Title: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

 

Author: Agatha Christie

 

To Punkie, who likes an orthodox detective story, murder, inquest, and suspicion

falling on every one in turn!

 

CHAPTER I

 

DR. SHEPPARD AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE

 

Mrs. Ferrars died on the night of the 16th–17th September—a Thursday. I was sent

for at eight o’clock on the morning of Friday the 17th. There was nothing to be

done. She had been dead some hours.

 

It was just a few minutes after nine when I reached home once more. I opened the

front door with my latch-key, and purposely delayed a few moments in the hall,

hanging up my hat and the light overcoat that I had deemed a wise precaution

against the chill of an early autumn morning. To tell the truth, I was

considerably upset and worried. I am not going to pretend that at that moment I

foresaw the events of the next few weeks. I emphatically did not do so. But my

instinct told me that there were stirring times ahead.

 

From the dining-room on my left there came the rattle of tea-cups and the short,

dry cough of my sister Caroline.