“We’ll go at once,” said Colonel Melrose. “You and M. Poirot will accompany us, will you not?”
We assented, and all drove up in the colonel’s car. The inspector was anxious to get at once to the footmarks, and asked to be put down at the lodge. About halfway up the drive, on the right, a path branched off which led round to the terrace and the window of Ackroyd’s study.
“Would you like to go with the inspector, M. Poirot?” asked the chief constable, “or would you prefer to examine the study?”
Poirot chose the latter alternative. Parker opened the door to us. His manner was smug and deferential, and he seemed to have recovered from his panic of the night before.
Colonel Melrose took a key from his pocket, and unlocking the door which let into the lobby, he ushered us through into the study.
“Except for the removal of the body, M. Poirot, this room is exactly as it was last night.”
“And the body was found—where?”
As precisely as possible, I described Ackroyd’s position.
The armchair still stood in front of the fire.
Poirot went and sat down in it. “The blue letter you speak of, where was it when you left the room?”
“ Mr. Ackroyd had laid it down on this little table at his right hand.”
Poirot nodded. “Except for that, everything was in its place?”
“Yes, I think so.”