Название: Death in Ecstasy
Автор: Ngaio Marsh
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Зарубежные детективы
isbn: 9780007344437
isbn:
âDonât you believe anything that little beast says, Mr â er â Inspector â er ââ
âInspector Alleyn, madam.â
âOh â Inspector Alleyn. Claudeâs a little pig. Always prying into other peopleâs affairs. Iâve told Father, but heâs so good he doesnât see.â
âI gather you rather upset Mr Wheatley by referring to his preparations for the service.â
âServes him right if I did. He kept on saying it was murder, he knew it was murder, and that Cara was such a lovely woman and everyone was jealous of her. I just said: âWell,â I said, âif she was murdered,â I said, âwho prepared the goblet and the flagon?â And then he fainted. I thought it looked very queer.â
âMiss Quayne was a very beautiful woman, I believe?â said Alleyn casually.
âI never could see it. Of course, if you admire that type. But just because that M. de Ravigne went silly over her â I mean everyone knows what foreigners are like. If you give them any encouragement, that is. Well, I myself â I suppose Claude told you that â about her looks, I mean. Or was it Father Garnette? Was it?â
âIâm afraid I donât remember,â said Alleyn.
Mrs Candour jerked her chin up. For a second her face was horrible. âCara doesnât look very pretty now,â she said softly.
Alleyn turned away.
âI mustnât keep you any longer,â he said. âThereâs only one other point. You were the first, after Mr Garnette, to take the cup. Did you notice any peculiar smell?â
âI donât know. I donât remember. No, I donât think so.â
âI see. Thank you. That is all, I think.â
âI may go home?â
âCertainly. There is a wardress in the lobby. Would you object to being examined?â
âSearched!â
âJust looked over, you know. Itâs the usual thing.â
âOh, yes, please â Iâd rather â much rather.â
âThank you. You will be given notice of the inquest.â
âThe inquest! Oh, how dreadful. I donât know how Iâm to get over this â Iâm so shockingly sensitive. Inspector Alleyn, youâve been marvellously kind. I always thought that police methods were brutal.â She looked up at him with a general air of feminine helplessness somewhat negatived by a glint of appraisal in her eye. It was a ghastly combination. She held out her hand.
âGoodbye, Inspector Alleyn.â
âGood evening, madam,â said Alleyn.
She wobbled away on her French heels.
âThis is a very unsavoury case,â said Nigel.
âItâs murder,â said Inspector Fox mildly.
âMost foul,â added Alleyn, âas at the best it is. But this most foul â Yes, I agree with you, Bathgate. Bailey!â
âHere,â said that worthy, rising up from behind the lectern.
âNext please.â
âRight, sir.â
âWhat did you make of Mrs Candour?â asked Alleyn.
âA perfectly appalling old girl,â said Nigel fervently.
âOh, yes. All that. Almost a pathological case, one might imagine. Still, the exhibition of jealousy was interesting, didnât you think, Fox?â
âYes, I did,â agreed Fox. âThis Father Garnette seems to be a peculiar sort of man for the ministry.â
âExactly.â
âWhen she made that appalling remark about Cara not looking very pretty now,â said Nigel, âshe was positively evil. Without a shadow of doubt she loathed the poor woman. I am surprised at your allowing her to escape. She should have been handcuffed immediately, I consider.â
âDonât show off,â said Alleyn abstractedly.
âIâll be right there, Ahfficer. Whereâs the Chief?â cried Mr Ogden from afar. He appeared with Bailey by the altar, saw Alleyn, and made straight for him.
âWell, well, well. Look whatâs here!â exclaimed Mr Ogden.
âYes, look,â said Alleyn. âItâs a pathetic sight, Mr Ogden. Here we go grubbing along â however.â
âSay, Inspector, whatâs the big idea? You look kind of world-weary.â
âDo I, Mr Ogden, do I?â
âAnd just when I was congratulating myself on sitting right next the works for an inside survey of British criminal investigation.â
âAnd now youâll never talk again about our wonderful police.â
âIs that so? Well, Iâm not saying anything.â
âYou wonât mind if I ask you a few dreary questions, perhaps? We have to do our stuff, you know.â
âGo right ahead. My, my!â said Mr Ogden contemplating Alleyn with an air of the liveliest satisfaction. âYou certainly are the goods. I guess youâve got British Manufacture stamped some place where it wonât wear off. All this quiet deprecation â itâs direct from a sure-fire British best-seller. I canât hardly believe itâs true.â
Nigel, from his unobtrusive seat by Fox, allowed himself an irritating grin. Alleyn saw it and looked furious.
âThat sounds a very damning description, Mr Ogden,â he said, and hurried on. He asked Ogden if he had noticed a peculiar smell and got the now customary reply that the reek of incense was so strong that it would drown any other smell.
âThough, now I get to thinking about it,â added Mr Ogden, âI do seem to remember it was uncommon powerful tonight. Yes, sir, I believe I thought those two he-he boys were certainly hitting up the atmosphere.â
âCan you remember at what precise moment you thought this?â
Mr СКАЧАТЬ