The Murder of Roger Ackroyd / Убийство Роджера Экройда - стр. 6

‘Sheppard!’ he exclaimed. ‘Just the man I wanted to get hold of. This is a terrible business.’

‘You’ve heard then?’

He nodded. he had felt the blow keenly, I could see. his big red cheeks seemed to have fallen in, and he looked a positive wreck of his usual jolly, healthy self.

‘It’s worse than you know,’ he said quietly. ‘Look here, Sheppard, I’ve got to talk to you. can you come back with me now?’

‘hardly. I’ve got three patients to see still, and I must be back by twelve to see my surgery patients.’

‘Then this afternoon – no, better still, dine tonight. At 7.30. Will that suit you?’

‘Yes, I can manage that all right. What’s wrong? Is it Ralph?’

I hardly knew why I said that – except, perhaps, that it had so often been Ralph.

Ackroyd stared blankly at me as though he hardly understood. I began to realize that there must be something very wrong indeed somewhere. I had never seen Ackroyd so upset before.

‘Ralph?’ he said vaguely. ‘oh! no, it’s not Ralph. Ralph’s in London – damn! here’s old Miss gannett coming. I don’t want to have to talk to her about this ghastly business. See you tonight, Sheppard. Seven-thirty.’

I nodded, and he hurried away, leaving me wondering. ralph in London? But he had certainly been in king’s Abbot the preceding afternoon. he must have gone back to town last night or early this morning, and yet Ackroyd’s manner had conveyed quite a different impression. he had spoken as though ralph had not been near the place for months.

I had no time to puzzle the matter out further. Miss gannett was upon me, thirsting for information. Miss gannett has all the characteristics of my sister caroline, but she lacks that unerring aim in jumping to conclusions which lends a touch of greatness to caroline’s manoeuvres. Miss gannett was breathless and interrogatory.

Wasn’t it sad about poor dear Mrs Ferrars? A lot of people were saying she had been a confirmed drug-taker for years. So wicked the way people went about saying things. And yet, the worst of it was, there was usually a grain of truth somewhere in these wild statements. No smoke without fire! They were saying too that Mr Ackroyd had found out about it, and had broken off the engagement – because there was an engagement. She, Miss gannett, had proof positive of that. of course I must know all about it – doctors always did – but they never tell?

And all this with a sharp beady eye on me to see how I reacted to these suggestions.

Fortunately, long association with Caroline has led me to preserve an impassive countenance, and to be ready with small non-committal remarks. On this occasion I congratulated Miss Gannett on not joining in ill-natured gossip. Rather a neat counterattack, I thought. It left her in difficulties, and before she could pull herself together, I had passed on.