"Your stalking horse, Mr. Cust, had so successfully lived up to his role of the invisible — because insignificant — man, that so far no one had noticed that the same person had been seen in the vicinity of the three murders! To your annoyance, even his visit to Combeside had not been mentioned. The matter had passed completely out of Miss Grey's head."

"Always daring, you decided that one more murder must take place but that this time the trail must be well blazed."

"You selected Doncaster for the scene of operations."

"Your plan was very simple (ваш план был очень прост). You yourself would be on the scene in the nature of things (по сути вещей, вы сами были бы на месте /преступления/). Mr. Cust would be ordered to Doncaster by his firm (мистер Каст будет направлен в Донкастер его фирмой). Your plan was to follow him round (ваш план был проследить его) and trust to opportunity (и положиться на удобный случай; opportunity — благоприятный случай, стечение обстоятельств, возможность). Everything fell out well (все сложилось хорошо; to fall out — выпадать; случаться). Mr. Cust went to a cinema (мистер Каст пошел в кино). That was simplicity itself (это была сама простота). You sat a few seats away from him (вы сели на отдалении нескольких сидений от него). When he got up to go (когда он поднялся, чтобы уйти), you did the same (вы сделали тоже). You pretended to stumble (вы притворились, что споткнулись), leaned over (перегнулись) and stabbed a dozing man in the row in front (и закололи спящего человека в ряду впереди), slid the A.B.C. on to his knees (незаметно бросили /железнодорожный справочник/ «Эй-би-си» ему на колени; to slide — скользить; незаметно сунуть) and managed to collide heavily with Mr. Cust in the darkened doorway (и /вам/ удалось тяжело столкнуться с Кастом в затемненном проходе), wiping the knife on his sleeve (вытерев нож об его рукав) and slipping it into his pocket (и сунув его ему в карман; to slip — скользить; незаметно сунуть)."

simplicity [sm'plst], collide [k'lad], sleeve [sli:v]

"Your plan was very simple. You yourself would be on the scene in the nature of things. Mr. Cust would be ordered to Doncaster by his firm. Your plan was to follow him round and trust to opportunity. Everything fell out well. Mr. Cust went to a cinema. That was simplicity itself. You sat a few seats away from him. When he got up to go, you did the same. You pretended to stumble, leaned over and stabbed a dozing man in the row in front, slid the A.B.C. on to his knees and managed to collide heavily with Mr. Cust in the darkened doorway, wiping the knife on his sleeve and slipping it into his pocket."

"You were not in the least at pains to choose a victim (вы не прилагали ни малейших усилий, чтобы выбрать жертву; to be at pains — очень стараться, прилагать усилия; pains — муки; усилия) whose name began with D (чье имя начиналось с /буквы/ «ди»). Anyone would do (любой подошел бы)! You assumed (вы допустили) — and quite rightly (и совершенно правильно) — that it would be considered to be a mistake (что это посчитают за ошибку). There was sure to be someone (там наверняка был кто-то) whose name began with D not far off in the audience (недалеко среди публики, чье имя начиналось с /буквы/ «ди»). It would be assumed (допустят) that he had been intended to be the victim (что он предназначался в жертвы)."

"And now, my friends (а теперь, друзья мои), let us consider the matter from the point of view of the false A.B.C. (давайте рассмотрим это дело с точки зрения фальшивого Эй-би-си) — from the point of view of Mr. Cust (с точки зрения мистера Каста)."

pains [penz], intend [n'tend], point [pnt]