The next morning I met Poirot in the street, and he asked me to go to his house with him. «You see,» he said, «we must act. With your help I want to question a witness. We shall frighten him so that he will tell us the truth.»
«And who is this witness?» I asked.
«Parker!» said Poirot. «I asked him to be at my house this morning at twelve o’clock. I think he is already waiting for us.»
«You think that it was he who blackmailed Mrs. Ferrars?»
«Either he or — »
«Well,» I said because he was silent.
«My friend, I will say this to you: I hope it was he.
Parker was waiting for Poirot, and the detective began questioning him at once.
«Parker,» he said. «Have you often blackmailed people?»
«Sir!» Parker jumped to his feet.
«Don’t pretend to be an honest man,» said Poirot quietly. «You know how to blackmail people, don’t you? You wanted very much to hear what was said in Mr. Ackroyd’s study about blackmail, didn’t you? Why?»
«I wasn’t — I — »
«Who was your master before Mr. Ackroyd?»
«My last master?»
«Yes, your master before you came to Mr. Ackroyd.»
«Major Ellerby, sir.»
«That’s right, Major Ellerby. You travelled with him. When he was in Bermuda, a man was killed. Major Ellerby was partly responsible. You knew about it. How much did Major Ellerby pay you to keep your mouth shut?»
Parker was silent.
«You see, I know a lot,» said Poirot quietly. «You blackmailed your master and got a good sum of money from him. It is so, isn’t it?»
Parker nodded. He was very pale. «But I didn’t kill Mr. Ackroyd,» he said. «I didn’t! That evening I heard the word blackmail and understood that Mr. Ackroyd was blackmailed, and I wanted to listen in order to learn more about it.» Poirot looked at him. «Had you suspected before that evening that Mr. Ackroyd was blackmailed?»
«No, indeed, sir. It was a great surprise to me.»
«How much did you hear?»
«Not very much, sir. At first I had to go to the pantry to do my duties there. Then Dr. Sheppard came out, and another time when I went up to the door, Mr. Raymond came, and when I went with the tray, Miss Flora came out of the study. I hope you believe me, sir.»
«I believe that you have told me the truth,» said Poirot.
«If you have lied to me, it will be very bad for you. Now you may go.»
«Do you believe Parker’s story?» I asked Poirot.
«Yes. It is clear that he believes that it was Mr. Akroyd himself who was blackmailed, and he does not know that it was Mrs. Ferrars.»
«But then, if it wasn’t he, who was it?»
«Well, that leaves us Raymond or — Major Blunt.»
«Of course not Raymond,» I said. «We know now that his debt was only five hundred pounds.»
«Yes, that is what he says.»
«As to Major Blunt — »
«I will tell you something about Major Blunt,» interrupted Poirot. «It is my business to ask questions. I ask them. Well, I have found out that during one year Mrs. Ferrars spent twenty thousand pounds. You have told me that Major Blunt got a legacy a year ago. I have asked questions about that legacy, too. And I have discovered that his legacy was about twenty thousand pounds. Now what do you think of that?»
«It is impossible,» I said. «Hector Blunt is such a well-known man.»
Poirot shrugged his shoulders. «Who knows? I must say, I myself find it difficult to see him as a blackmailer. But there is another possibility, which we haven’t discussed yet.»
«What is it?»
«The fire in the fireplace. Maybe Ackroyd burned that letter himself after you left him.»
It was lunch time, and I invited Poirot to our house for lunch. Caroline was very glad. After lunch, when we were sitting in front of the fire and smoking, she began asking him questions.
«Have you found Ralph Paton?»
«No. I haven’t found him, mademoiselle.»
We began to discuss Ralph Paton.
«He is a weak nature,» I said. «But I am sure he cannot commit a crime.»
Caroline turned to Poirot. «I know from James, that you believe someone who lives in the house committed the murder. But I am sure that you are wrong.»
«I don’t like to be wrong, mademoiselle,» said Poirot.
«I know the facts very well,» said Caroline, «from James and others. And as far as I can see, of the people who live in the house, only two had a chance to murder Mr. Ackroyd. Ralph Paton and Flora Ackroyd.»
«My dear Caroline — »
«Now, James, don’t interrupt me. I know what I am talking about. Parker met Flora outside the door, didn’t he? He didn’t hear that her uncle said goodnight to her.»It was possible for her to kill Mr. Ackroyd.»
«Caroline!»
«I am not saying that she killed him, James. I am saying that it was possible for her. But look, Mr. Raymond and Major Blunt have alibis. Mrs. Ackroyd has an alibi. Even that Russell woman has an alibi. Who is left? Only Ralph and Flora! And say what you like, I don’t believe that Ralph Paton is a murderer.»
The telephone rang in the hall. I went out and took the receiver. «What?» I said. «Yes, Dr. Sheppard is speaking.» I listened for a minute or two. Then I put down the receiver and went back into the drawing-room.
«Poirot,» I said, «it’s the police. They have detained a man in Liverpool. His name is Charles Kent, and they think he is the stranger who visited Fernly that night. They want me to go to Liverpool and identify him.»
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