Evening star., 1927-03-13
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
By AGATHA CHRISTIE.
Copyright BY Dodd. Mead q ca.

| you killed Ackroyd before you left
as you were standing beside his chair?
/ Then you go out of the front door,
| run round to the Summer house, take
! Ralph Paton's shoes out of the bag
| you brought up with you that night,
| slip them on, walk through the mud
IN them, and leave prints on the
/ window ledge, you climb in, lock the
| to the Summer house, change back
! into your own shoes, and race down
| to the gate Il went through similar
actions the other day. when you We're
with Mrs. Ackroyd-it took 10 min
utes exactlyD Then home-and an
| alibi--s.nce you had timed the dicta-
phone for half-past g."
| MY dear Po;rot." I said in voice
that sounded strange and forced to
my own ears, you've been broodins
over his case too long. What on
earth had l to gain by numbering
| Ackroyd?"
Safety 1t was you who black
mailed Mrs. Ferrars. Who could
have had "A better knowledge Of what
| killed Mr. Ferrars than the doctor who
was attending him? When You spoke
! to me that first day in the garden
| you mentioned legacy received about
year ago. have been unable to
! discover any trace Of a legacy. You
had to invent some way OF account
| ing for Mrs. Ferrars' 100000. 1t has
| not done you much good. You lost
| most Of 1t in speculation--then you
put the screw on too hard, ana MRS.
| ITerrars took way out that you had
not expected. II Ackroyd had learned
| the truth ne woul6 / We had no mercy
on you-you were ruined forever"
And the telephone call?'' ! asked,
trying to rally. You have a plausible
explanation of that also, ] suppose?
"I will confess to you that II was
my greatest stumbling block when /
| found that a call had actually been
put through to you from Kings Abbot
Station. | at first believed that you
| had simply invented the story. Ii
was very clever touch, that. You
must have some excuse for arriving at
Fernly, finding the body, and so get
ting the chance to remove the dicta-
phone on which your alibi depended.
| / had a very vague notion of how II
was worked when l came to see your
sister that first day and inquired as
| to what patients you had seen on
| riday morning. l had no thought
of Miss Russell in my mind at that
| time. Her visit was a lucky coin
I.eidence, since II. distracted your mind
frem the real object OF my questions
| F. found what / was looking for
Among your patients that morning
was the steward of an American liner
| Who more suitable than he to be
| leaving for liverpool by the train
| that evening? And afterwards he
would be on the high seas. well out
Of the way. / noted that the Orion
sailed on Saturday, and having OBJ
! tained the name of the steward
sent him a wireless message asking
certain question. This is his reply
you saw me receive just now"
| He held out the message to me. IL
ran as follows:
! Quite correct. DR.. Sheppard asked
me to leave note at patient house
/ was to ring him up from the station
with the reply. Reply was No an
swer. =
1T was a clever idea" said Poirot.
THE call was genuine. Your sister
saw you take It.. But there was, only
one mans word as to what was actu'
| ally said--your own."
| / yawned.
IAN this | said, Us very interest.
| ing-but hardly in the sphere of prac.
tical politics"
"You think not? Remember what
said-the truth goes to Inspector Rag.
| Ian in the morning. But. for the sake
of your good sister, ! am willing TO
give you the chance of another way
out. There might be, for instance. an
overdose of a sleeping draught. You
comprehend me? But Capt. Ralph
Patton must be cleared--ca va sans
dire I should suggest that you finish
that very interesting manuscript of
yours-but abandoning your former
'reticence.
You seem to be very prolific of sug.
gesfions," I remarked. Are you sure
you've quite finished?'
Now that you remind me of the
| fact, ii is true that there is one thing
more. 1t would be most unwise on
| your part TO attempt to silence me as
you silenced M. Ackroyd. That kind
of business does not succeed against
Hercule Poirot, you understand"
MY dear Poirot." i said, smiling a
little. whatever else l may be, l am
not fool"
! rose to my feet
| well. WE'LL" | said, with slight
| yawn, II must be off home. Thank
| you for a most interesting and instruc-
tive evening"
Poirot also rose and bowed with his
1 accustomed politeness as I passed out
of the room.