �em[33 - �em = them].

�I have indeed been foolish to take the matter so seriously,’ said Poirot. �It is the nest of the horse that I put my nose into there.’

�You’re mixing up mares and wasps[34 - mare – кобыла; = nightmare (mare’s nest — иллюзия, обман) wasp – оса (wasps’ nest — осиное гнездо; скопище врагов)],’ said Japp.