We had a round of brisk play.
'That Miss Russell,' said Caroline. 'She came here pretending to consult James on Friday morning. It's my opinion she wanted to see where the poisons were kept. Five Characters.' 'Chow,' said Miss Gannett. 'What an extraordinary idea!
I wonder if you can be right.' 'Talking of poisons,' said the colonel. 'Eh - what?
Haven't I discarded? Oh! Eight Bamboos.' 'Mah Jong!' said Miss Gannett.
Caroline was very much annoyed.
'One Red Dragon,' she said regretfully, 'and I should have had a hand of three doubles.' 'I've had two Red Dragons all the time,' I mentioned.
'So exactly like you, James,' said Caroline reproachfully.
'You've no conception of the spirit of the game.' I myself thought I had played rather cleverly. I should have had to pay Caroline an enormous amount if she had gone Mah Jong. Miss Gannett's Mah Jong was of the poorest variety possible, as Caroline did not fail to point out to her.
East Wind passed, and we started a new hand in silence.
'What I was going to tell you just now was this,' said Caroline.
'Yes?' said Miss Gannett encouragingly.
'My idea about Ralph Paton, I mean.' 'Yes, dear,' said Miss Gannett, still more encouragingly. 'Chow!' 'It's a sign of weakness to Chow so early,' said Caroline severely. 'You should go for a big hand.' 'I know,' said Miss Gannett. 'You were saying - about Ralph Paton, you know?' 'Yes. Well, I've a pretty shrewd idea where he is.' We all stopped to stare at her.
'This is very interesting. Miss Caroline,' said Colonel Carter. 'All your own idea, eh?' 'Well, not exactly. I'll tell you about it. You know that big map of the county we have in the hall?' We all said Yes.
'As M. Poirot was going out the other day, he stopped and looked at it, and he made some remark - I can't remember exactly what it was. Something about Cranchester being the only big town anywhere near us which is true, of course. But after he had gone - it came to me suddenly.' 'What came to you?' 'His meaning. Of course Ralph is in Cranchester.' It was at that moment that I knocked down the rack that held my pieces. My sister immediately reproved me for clumsiness, but half-heartedly. She was intent on her theory.
'Cranchester, Miss Caroline?' said Colonel Carter. 'Surely not Cranchester! It's so near.' 'That's exactly it,' cried Caroline triumphantly. 'It seems quite clear by now that he didn't get away from here by tram. He must simply have walked into Cranchester. And I believe he's there still. No one would dream of his being so near at hand.' I pointed out several objections to the theory, but when once Caroline has got something firmly into her head, nothing dislodges it.
'And you think M. Poirot has the same idea,' said Miss Gannett thoughtfully. 'It's a curious coincidence, but I was out for a walk this afternoon on the Cranchester road, and he passed me in a car coming from that direction.' We all looked at each other.
'Why, dear me,' said Miss Gannett suddenly, 'I'm Mah Jong all the time, and I never noticed it.' Caroline's attention was distracted from her own inventive exercises. She pointed out to Miss Gannett that a hand consisting of mixed suits and too many Chows was hardly worth going Mah Jong on. Miss Gannett listened imperturbably and collected her counters.
'Yes, dear, I know what you mean,' she said. 'But it rather depends on what kind of a hand you have to start with, doesn't it?' 'You'll never get the big hands if you don't go for them,' urged Caroline.
'Well, we must all play our own way, mustn't we?' said Miss Gannett. She looked down at her counters. 'After all, I'm up, so far.' Caroline, who was considerably down, said nothing.
East Wind passed, and we set to once more. Annie brought in the tea things. Caroline and Miss Gannett were both slightly ruffled as is often the case during one of these festive evenings.
'If you would only play a leetle quicker, dear,' said Caroline, as Miss Gannett hesitated over her discard. 'The Chinese put down the tiles so quickly it sounds like little birds pattering.' For some minutes we played like the Chinese.
'You haven't contributed much to the sum of information, Sheppard,' said Colonel Carter genially. 'You're a sly dog. Hand in glove with the great detective, and nut a hint as to the way things are going.' 'James is an extraordinary creature,' said Caroline. 'He can not bring himself to part with information.' She looked at me with some disfavour.
'I assure you,' I said, 'that I don't know anything. Poirot keeps his own counsel.' Wise man,' said the colonel with a chuckle. 'He doesn't give himself away. But they're wonderful fellows, these foreign detectives. Up to all sorts of dodges, I believe.' 'Pung,' said Miss Gannett, in a tone of quiet triumph.
'And Man Jong.' The situation became more strained. It was annoyance at Miss Gannett's going Mah Jong for the third time running which prompted Caroline to say to me as we built a fresh wall: 'You are too tiresome, James. You sit there like a deadhead, and say nothing at all!' 'But, my dear,' I protested, 'I have really nothing to say that is, of the kind you mean.' 'Nonsense,' said Caroline, as she sorted her hand. 'You must know something interesting.' I did not answer for a moment. I was overwhelmed and intoxicated. I had read of there being such a thing as The Perfect Winning - going Mah Jong on one's original hand. I had never hoped to hold the hand myself.
With suppressed triumph I laid my hand face upwards on the table.
'As they say in the Shanghai Club,' I remarked 'Tin-ho - the Perfect Winning!' The colonel's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
'Upon my soul,' he said. 'what an extraordinary thing. I never saw that happen before!' It was then that I went on, goaded by Caroline's gibes, and rendered reckless by my triumph.
'And as to anything interesting,' I said. 'What about a gold wedding ring with a date and "From R." inside.' I pass over the scene that followed. I was made to say exactly where this treasure was found. I was made to reveal the date.
'March 13th,' said Caroline. 'Just six months ago. Ah!' Out of a babel of excited suggestions and suppositions three theories were evolved: 1. That of Colonel Carter: that Ralph was secretly harried to Flora. The first or most simple solution.
2. That of Miss Gannett: that Roger Ackroyd had been secretly married to Mrs Ferrars.
3. That of my sister: that Roger Ackroyd had married his housekeeper, Miss Russell.
A fourth or super-theory was propounded by Caroline later as we went up to bed.
'Mark my words,' she said suddenly, 'I shouldn't be at all surprised if Geoffrey Raymond and Flora weren't married.' 'Surely it would be "From G," not "From R" then,' I suggested.
'You never know. Some girls call men by their surnames.
And you heard what Miss Gannett said this evening - abouts Flora's carryings on.' Strictly speaking, I had not heard Miss Gannett say anything of the kind, but I respected Caroline's knowledge of innuendoes.
'How about Hector Blunt?' I hinted. 'If it's anybody ' 'Nonsense,' said Caroline. 'I dare say he admires her may even be in love with her. But depend upon it a girl isn't going to fall in love with a man old enough to be her father when there's a good-looking secretary about. She may encourage Major Blunt just as a blind. Girls are very artful.
But there's one thing I do tell you, James Sheppard. Flora Ackroyd does not care a penny piece for Ralph Paton, and never has. You can take it from me.' I took it from her meekly.
Chapter 15. Parker
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 the ring to myself. On the other hand, he had said nothing about it whilst at Fernly, and as far as I knew, I was the only person aware that it had been found. I felt distinctly guilty. The fact was by now spreading through King's Abbot like wildfire. I was expecting wholesale reproaches from Poirot any minute.
The joint funeral of Mrs Ferrars and Roger Ackroyd was fixed for eleven o'clock. It was a melancholy and impressive ceremony. All the party from Fernly were there.
After it was over, Poirot, who had also been present, took me by the arm, and invited me to accompany him back to The Larches. He was looking very grave, and I feared that my indiscretion of the night before had got round to his ears. But it soon transpired that his thoughts were occupied by something of a totally different nature.
'See you,' he said. 'We must act. With your help I propose to examine a witness. We will question him, we will put such fear into him that the truth is bound to come out.' 'What witness are you talking about?' I asked, very much surprised.
'Parker!' said Poirot. 'I asked him to be at my house this morning at twelve o'clock. He should await us there at this very minute.' 'What do you think?' I ventured, glancing sideways at his face.
'I know this - that I am not satisfied.' 'You think that it was he who blackmailed Mrs Ferrars?' 'Either that, or ' 'Well?' I said, after waiting a minute or two.
'My friend, I will say this to you - I hope it was he.' The gravity of his manner, and something indefinable that tinged it, reduced me to silence.
On arrival at The Larches, we were informed that Parker was already there awaiting our return. As we entered the room, the butler rose respectfully.
'Good morning, Parker,' said Poiroi pleasantly. 'One instant, I pray of you.' He removed his overcoat and gloves.
'Allow me, sir,' said Parker, and sprang forward to assist him. He deposited the articles neatly on a chair by the door.
Poirot watched him with approval.
'Thank you, my good Parker,' he said. 'Take a seat, will you not? What I have to say may take some time.' Parker seated himself with an apologetic bend of the head.
'Now what do you think I asked you to come here for this morning - eh?' Parker coughed.
'I understood, sir, that you wished to ask me a few questions about my late master - private like.' 'Precisement,' said Poirot, beaming. 'Have you made many experiments in blackmail?' 'Sir!' The butler sprang to his feet.
'Do not excite yourself,' said Poirot placidly. 'Do not play the farce of the honest, injured man. You know all there is to know about the blackmail, is it not so?' 'Sir, I - I've never - never been ' 'Insulted,' suggested Poirot, 'in such a way before. Then why, my excellent Parker, were you so anxious to overhear the conversation in Mr Ackroyd's study the other evening, after you had caught the word blackmail?' 'I wasn't-I-' 'Who was your last master?' rapped out Poirot suddenly.
'My last master?' 'Yes, the master you were with before you came to Mr Ackroyd.' 'A Major Ellerby, sir -' Poirot took the words out of his mouth.
'Just so. Major Ellerby. Major Ellerby was addicted to drugs, was he not? You travelled about with him. When he was in Bermuda there was some trouble - a man was killed.
Major Ellerby was partly responsible. It was hushed up. But you knew about it. How much did Major Ellerby pay you to keep your mouth shut?' Parker was staring at him open-mouthed. The man had gone to pieces, his cheeks shook flabbily.
'You see, me, I have made inquiries,' said Poirot pleasantly. 'It is as I say. You got a good sum then as blackmail, and Major Ellerby went on paying you until he died. Now I want to hear about your latest experiment.' Parker still stared.
'It is useless to deny. Hercule Poirot knows. It is so, what I have said about Major Ellerby, is it not?' As though against his will, Parker nodded reluctantly once. His face was ashen pale.
'But I never hurt a hair of Mr Ackroyd's head,' he moaned.
'Honest to God, sir, I didn't. I've been afraid of this coming all the time. And I tell you I didn't - I didn't kill him.' His voice rose almost to a scream.
'I am inclined to believe you, my friend,' said Poirot. 'You have not the nerve - the courage. But I must have the truth.' 'I'll tell you anything, sir, anything you want to know.
Il's true that I tried to listen that night. A word or two I heard made me curious. And Mr Ackroyd's wanting not to be disturbed, and shutting himself up with the doctor the way he did. It's God's own truth what I told the police. I heard the word blackmail, sir, and well ' He paused.
'You thought there might be something in it for you?' suggested Poirot smoothly.
'Well - well, yes, I did, sir. I thought that if Mr Ackroyd was being blackmailed, why shouldn't I have a share of the pickings?' A very curious expression passed over Poirot's face. He leaned forward.
'Had you any reason to suppose before that night that Mr Ackroyd was being blackmailed?' 'No, indeed, sir. It was a great surprise to me. Such a regular gentleman in all his habits.' 'How much did you overhear?' 'Not very much, sir. There seemed what I might call a spite against me. Of course I had to attend to my duties in the pantry.
And when I did creep along once or twice to the study it was no use. The first time Dr Sheppard came out and almost caught me in the act, and another time Mr Raymond passed me in the big hall and went that way, so I knew it was no use; and when I went with the tray. Miss Flora headed me off.' Poirot stared for a long time at the man, as if to test his sincerity. Parker returned his gaze earnestly.
'I hope you believe me, sir. I've been afraid all along the police would rake up that old business with Major Ellerby and be suspicious of me in consequence.' 'Eh bien,' said Poirot at last. 'I am disposed to believe you.
But there is one thing I must request of you - to show me your bank-book. You have a bank-book, I presume?' 'Yes, sir, as a matter of fact, I have it with me now.' With no sign of confusion, he produced it from his pocket.
Poirot took the slim, green-covered book and perused the entries.
'Ah! I perceive you have purchased ?500 worth of National Savings Certificates this year?' 'Yes, sir. I have already over a thousand pounds saved - the result of my connection with - er - my late master. Major Ellerby. And I have had quite a little flutter on some horses this year - very successful. If you remember, sir, a rank outsider won the Jubilee. I was fortunate enough to back it ?20.'
Poirot handed him back the book.
'I will wish you good morning. I believe that you have told me the truth. If you have not - so much the worse for you, my friend.' When Parker had departed, Poirot picked up his overcoat once more.
'Going out again?' I asked.
'Yes, we will pay a little visit to the good M. Hammond.' 'You believe Parker's story?' 'It is credible enough on the face of it. It seems clear that unless he is a very good actor indeed - he genuinely believes it was Ackroyd himself who was the victim of blackmail. If so, he knows nothing at all about the Mrs Ferrars business.' 'Then in that case - who -?' 'Precisement! Who? But our visit to M. Hammond will accomplish one purpose. It will either clear Parker completely or else ' 'Well?' 'I fall into the bad habit of leaving my sentences unfinished this morning,' said Poirot apologetically. 'You must bear with me.' 'By the way,' I said, rather sheepishly, 'I've got a confession to make. I'm afraid I have inadvertently let out something about that ring.' 'What ring?' 'The ring you found in the goldfish pond.' 'Ah! yes,' said Poirot, smiling broadly.