To Punkie who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion falling on everyone in turn!...

Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th⁠–⁠17th September⁠—a Thursday. I was sent for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th. There was nothing to be done. She had been dead some hours. ...

Before I proceed further with what I said to Caroline and what Caroline said to me, it might be as well to give some idea of what I should describe as our local geography. Our village, King’s Abbot, i...

I told Caroline at lunch that I should be dining at Fernly. She expressed no objection⁠—on the contrary⁠— “Excellent,” she said. “You’ll hear all about it. By the way, what is the trouble with Ralph?”...

It was just a few minutes before half-past seven when I rang the front-door bell of Fernly Park. The door was opened with admirable promptitude by Parker, the butler. The night was such a fine one tha...

I got out the car in next to no time, and drove rapidly to Fernly. Jumping out, I pulled the bell impatiently. There was some delay in answering, and I rang again. Then I heard the rattle of the chain...

I met the inspector just coming from the door which led into the kitchen quarters. “How’s the young lady, doctor?” “Coming round nicely. Her mother’s with her.” “That’s good. I’ve been questioning the...

On the following morning I hurried unforgivably over my round. My excuse can be that I had no very serious cases to attend. On my return Caroline came into the hall to greet me. “Flora Ackroyd is here...

We looked at each other. “You’ll have inquiries made at the station, of course?” I said. “Naturally, but I’m not over-sanguine as to the result. You know what that station is like.” I did. King’s Abbo...

We walked back to the house together. There was no sign of the inspector. Poirot paused on the terrace and stood with his back to the house, slowly turning his head from side to side. “Une belle propr...

We found Mrs. Ackroyd in the hall. With her was a small dried-up little man, with an aggressive chin and sharp grey eyes, and “lawyer” written all over him. “Mr. Hammond is staying to lunch with us,” ...

I was slightly nervous when I rang the bell at Marby Grange the following afternoon. I wondered very much what Poirot expected to find out. He had entrusted the job to me. Why? Was it because, as in t...

A joint inquest was held on Monday. I do not propose to give the proceedings in detail. To do so would only be to go over the same ground again and again. By arrangement with the police, very little w...

That evening, at Poirot’s request, I went over to his house after dinner. Caroline saw me depart with visible reluctance. I think she would have liked to have accompanied me. Poirot greeted me hospita...

After the evening talk I have just chronicled, the affair seemed to me to enter on a different phase. The whole thing can be divided into two parts, each clear and distinct from the other. Part 1 rang...

I was to have a further proof that day of the success of Poirot’s tactics. That challenge of his had been a subtle touch born of his knowledge of human nature. A mixture of fear and guilt had wrung th...

That night we had a little mah-jongg party. This kind of simple entertainment is very popular in King’s Abbot. The guests arrive in galoshes and waterproofs after dinner. They partake of coffee and la...

It occurred to me the next morning that under the exhilaration produced by Tin-ho or the Perfect Winning, I might have been slightly indiscreet. True, Poirot had not asked me to keep the discovery of ...

Half an hour later saw Poirot, myself, and Inspector Raglan in the train on the way to Liverpool. The inspector was clearly very excited. “We may get a line on the blackmailing part of the business, i...

As I was returning from my round the following morning, I was hailed by Inspector Raglan. I pulled up, and the inspector mounted on the step. “Good morning, Dr. Sheppard,” he said. “Well, that alibi i...

Inspector Raglan had received a bad jolt. He was not deceived by Blunt’s valiant lie any more than we had been. Our way back to the village was punctuated by his complaints. “This alters everything, t...

Caroline, of course, had not failed to see Miss Russell come to the surgery door. I had anticipated this, and had ready an elaborate account of the lady’s bad knee. But Caroline was not in a cross-que...

For a moment or two the girl looked mutely at Poirot. Then, her reserve breaking down completely, she nodded her head once, and burst into an outburst of sobs. Caroline pushed past me, and putting her...

“And now,” said Caroline, rising, “that child is coming upstairs to lie down. Don’t you worry, my dear. M. Poirot will do everything he can for you⁠—be sure of that.” “I ought to go back to Fernly,” s...

It was a very uncomfortable minute for me. I hardly took in what happened next, but there were exclamations and cries of surprise! When I was sufficiently master of myself to be able to realize what w...

A slight gesture from Poirot enjoined me to stay behind the rest. I obeyed, going over to the fire and thoughtfully stirring the big logs on it with the toe of my boot. I was puzzled. For the first ti...

There was a dead silence for a minute and a half. Then I laughed. “You’re mad,” I said. “No,” said Poirot placidly. “I am not mad. It was the little discrepancy in time that first drew my attention to...

Five a.m. I am very tired⁠—but I have finished my task. My arm aches from writing. A strange end to my manuscript. I meant it to be published some day as the history of one of Poirot’s failures! Odd, ...