I do not propose to give the proceedings in detail. To do so would only be to go

over the same ground again and again. By arrangement with the police, very

little was allowed to come out. I gave evidence as to the cause of Ackroyd’s

death and the probable time. The absence of Ralph Paton was commented on by the

coroner, but not unduly stressed.

 

Afterwards, Poirot and I had a few words with Inspector Raglan. The inspector

was very grave.

 

“It looks bad, Mr. Poirot,” he said. “I’m trying to judge the thing fair and

square. I’m a local man, and I’ve seen Captain Paton many times in Cranchester.

I’m not wanting him to be the guilty one—but it’s bad whichever way you look at

it. If he’s innocent, why doesn’t he come forward? We’ve got evidence against

him, but it’s just possible that that evidence could be explained away. Then why

doesn’t he give an explanation?”

 

A lot more lay behind the inspector’s words than I knew at the time.

 

Ralph’s description had been wired to every port and railway station in England.

The police everywhere were on the alert. His rooms in town were watched, and any

houses he had been known to be in the habit of frequenting. With such a _cordon_

it seemed impossible that Ralph should be able to evade detection. He had no

luggage, and, as far as any one knew, no money.

 

“I can’t find any one who saw him at the station that night,” continued the