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PACE FOURTEEN m-- --_-- - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd | (By Agatha Christie) CHAPTER VIII Inspector Raglan is We looked at each other. "You'll have inquiries made at the station, of course?" I said. "Naturally, but I'm not over sang- uine as to the result. You know what that station is like." id. King's Abbot is a mere vil- lage, but its station happens to be an important junction. Most of the big expresses stop there, and trains, are shunted, re-sorted, and made up. It has two or three public telephone boxes. At that time of night, three local trains come in close upon each other, to catch the connection with the express for the north which comes mn at 10.19 and leaves at 1023. 'The whole place is in a bustle, and the chances of one particular person be- ing noticed telephoning or getting in- to the express are very small indeed. ; "But why telephone at all?" deman- ded Melrose. "That is what I find so extraordinary. There seems no rhyme or reason in the thing." Poirot carefully straightened a china ornament on one of the bookcases. "Be sure there was a reason," he said over his shoulder. "But what reason could it be?" When we know that, we shall know everything. This case is very curious and very interesting." There was something almost inde- scribable in the way he said those last words. I felt that he was looking at the case from some peculiar angle of hs own, and what he saw I could not ell. He went to the window and stdod there, looking out. "You say it was nine o'clock, Dr. Sheppard, when you met this stranger outside the gate?" . He asked the question without turn- ing round. "Yes," I replied. "I heard the church clock chime the hour." "How lone would it take him to | reach the house--to reach this window, for instance?" "Five minutes at the outside. Two or three minutes only if he tcok the path at the right of the drive and came straight here." "But to do that he would have to know the way. How can I explain myself ?--it would mean that he haa been here before--that he knew his surroundings." "That is true," replied Colonel Mel- rose. "We could find out, doubtless, if Mr, Ackroyd had received any strang- ers during the past week?" "Young Raymond could tell us that," I said. "Or Parker," suggested Colonel Mel- rose. "Ou tous les deux," suggested Poi- rot, smiling. . Colonel Melrose went in search of Raymond, and | rang the bell once more for Parker. Colonel Melrose returned almost im- mediately, accompanied by the young secretary, whom he introduced to Poi- rot. Geoffrey Raymond was fresh and debonair as ever. He seemed surpris- ed and delighted to make Poirot's ac- quaintance. "No idea you'd been living among us incognito, M. Poirot," he said. "It will be a great privilege to watch you at work-- Hallo, what's this?" t Poirot had been standing just to the left of the door. Now he moved aside suddenly, and I saw that while my back was turned he must have swiftly drawn out the arm-chair: till it stood in the position Parker had indicated. "Want me to sit in the chair whilst you take a blood test?" asked Ray- mond good-humouredly. "What's the dea?" "M. Raymond, this chair was pulled out--so-- last night when Mr. Ackroyd was found killed. Some one moved it back again into place. Did you do so?" HR For Sale by Johns Piano Stdre 80 Simcoe St. N, Phone 2351 STORAGE SPACE FOR RENT Low rental. About 12,000 ft, of good dry storage space, conveniently locat- ed, with Canadian National siding, for rent either in whole or in part. CHARLES M. MUNDY c/o Mundy Printing Compar.y, Limited Telephone 35 or 312 means." "THE DSHAWK DAILY TIMES, THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 10, 1927 The secretary's reply came without a second's hesitation. "No, indeed I didn't. 1 don't even remember that it was in that posi- tion, but it must have been if you say so. Anyway, somebody else must have moved it back to its proper place. Have they destroyed a clue in doing so? Too bad!" "It is of no consequence," said the detective. "Of no consequence what- ever. What | really want to ask you is this, M. Raymond: Did any strang- er come to see Mr. Ackroyd during this past week?" The secreta y reflected for a minute or two, knitting his brows, and during the pause Parker appeared in answer to the bell. "No," said Raymond at last. "I can't remember any one. Can you, Parker?" "Beg your pardon, sir?" "Any stranger coming to see Mr. Ackroyd this week ?" The butler reflected for a minute or WoO. "There was the young man whe came on Wednesday, sir," he said at last. "From Curtis and Troute, I un- derstood he was." Raymond moved this aside with an impatient hand. "Oh! yes, I remember, but that is not the kind of stranger this gentleman He turned to Poirot. "Mr. Ackroyd had some idea of purchasing a dictaphone," he explained. "It would have enabled us to get through a lot more work in a limited time. The firm in question sent down their re- presentative, but nothing came of it. Mr. Ackroyd did not make up his mind to purchase." Poirot turned to the butler, "Can you describe this young man to me, my good Parker?" "He was fair-haired, sir, and short. Very neatly dressed in a biue serge suit. A very presentable young man, sir, for his station in life." Poirot turned to me. "The man you met outside the gate, doctor, was tall, was he not?" "Yes," I said. "Somewhere about six feet, I should say." "There is nothing in that, then," de- clared the Belgian. "1 thank you, Parker." The butler spoke to Raymond. "Mr. Hammond has just arrived, sir," he sad re is anxious to know ii he can be of any service, and he would be be! 0 nave a word with you." "I'll come at once," said the young man. ne nurried out. Poirot looked inquiringly at the chief constable, "The family solicitor, M. Poirot," said the latter, "It is a busy time for this young M. | Raymond," murmured M. Poirot. "He nas the air efficient, that one." "I believe Mr. Ackroyd considered him a most abie secretary." . "He has been here--how long?" "Just on two years, | fancy." "His duties he fulfils punctiliously. Of that I am sure. In what manner does he amuse himself? Does he gc in for le sport?" "Private secretaries haven't much time for that sort of thing," said Col- onel Melrose, smiling. "Raymond plays golf, I believe. And tennis in the sum- mer time." "He does not attend the courses--I should say the running of the horses?" | "Race meeting? No, I don't think he's interested in racing." Poirot nodded and seemed to lose in- terest. Hc glanced slowly round the | study. I "1 have seen, I think, all that there {is to be seen here." | I, too, looked round. | "If those walls could speak," I mur- | mured. Poirot shook his head. "A tongue is not enough," he said. "They would have to have also eyes and ears. But do not be too suré that | these dead things"--he touched the top lof the bookcase as he spoke--"are al- ways dumb, To me they speak some- | times--chairs, tables--they have their message!" He turned away towards the door. "What message?" 'I cried, "What have they said to you today?" He looked over his shoulder and raised one eyebrow quizzically, "An open window," he said. "A lock- ed door. A chair that apparently movy- ed itself. To all three I say, 'Why? |and I find no answer." | He shook his head, puffed out his chest, and stood blinking at us. He | looked ridiculously full of his own im- | portance. It crossed my mind to wonder whether he was really any "good as a detective. Had his big re putation been built up on a series of lucky chances? I think the same thought must have Telephone~ 262 Four direct lines to Central Solvay Coke We are Jeddo Premium Coal The Best Produced in America General Motors Wood -- - nT -------- ---- occurred to Colonel M for 3 0 elrose, he "Any thing moe yon want to see, M. Poirot?" he inquirely brusquely. "You would perhaps be so kind as to show me the silver table from which the weapon was taken? After that, I will trespass on your kindness no lon- T. We went. to the drawing-room, but on the way the constable waylaid the colonel, and after a muttered conver- left us together. I showed Poirot the silver table, and after raising the lid once or twice and letting it fall, he pushed open the window and stepped out on the terrace. 1 followed him. Inspector Raglan had just turned the corner of the house, and was coming towards us. His face looked grim and satisfied. "So there you are, M. Poirot," he said. "Well, this isn't going to be much of a case. I'm sorry, too. A nice enough young fellow gone wrong." Poirot's face fel, and he spoke very mildly. "I'm afraid 1 shall not be able to be of much aid to you, then?" "Next time, perhaps," said the in- spector soothingly. "Though we don't have murders every day in this quiet little corner of the world." Poirot's gaze took on an admiring quality. . "You have been of a marvellous promptness," he observed. "How eéx- actly did you go to work, if 1 may ask?" "Certainly," said the inspector. "To begin with--method. That's what I always say---method!" "An!" cried the other. "That, too, 1s my watchword. Method, order, and the little gray cells." ing. "The little gray cells of the brain," explained the Belgian, "Oh, of course; well, we them, I suppose." ¥In a greater or lesser degree," mur- mured Poirot, "And there are, too, differences in quality. the psychology of a crime. study that." "Ah!" said the inspector, alysis stuff? "Mrs. Raglan would not agree, wim a little bow. back, bowed. "You dont understand," he grinning broadly. i d.terence language makes. I'm telling you how | set to work. ut al, method, said, wmber one, isnt its" "ii you say so. "Well, it 1s. yeen dead at least half an hour, stick to that, doctor?" "Certainly," 1 said. or longer," "Half an hour quarter of an hour in which the crime must have been committed. work through it, setting down oppo- site their names where they were and what they were doing between the hour of 9.45 and 10 p.m." He handed a sheet of paper to Poi- rot. | read it over his shoulder. It ran as follows, written in a neat script i-- Major Blunt--In billiard room with Mr. Raymond, (Latter confirms.) Mr, Ray.nond--Billiard room. (See above.) match. Went up to bed 9.55. mond and Blunt watched staircase.) Miss Ackroyd--Went straight her uncle's room upstairs. (Confirm- ed by Parker, also housemaid, Elsie Dale.) Servants :-- Parker--Went straight to butlers pan- try. (Confirmed by housekeeper, Miss Russell, who came down to speak to him about something at 9.47, and re- mained si least ten minutes.) Miss Russell---As above. housemaid, Elsie Dale, upstairs at v.49, Ursula Bourne (parlourmaid)--In her own room until 9.55. Then in Ser- vants' Hall, Mrs. Cooper (cook)--In Servant's Hall Gladys Jones (second housemaid)--In Servants' Hall. Elsie Dale--Upstairs in bedroom. Seen there by Miss Russell and Miss Flora Ackroyd. Many Shripp (kitchenmaid)--Servants' all, (Ray- "Lhe cook has been here seven years the parlourmaid eighteen months, and Parker just over a year. The others are new. Except for something fishy about Parker, they all seem quite all right," J "A very complete list," said Poirot, handing it back to him. "I am quite sure that Parker did not do the mur- der," he added gravely, "So is my sister," I struck in. "And she's usualy right," Nobody paid any attention to my interpolation, "That disposes pretty effectually of the household," continued the inspec- tor, "Now we come to a very grave point. The woman at the lodge -- Mary Black--was pulling the curtains last night when she saw Ralph Paton turn in at the gate and go up towards the house." "She is sure of that?" I asked sharp- "Quite sure. She knows him well by sight. He went past very quickly and turned off by the path to the right, which is a short cut to' the terrace," "And what time was that?" asked Poirot, who had sat with an immoy- able face, "Exactly twenty-five minutes past nine," said the inspector gravely, There was a silence. Then the in- "It's all clear enough. It fits in without a flaw. At twenty-five minu- tes past mine, Captain Paton is seen' SS ------ . cy . | "The cells?" said the inspector, star- Then there is | terrace a few feet away. In or One must 'a few yards from its termination, the First | to the house, you sce. Mr. Ackroyd was last | impossible to sort out all the footsteps, seen alive at a quarter to ten by his! After all, it's the ones on the window- mece, Miss Fiora Ackroyd. That's fact sill that are really important." You here, and hard as it can he." Mrs. Ackroyd--945 watching billiard | her up| from | Spoke to! i ------------ The drawing-room is empty. He steals | in, takes the dagger from the silver table, and returns to the study win- dow. He slips off his shoes, climbs in, and--well, 1 don't need to go into de- tails. Then he slips out again and "goes off. Hadn't the nerve to go back to the inn. He makes for the station, rings up from there--": "Why?" said Poirot softly. 1 jumped at the interruption. The ¢ :little man was leaning forward. His sation the latter excused himself and! e shene with a queer, green light. tl a moment Inspector Raglan was taken aback by the question. "It's difficult to say exactly why he did that," he said at last. "But mur- derers do funny things. You'd know that if you were in the police force. The cleverest of them make stupid mistakes sometimes. But come along and I'll show you those footprints." We followed him round the corner f the terrace to the study window. At a word from Raglan a police con stable produced the shoes which had been obtained from the local inn, The inspector laid them over the marks. ' "They're the same," he said confi- dently. "That is to say, they're not the same pair that actually made these prints. He went away mn those. This is a pair just like them, but older-- se¢ how the studs are worn down, "Surely a great many people wea shoes with rubber studs in them?" ask- ed Poirot, : : "That's so, of course," said the in- spector. "I shouldn't put so much stress on the footmarks if it wasnt jor everything else." ; "A very foolish young man, Captain Ralph Paton," said Poirot thought- fully. "To leave so much evidence of his presence." : "Ah! well," said the inspector, "it was a dry, fine night, you know. He leit no prints on the terrace or on the gravelled path. But, unluckily for all use| him, a spring must have welled up just lately at the end of the path from the drive. See here." A small gravelled path joined the In one spot, ground was wet and boggy: Crossing "you've | this wet. place there were again the been bitten wit hall this psycho-an- marks of footsteps, and amongst them Now, I'm a plain man--" the shoes with rubber studs. I Poirot followed the path on a little am sure, to that," said Poirot, making way, the inspector by his side. "You noticed the women's foot- Inspector Raglan, a little taken a- prints?" he said suddenly. The inspector laughed. "Naturally. But several different "Lord, what a lot women have walked this way -- and men as well, It's a regular short cut It would be Poirot nodded, "It's no good going farther," said At hali-past ten, the the inspector, as we came in view of doctor here says that Mr. Ackroyd had "the drive, "It's all gravelled again Again Poirot nodded, but his eyes were fixed on a small garden honse-- a kind of superior summer-house, It "Very good. That gives us exactly a was a little to the left of the path | ahead of us, and a gravelled walk ran $ ) I make up to it. a list of every one in the house, and | Poirot lingered about until the in- spector had gone back towards the house. Then he looked at me, "You must indeed have been sent from the good God to replace my friend « Hastings," he said, with a twinkle. "I observe that you do not quit my side. How say you, Doctor | LEELA for Sunday Ce Family It's delightfully fruity ln SEE TOMORROW'S PAPER Sheppard, shall we investigate this summer-house? It interests me." He went up to the door and opened it. Inside, the place was almost dark, There were one or two rustic seats a croquet set, and some folded deck- chairs. I was startled to observe my rniew friend. He had dropped to his hands and knees and was crawling about the floor, Every now and then he shook his head as though not satisfied. Fin- ally, he sat back on his heels, "Nothing," he murmured. "Well, perhaps it was not to be expected. But it would have meant so much----" He broke off, stffening all over. Then he stretched out his hand to one of the rustic chairs. He detached something from one side of it, "What is it?" I cried. "What have you found?" He smiled, unclosing his hand so that I should see what lay in the palm of it. A scrap of stiff white cambric. I took it from him, looked at it curiously, and then handed it back, *What do you make of it, eh, my friend?" he asked, eyeing me keenly, "A scrap torn from a handkerchief," I suggested shrugging my shoulders, He made another dart and picked up a small quill--a goose quill by the look of it. "And that?" he cried triumphantly. "What do you make oi that?" I only stared. He slipped the quill into his pocket, and looked again at the scrap of white stuff. "A fragment of a handkerchief?" he mused. "Perhaps you are right. But remember this--a good laundry does not starch a handkerchief." He nodded at me triumphantly, then he put away the scrap carefully in his pocket-book. (To Be Continued) Quick Pile Relief Dr. Leonhardt"s Hem-Roid is guar- anteed to banish any form of Pile misery, or money back. It gives quick action even in old, stubborn cases, Hem-Roid is a harmless tab- let that removes blood congestion in the lower bowel--the cause of pues. 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