Although all members of Ackroyd’s household stood to gain financially from his death, Ralph especially inherited the bulk of his uncle’s fortune. Sheppard is convinced that Ackroyd had been dead at least a half hour when he found the body at 10:30, the police are convinced that the murder was committed between 9:45 and 10:00 pm. Sheppard had left, but before the body was found at 10:30), Major Blunt and Geoffrey Raymond both overheard Ackroyd speaking to someone in his office.īecause Flora claims to have wished her uncle goodnight at 9:45 pm and Dr. The police have found footprints matching a pair of shoes that Ralph owned outside the window to Ackroyd’s study, and at 9:30 pm (after Dr. Flora is worried that the police are going to blame Ralph Paton for killing her uncle, especially since Ralph, who had been spotted approaching Fernly Park that night, is now nowhere to be found. Sheppard’s new neighbor, the retired Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, to help investigate the murder. Sheppard is approached by Flora Ackroyd to help recruit Dr. Nonetheless, they break into Ackroyd’s locked study and find him murdered in his chair. Sheppard rushes over, but when he gets there Parker denies making the phone call. He explains to Caroline that Parker has called from Fernly Park to tell him that Ackroyd has been murdered. Sheppard and Caroline are about to go to bed when the phone rings. Sheppard leaves Fernly Park (Ackroyd’s home), but on his walk back bumps into a stranger who asks for directions to the estate. Ackroyd refuses to read the name of the blackmailer with Sheppard present.ĭr. Ferrars announces she will name her blackmailer and asks Ackroyd to seek revenge on her blackmailer. At that moment, Ackroyd’s secretary Parker arrives with the evening mail, which contains a letter from the late Mrs. She revealed all of this to Ackroyd before taking her life because of the emotional and financial strain she was under.Īlthough she didn’t tell him who the blackmailer was, he had a feeling she left a message for him before her death. Ferrars actually kill her husband, she was being blackmailed for it.

Distraught throughout the meal, Ackroyd finally has a private discussion with Dr. Cecil Ackroyd, Roger’s sister-in-law, Flora Ackroyd, his niece (who recently got engaged to Ackroyd’s stepson Ralph Paton), Geoffrey Raymond, Ackroyd’s young secretary, and Major Blunt, Ackroyd’s friend. Sheppard to dinner, claiming he has something important to tell him. Meanwhile, Roger Ackroyd, the town’s wealthiest citizen who was expected to marry Mrs.

Ferrars has committed suicide with Veronal over the guilt.

Ferrars poisoned her husband a year before. Sheppard’s gossip-loving sister, Caroline) believes Mrs. Ferrars, who overdosed on Veronal, a sleeping medication.

James Sheppard, a physician in the town of King’s Abbott.

The murder of ackroyd