Agatha Christie

The Labours of Hercules


Скачать книгу

in no doubt about the reality of his wife’s suffering. He had not been surprised by her death. He had called in another doctor shortly before her death and the other doctor had realized the gravity of her condition. Tentatively I brought forward the suggestion of exhumation…Nurse Harrison was at first frightened out of her wits by the idea. Then, almost at once, her jealousy and hatred took command of her. Let them find arsenic–no suspicion would attach to her. It would be the doctor and Jean Moncrieffe who would suffer.

      ‘There was only one hope. To make Nurse Harrison over-reach herself. If there were a chance that Jean Moncrieffe would escape, I fancied that Nurse Harrison would strain every nerve to involve her in the crime. I gave instructions to my faithful Georges–the most unobtrusive of men whom she did not know by sight. He was to follow her closely. And so–all ended well.’

      Jean Moncrieffe said:

      ‘You’ve been wonderful.’

      Dr Oldfield chimed in. He said:

      ‘Yes, indeed. I can never thank you enough. What a blind fool I was!’

      Poirot asked curiously:

      ‘Were you as blind, Mademoiselle?’

      Jean Moncrieffe said slowly:

      ‘I have been terribly worried. You see, the arsenic in the poison cupboard didn’t tally…’

      Oldfield cried:

      ‘Jean–you didn’t think–?’

      ‘No, no–not you. What I did think was that Mrs Oldfield had somehow or other got hold of it–and that she was taking it so as to make herself ill and get sympathy and that she had inadvertently taken too much. But I was afraid that if there was an autopsy and arsenic was found, they would never consider that theory and would leap to the conclusion that you’d done it. That’s why I never said anything about the missing arsenic. I even cooked the poison book! But the last person I would ever have suspected was Nurse Harrison.’

      Oldfield said:

      ‘I too. She was such a gentle womanly creature. Like a Madonna.’

      Poirot said sadly:

      ‘Yes, she would have made, probably, a good wife and mother…Her emotions were just a little too strong for her.’ He sighed and murmured once more under his breath:

      ‘The pity of it.’

      Then he smiled at the happy-looking middle-aged man and the eager-faced girl opposite him. He said to himself:

      ‘These two have come out of its shadow into the sun…and I –I have performed the second Labour of Hercules.’

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QRsaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bWxuczpkYz0iaHR0cDovL3B1cmwub3Jn L2RjL2VsZW1lbnRzLzEuMS8iIHhtcE1NOk9yaWdpbmFsRG9jdW1lbnRJRD0idXVpZDoyYjc2NmI3 Ny1mZDZhLTZjNDctOWY5Ny00Yjk4ZGJlODEzODgiIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50SUQ9InhtcC5kaWQ6 NjBGMjk1ODYzQzMwMTFFOTk5QzBFRDA5QjI2RjY5NDYiIHhtcE1NOkluc3RhbmNlSUQ9InhtcC5p aWQ6NjBGMjk1ODUzQzMwMTFFOTk5QzBFRDA5QjI2RjY5NDYiIHhtcDpDcmVhdG9yVG9vbD0iQWRv YmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVkRnJvbSBzdFJlZjpp bnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOkI2RTMyMDY0MUYyMDY4MTE5MkIwQzIxQjIyODExN0NBIiBzdFJl Zjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJhZG9iZTpkb2NpZDpwaG90b3Nob3A6NzdmZDJlYTYtODllNS0xMTdiLTg5 MjMtZjQzOWQ4NWRmMjI5Ii8+IDxkYzpjcmVhdG9yPiA8cmRmOlNlcT4gPHJkZjpsaT5mcmVtenQ8 L3JkZjpsaT4gPC9yZGY6U2VxPiA8L2RjOmNyZWF0b3I+IDxkYzp0aXRsZT4gPHJkZjpBbHQ+IDxy ZGY6bGkgeG1sOmxhbmc9IngtZGVmYXVsdCI+TGFib3VycyBvZiBIZXJjdWxlcywgVGhlIGJQQi5p bmRkPC9yZGY6bGk+IDwvcmRmOkFsdD4gPC9kYzp0aXRsZT4gPC9yZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24+IDwv cmRmOlJERj4gPC94OnhtcG1ldGE+IDw/eHBhY2tldCBlbmQ9InIiPz7/7QBIUGhvdG9zaG9wIDMu MAA4QklNBAQAAAAAAA8cAVoAAxslRxwCAAACAAIAOEJJTQQlAAAAAAAQ/OEfici3yXgvNGI0B1h3 6//iDFhJQ0NfUFJPRklMRQABAQAADEhMaW5vAhAAAG1udHJSR0IgWFlaIAfOAAIACQAGADEAAGFj c3BNU0ZUAAAAAElFQyBzUkdCAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAD21gABAAAAANMtSFAgIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEWNwcnQAAAFQAAAAM2Rlc2MAAAGE AAAAbHd0cHQAAAHwAAAAFGJrcHQAAAIEAAAAFHJYWVoAAAIYAAAAFGdYWVoAAAIsAAAAFGJYWVoA AAJAAAAAFGRtbmQAAAJUAAAAcGRtZGQAAALEAAAAiHZ1ZWQAAANMAAAAhnZpZXcAAAPUAAAAJGx1 bWkAAAP4AAAAFG1lYXMAAAQMAAAAJHRlY2gAAAQwAAAADHJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGdUUkMAAAQ8AAAI DGJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDHRleHQAAAAAQ29weXJpZ2h0IChjKSAxOTk4IEhld2xldHQtUGFja2FyZCBD b21wYW55AABkZXNjAAAAAAAAABJzUkdCIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEnNSR0IgSUVD NjE5NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AABYWVogAAAAAAAA81EAAQAAAAEWzFhZWiAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWFlaIAAAAAAAAG+iAAA4 9QAAA5BYWVogAAAAAAAAYpkAALeFAAAY2lhZWiAAAAAAAAAkoAAAD4QAALbPZGVzYwAAAAAAAAAW SUVDIGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWSUVDIGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGRlc2MAAAAAAAAALklF QyA2MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVsdCBSR0IgY29sb3VyIHNwYWNlIC0gc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAALklF QyA2MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVsdCBSR0IgY29sb3VyIHNwYWNlIC0gc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAABkZXNjAAAAAAAAACxSZWZlcmVuY2UgVmlld2luZyBDb25kaXRpb24gaW4gSUVDNjE5 NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAsUmVmZXJlbmNlIFZpZXdpbmcgQ29uZGl0aW9uIGluIElFQzYxOTY2 LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAdmlldwAAAAAAE6T+ABRfLgAQzxQAA+3MAAQT CwADXJ4AAAABWFlaIAAAAAAATAlWAFAAAABXH+dtZWFzAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAACjwAAAAJzaWcgAAAAAENSVCBjdXJ2AAAAAAAABAAAAAAFAAoADwAUABkAHgAjACgALQAyADcA OwBAAEUASgBPAFQAWQBeAGMAaABtAHIAdwB8AIEAhgCLAJAAlQCaAJ8ApACpAK4AsgC3ALwAwQDG AMsA0ADVANsA4ADlAOsA8AD2APsBAQEHAQ0BEwEZAR8BJQErATIBOAE+AUUBTAFSAVkBYAFnAW4B dQF8AYMBiwGSAZoBoQGpAbEBuQHBAckB0QHZAeEB6QHyAfoCAwIMAhQCHQImAi8COAJBAksCVAJd AmcCcQJ6AoQCjgKYAqICrAK2AsECywLVAuAC6wL1AwADCwMWAyEDLQM4A0MDTwNaA2YDcgN+A4oD lgOiA64DugPHA9MD4APsA/kEBgQTBCAELQQ7BEgEVQRjBHEEfgSMBJoEqAS2BMQE0wThBPAE/gUN BRwFKwU6BUkFWAVnBXcFhgWWBaYFtQXFBdUF5QX2BgYGFgYnBjcGSAZZBmoGewaMBp0GrwbABtEG 4wb1BwcHGQcrBz0HTwdhB3QHhgeZB6wHvwfSB+UH+AgLCB8IMghGCFoIbgiCCJYIqgi+CNII5wj7 CRAJJQk6CU8JZAl5CY8JpAm6Cc8J5Qn7ChEKJwo9ClQKagqBCpgKrgrFCtwK8wsLCyILOQtRC2kL gAuYC7ALyAvhC/kMEgwqDEMMXAx1DI4MpwzADNkM8w0NDSYNQA1aDXQNjg2pDcMN3g34DhMOLg5J DmQOfw6bDrYO0g7uDwkPJQ9BD14Peg+WD7MPzw/sEAkQJhBDEGEQfhCbELkQ1xD1ERMRMRFPEW0R jBGqEckR6BIHEiYSRRJkEoQSoxLDEuMTAxMjE0MTYxODE6QTxRPlFAYUJxRJFGoUixStFM4U8BUS FTQVVhV