Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Murder

Murder I rushed into the garage and drove quickly to Fernley Compound.Before the car stopped, I jumped out of the car and couldn't wait to ring the doorbell.After a while, no one came to the door, so I rang the bell again. Then I heard the clang of chains and the door opened.Parker was standing on the porch, his impassive face still the same. I pushed him away in a jiffy and rushed straight down the hall. "Where is he?" I asked sharply. "Who are you talking about, sir?" "Your master, Mr. Ackroyd. Don't stand there staring at me stupidly. Have you called the police?" "Police, sir? Do you mean the police?" Parker Staring at me intently, as if I were a ghost.

"What's the matter with you, Parker? If your master is murdered—" Parker was horrified. "My master? Murdered? It's impossible, sir!" I was taken aback by this. "Didn't you call five minutes ago to tell me Mr Ackroyd had been murdered?" "It was me, sir? Oh, I never called at all, sir. I would never have dreamed of making such a call." "What do you mean to say, is this a game of horses? Mr. Ackroyd is safe and sound?" "Excuse me, sir, did the person who called you use my name?" "I can repeat verbatim Here you go. Is this Dr Shepard? I am Parker, the butler of Fernley Court. Please come at once, sir, Mr Ackroyd has been murdered." Parker and I looked at each other blankly. looked at it.

"A great joke, sir," said he, in a startled tone, "that you can say something like that." "Where is Mr. Ackroyd?" I asked suddenly. "I think it's still in the study, sir. The ladies are in bed, and Major Brent and Mr. Raymond are still in the billiard-room." "I think I'd better go in and have a look," I said, "I know He doesn't want to be disturbed again, but this inexplicable mischief makes me fidget. I just want to make sure he's all right." "That's right, sir. I'm a little uneasy too. You won't mind if I accompany you to the door of the study?" , sir?" "Come on," I said, "follow me." I went through the door on the right, followed closely by Parker, through the short porch, where a short flight of stairs led to Ackroyd's bedroom. , I gently knocked on the door of the study.

No one came to answer the door, I turned the handle, but the door was locked. "Let me do it, sir," Parker said. His movements were nimble for such a stout man.He knelt down, put his eyes to the keyhole and looked in. "The key is in the lock, sir," he said, rising. "It came out. Mr. Ackroyd must have locked himself in, and is probably asleep now." I stooped too. After looking at it, it proved that Parker was right. "It doesn't look like anything happened," I said, "but anyway, Parker, I've got to wake your master. I'll be in a state of mind when I don't hear him say he's all right." After I finished speaking, I shook the doorknob vigorously and yelled: "Ackroyd, I just want to disturb you for a minute." But still nothing happened, and I glanced back.

"I don't want to alarm the family." I said hesitantly. Parker walked over and closed the door of the hall we had just entered. "I don't think anyone will hear me now, sir. The billiard room is at the other end of the house, and the kitchen and the ladies' bedrooms are at the other end." I understood him, and nodded.Then I banged, stooped through the keyhole, and called out, "Ackroyd, Ackroyd! I'm Sheppard, open the door." Still nothing, the room seemed Like no one.Parker and I looked at each other. "Look, Parker," I said to him, "I'm going to break down this door--or we're going to break it down together, and I'll be responsible for everything." "You're kidding, aren't you?" Parker asked suspiciously.

"No, no kidding, I'm a little worried about Ackroyd." I glanced toward the porch and grabbed an oak chair.Parker and I clung to our chairs together and slammed toward the door.We put our chairs against the lock once, twice, and on a third hit the door slammed open and we staggered into the room. Ackroyd was sitting in the arm-chair before the fire, as I had left him.His head was tilted to one side, and just under his collar a gleaming knife was clearly discernible. Parker and I walked together to the crooked corpse, and Parker let out a horrified scream. "In the back," he muttered, "it's terrible!" He wiped the sweat from his brow with his handkerchief, and stretched his hand tremblingly towards the hilt.

"Don't touch it," I snapped. "Go and ring up the police and tell them what happened here. Then call Raymond and Major Brent." "Do it, sir." Parker left in a hurry, and kept wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. I did what I had to do.I have to be careful, don't move the position of the body, don't take the sword, otherwise there will be no clues.Apparently, Ackroyd had just died. After a while I heard young Raymond talking outside, fear and doubt in his voice. "What did you say? Oh! Impossible! Where's the doctor!" He appeared on the porch, looking edgy.Then stood motionless, pale.Hector Blunt pushed him away with a jerk and walked into the room.

"Jesus!" Raymond exclaimed behind him, "exactly." Brent walked straight ahead, right up to the chair.He bent down, and I thought he'd reach for the hilt as Parker did, and I pulled him back. "Don't touch it," I explained. "The cops have to see him exactly as he is." Brent nodded with a sudden realization.His face was still the same as usual, without any expression, but I could see the panic in his heart under this cold mask.Raymond came along, peering at the body from behind Brent. "It's horrible," he whispered. He began to calm down, but when he took off his usual pair of pince-nez and wiped them off with his hands, I noticed he was shaking.

"I think it's theft," he said. "How did this guy get in? Did he get in through the window? He took something." He went to the desk. "You think it's theft?" I asked slowly. "What else would it be if it wasn't theft? I don't think suicide is possible." "No one could stab himself in that position," I said confidently. "It was murder, no doubt, but what was the motive?" What?" "Roger has no enemies in this world," said Brent calmly. "It must have been the thief, but what was the thief trying to steal? It doesn't look like anything has been touched." He glanced around. room, while Raymond sorted out the papers on his desk.

"There doesn't seem to be anything missing, and the drawers haven't been turned over," said the secretary at last. "It's so mysterious." Brent shook his head a little. "There are some letters on the ground," he said. I looked down, and there were still three or four letters on the floor, where Ackroyd had left them in the evening. But Mrs. Ferrars' blue envelope had disappeared.I was about to speak when there was a jingling doorbell.The hall was buzzing with murmurs of murmurs when Parker entered with the local superintendent and constable.

"Good evening, gentlemen," said the Inspector, "with all my sympathy for such an unfortunate incident. Ackroyd is a good-natured man. Is there any chance, accident or nature, that the butler said it was murder?" , doctor?" "Absolutely impossible," I replied. "Ah! What a pity." He came and stood beside the body. "Did it move?" he asked sharply. "When I was sure he was dead—the matter was simple—I didn't move at all." "Ah! Let's say it was murder, please tell me the story. Who first found the body?" I explained in detail After talking about it again. "You said it was a phone call? The butler called you?" "I never made a call like that," Parker declared solemnly. "I didn't even get near a phone all night. .Somebody can prove I didn't touch the phone." "That's weird, does that sound like Parker's voice, doctor?" "Oh—I didn't notice that. I always thought it was him." "That's Reasonable, too. Then you get up and come here, break in, and find poor Mr Ackroyd just as he is now. How long do you say he's been dead, doctor?" "Half an hour at least—maybe It will take longer." I replied. "You say the door is locked? And what about the window?" "I closed and fastened the window myself earlier in the evening, at Mr. Ackroyd's orders." The inspector went to the window. , opened the curtains. "But now the window is open," he said. It was true, the window was indeed open, with the lower pane drawn up to its highest point. The inspector took out his torch and shone it along the outer ledge. "He went out from here," he said, "he also came in from here. If you don't believe me, take a look." Under the high-intensity torch light, several footprints can be clearly identified.The soles of these shoes appear to have rubber studs, with one particularly prominent footprint pointing inwards and a slightly overlapping one facing outwards. "Too clear," said the inspector. "Has something of value been lost?" Geoffrey Raymond shook his head. "No discovery so far. Ackroyd never keeps anything particularly valuable in his study." "Well," said the inspector, "the man found the window open and climbed in, and saw Mr. Ackroyd sitting There—may have fallen asleep, so he stabbed him in the back, and then he was bewildered and frightened, and ran away. But his tracks were legible, and it wouldn't take much to catch him Da Jin, are there any suspicious strangers haunting this area?" "Oh!" I suddenly yelled. "What's the matter, Doctor?" "I met a man tonight—just outside the gate, and he asked me how to get to Fernley Court." "What time is it?" "Nine o'clock sharp. I'm leaving Just as I was at the gate, the church clock struck nine." "Can you describe him?" I described as fully as I could what had happened to me. The inspector turned to the butler. "According to what the doctor just described, have you ever seen such a person at the front door?" "No, sir. No outsiders have been here at all tonight." "And the back door?" "I don't think so, sir, but I can Go ask." He made for the door, but the inspector held him back. "No thanks. I'll find out myself. First I'd like to get the time a little more precise. When was Ackroyd last alive?" "Probably with me," I replied." Let me see--I left him about eight-fifty. He told me he didn't want anyone to bother him, and I passed that order on to Parker." "Exactly, sir." Parker said. Say respectfully. "Ackroyd must have been alive at nine-thirty," put in Raymond, "because I heard him talking in the study." "Who was he talking to?" "I don't know. I thought it was Mrs. Dr. Poulder was with him. I had a problem with a file and I wanted to ask him, but when I heard voices, I remembered what he had said to me, talk to Dr. Sheppard Don't come in and interrupt the conversation, so I walked away. But now it seems, doctor, have you left long ago?" I nodded. "I got home at a quarter past nine," I said, "and I only came out when I got a call." "And who was with him at half past nine?" demanded the inspector. A gentleman called—" "Major Brent," I said. "Major Hector Blunt?" asked the inspector, with some respect in his tone. Brent didn't speak, just nodded. "I think we've met here before, sir," said the Inspector. "I didn't recognize you. It was last May, when you lived with Mr. Ackroyd." "It was June." ’” Brent corrected him. "Yes, it's June. Now let's get down to business, are you and Aykroyd at 9:30 tonight?" Brent shook his head. "I didn't see him at all after dinner," he offered to add. The inspector turned to Raymond again. "Didn't you eavesdrop on the conversation in the study, sir?" "I only overheard it in bits and pieces," said the secretary, "thinking that if Dr. Strange. I still remember these words clearly. Aykroyd: 'Recently you often ask me for money.' These are his exact words, 'I solemnly declare to you that I can no longer make any demands on you. Concession...' Of course, I left immediately, what they said afterwards I don't know. But I kept wondering, because Mr. Sheppard--" "didn't ask Mr. Ackroyd to give him a loan , and did not raise funds for others." I said what the secretary hadn't finished. "Come to ask for money," said the Inspector jokingly. "Maybe this is a very important clue." He turned to the butler. Yes, sir." "Then it is almost certain that Ackroyd himself let the stranger in. But I don't understand—" The Inspector thought for a few minutes. "One thing is indisputable," he recovered from his contemplation, "Mr Ackroyd was alive at half past nine, the last time he lived." Eyes turned to him. "What do you have to say?" he asked sharply. "I beg your pardon, sir, but Miss Flora saw him afterwards." "Miss Flora saw him?" "Yes, sir. It was about quarter-to-past nine. Then she told me Mr Ackroyd, Mr Ackroyd does not wish to be disturbed tonight." "Did Ackroyd send her to pass that message to you?" "Not for me, sir. Miss Flora, just coming out of the study, stopped me and said that her uncle didn't want anyone to disturb him." The inspector didn't have much impression of the butler just now, but what the butler said now aroused a lot of attention. caught his attention. "Didn't someone tell you that Mr. Ackroyd didn't want anyone to disturb him?" After this question, Parker stammered and could not speak, his hands trembling. "Yes, sir. Yes, sir. You are quite right, sir." "And yet you did not follow this order?" "I forgot, sir. I mean, I always Serving whiskey and soda at that time, sir, and asking if there's anything else to do—well, I didn't think about it, I just did it as usual." That's when I realized that Parker Very flustered and most suspicious.He trembled and his muscles twitched. "Well," said the Inspector, "I must see Miss Ackroyd at once. Nothing in this room shall be moved for the time being, and shall remain as it is. I shall be back as soon as I have spoken to Miss Ackroyd, and I must first close the window." Fasten it." With the window closed he led the way into the hall, and we all followed.He paused for a moment, glanced at the little staircase, then turned to the sergeant and said, "Jones, you stay here and don't let anyone into the study." Parker interjected respectfully, "Excuse me, Sir, as long as you lock the door that leads into the hall, no one can come in. That staircase only leads to Mr. Ackroyd's bedroom and bathroom, and no other rooms. There used to be a door to get in here, but Ike Mr. Loffindt had it sealed up; he always wanted his apartment to be free from outside interference." To explain it better, I drew a sketch of the right side of the house, marking the location of the various rooms.As Parker described it, a small staircase led to the large bedroom, which consisted of two small rooms, with a bathroom and toilet next to it. The inspector glanced at the room map.Generalist We all went into the hall, and he locked the door and pocketed the key.He whispered something in the sergeant's ear, and the sergeant left. "We must press on with our investigation of the footprints," explained the Inspector, "but first I must speak to Miss Ackroyd, who was the last person to see her uncle alive. Does she know about it?" Raymond shook his head. "Well, don't tell her for five minutes. If she doesn't know that her uncle was murdered, her emotions will not be affected, so she can answer my question calmly. You go tell her that there was a burglar in the house and call her Get dressed and come here and answer a few questions." They sent Raymond upstairs to fetch Miss Ackroyd. "Miss Ackroyd will be down in a moment," he said, going down to the Inspector. "I told her what you wanted." Flora came down in less than five minutes.Wrapped in a pale pink silk kimono, she looked a little anxious. The inspector went up to meet him. "Good evening, Miss Ackroyd," he said politely. "There is an attempted burglary, and we hope you can help us solve the case. What kind of room is this—the billiard room? Let's go and sit in it." Flora calmed down. Sit comfortably on a large couch that takes up an entire wall.She looked up at the inspector. "I'm still finding out what's going on. What was stolen? What do you want me to tell you?" "That's right, Miss Ackroyd. Parker says you came out of your uncle's study at a quarter-to-past nine." Is there any such thing?" "Yes, I'll go say good night to him." "Is the time correct?" "Well, it's about this time. But I can't say the exact time, it may be a little later than you said " "Is your uncle alone or with others?" "He's all alone, Dr. Sheppard has gone." "Did you notice whether the window was open or closed?" Flora asked. shook his head. "I'm not sure, the curtains are drawn." "Exactly. Does your uncle look as usual?" "I think so." "Can you repeat to me exactly what was said between you two?" ?” Flora paused for a moment, as if remembering. "I went into the study and said, good evening, Uncle, I'm going to bed, I'm too tired tonight. He snorted, and I went up and kissed him. When he saw the suit I was wearing , just said it was beautiful. Then he urged me to leave quickly, saying that he was busy. So, I left." "Did he take special care not to disturb him?" "Well, yes, I forgot to say. He Said: 'Tell Parker that I don't want anything tonight, and tell him not to disturb me.' I met Parker as soon as I went out, so I told him what my uncle had said." "Well, that's all. ’ said the inspector. "Can you tell me what's been stolen?" "We don't quite—know," stammered the inspector. There was a frightened expression in the girl's eyes, and she jumped up suddenly. "What's the matter? Are you hiding something from me?" Hector Brent remained as calm as usual. He walked between her and the inspector, took her outstretched hand with both hands, and gently Patted lightly, as if she were a child.She turned to Brent, and his honest expression and rock-solid determination brought her comfort and a sense of security. "Bad news, Flora," he said calmly, "bad news for us all, your uncle Roger—" "What's the matter with him?" "It's a hard blow to you, Surely, poor Roger is dead." Flora withdrew her hand, her eyes wide with terror. "When?" she asked in a low voice. "When?" "I'm afraid it will be after you leave," replied Brent very seriously. Flora put her hands to her mouth and wept softly.Seeing that she was about to fall, I grabbed her.She fainted.Brent and I carried her upstairs and laid her flat on the bed.I then told Brent to wake Mrs Ackroyd and tell her the sad news.It was not long before Flora regained consciousness, and I led the good mother to her, and told her how to nurse her daughter.Then I hurried downstairs.