“No alibi,” murmured Raymond. “That’s bad. I believe you, of course, but—it’s a

bad business.”

 

“It makes things very simple, though,” said Poirot, in a cheerful voice. “Very

simple indeed.”

 

We all stared at him.

 

“You see what I mean? No? Just this—to save Captain Paton the real criminal must

confess.”

 

He beamed round at us all.

 

“But yes—I mean what I say. See now, I did not invite Inspector Raglan to be

present. That was for a reason. I did not want to tell him all that I knew—at

least I did not want to tell him to-night.”

 

He leaned forward, and suddenly his voice and his whole personality changed. He

suddenly became dangerous.

 

“I who speak to you—I know the murderer of Mr. Ackroyd is in this room now. It

is to the murderer I speak. _To-morrow the truth goes to Inspector Raglan._ You

understand?”