Gladys Jones (second housemaid)—In Servants’ Hall. Elsie Dale—Upstairs in bedroom. Seen there by Miss Russell and Miss Flora Ackroyd. Mary Thripp (kitchen maid)—Servants’ Hall.
“The cook has been here seven years, the parlour maid eighteen months, and Parker just over a year. The others are new. Except for something fishy about Parker, they all seem quite all right.”
“A very complete list,” said Poirot, handing it back to him. “I am quite sure that Parker did not do the murder,” he added gravely.
“So is my sister,” I struck in. “And she’s usually right.” Nobody paid any attention to my interpolation.
“That disposes pretty effectually of the household,” continued the inspector. “Now we come to a very grave point. The woman at the lodge—Mary Black—was pulling the curtains last night when she saw Ralph Paton turn in at the gate and go up towards the house.”
“She is sure of that?” I asked sharply.
“Quite sure. She knows him well by sight. He went past very quickly and turned off by the path to the right, which is a shortcut to the terrace.”
“And what time was that?” asked Poirot, who had sat with an immovable face.
“Exactly twenty-five minutes past nine,” said the inspector gravely.
There was a silence. Then the inspector spoke again. “It’s all clear enough. It fits in without a flaw. At twenty-five minutes past nine, Captain Paton is seen passing the lodge; at nine-thirty or thereabouts,