首相绑架案 3

Three,THE ADVENTURE OF THE CHEAP FLAT,So far, in the cases which I have recorded, Poirot’s investigations ² have started from the centralfact, whether murder or robbery, and have proceeded from thence by a process of logicaldeduction to the final triumphant ³ unravelling ⁴. In the events I am now about to chronicle aremarkable chain of circumstances led from the apparently ⁶ trivial incidents which first attractedPoirot’s attention to the sinister ⁷ happenings which completed a most unusual case.,I had been spending the evening with an old friend of mine, Gerald Parker. There had been,perhaps, about half a dozen people there besides my host and myself, and the talk fell, as it wasbound to do sooner or later wherever Parker found himself, on the subject of house-hunting inLondon. Houses and flats were Parker’s special hobby. Since the end of the War, he had occupiedat least half a dozen different flats and maisonettes. No sooner was he settled anywhere than hewould light unexpectedly upon a new find, and would forthwith depart bag and baggage. Hismoves were nearly always accomplished ⁸ at a slight pecuniary ⁹ gain, for he had a shrewd businesshead, but it was sheer love of the sport that actuated him, and not a desire to make money at it. Welistened to Parker for some time with the respect of the novice ¹⁰ for the expert. Then it was our turn,and a perfect babel of tongues was let loose. Finally the floor was left to Mrs.?Robinson, acharming little bride who was there with her husband. I had never met them before, as Robinsonwas only a recent acquaintance of Parker’s.,“Talking of flats,
” she said, “have you heard of our piece of luck, Mr.?Parker? We’ve got aflat—at last! In Montagu Mansions ¹¹.”,“Well, ” said Parker, “I’ve always said there are plenty of flats—at a price!
”,“But—but Montagu Mansions is just off Knightsbridge, isn’t it? Big handsome building. Orare you talking of a poor relation of the same name stuck in the slums somewhere?”,“No, it’s the Knightsbridge one. That’s what makes it so wonderful. ”,“Wonderful is the word! It’s a blinking miracle. But there must be a catch somewhere. Bigpremium, I suppose?
”,“No premium ¹²!”,“No prem—oh, hold my head, somebody! ” groaned ¹³ Parker.,He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。,His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么 。