“Those alibis now. Worthless! Absolutely worthless. Got to start again. Find out what everyone was doing from nine-thirty onwards. Nine-thirty⁠—that’s the time we’ve got to hang on to. You were quite right about the man Kent⁠—we don’t release him yet awhile. Let me see now⁠—nine forty-five at the Dog and Whistle. He might have got there in a quarter of an hour if he ran. It’s just possible that it was his voice Mr. Raymond heard talking to Mr. Ackroyd⁠—asking for money which Mr. Ackroyd refused. But one thing’s clear⁠—it wasn’t he who sent the telephone message. The station is half a mile in the other direction⁠—over a mile and a half from the Dog and Whistle, and he was at the Dog and Whistle until about ten minutes past ten. Dang that telephone call! We always come up against it.”

“We do indeed,” agreed Poirot. “It is curious.”