The joint funeral of Mrs Ferrars and Roger Ackroyd was fixed for eleven o’clock. It was a melancholy and impressive ceremony. All the party from Fernly were there.
After it was over, Poirot, who had also been present, took me by the arm, and invited me to accompany him back to The Larches. He was looking very grave, and I feared that my indiscretion of the night before had got round to his ears. But it soon transpired that his thoughts were occupied by something of a totally different nature.
‘See you,’ he said. ‘We must act. With your help I propose to examine a witness. We will question him, we will put such fear into him that the truth is bound to come out.’ ‘What witness are you talking about?’ I asked, very much surprised.
‘Parker!’ said Poirot. ‘I asked him to be at my house this morning at twelve o’clock. He should await us there at this very minute.’ ‘What do you think?’ I ventured, glancing sideways at his face.
‘I know this – that I am not satisfied.’ ‘You think that it was he who blackmailed Mrs Ferrars?’ ‘Either that, or ‘ ‘Well?’ I said, after waiting a minute or two.
‘My friend, I will say this to you -1 hope it was he.’ The gravity of his manner, and something indefinable that tinged it, reduced me to silence.
On arrival at The Larches, we were informed that Parker was already there awaiting our return. As we entered the room, the butler rose respectfully.
‘Good morning, Parker,’ said Poiroi pleasantly. ‘One instant, I pray of you.’ He removed his overcoat and gloves.
‘Allow me, sir,’ said Parker, and sprang forward to assist him. He deposited the articles neatly on a chair by the door.
Poirot watched him with approval.
‘Thank you, my good Parker,’ he said. ‘Take a seat, will you not? What I have to say may take some time.’ Parker seated himself with an apologetic bend of the head.
‘Now what do you think I asked you to come here for this morning – eh?’ Parker coughed.
‘I understood, sir, that you wished to ask me a few questions about my late master – private like.’ ‘Precisement,’ said Poirot, beaming. ‘Have you made many experiments in blackmail?’ ‘Sir!’ The butler sprang to his feet.
‘Do not excite yourself,’ said Poirot placidly. ‘Do not play the farce of the honest, injured man. You know all there is to know about the blackmail, is it not so?’ ‘Sir, I – I’ve never – never been ‘ ‘Insulted,’ suggested Poirot, ‘in such a way before. Then why, my excellent Parker, were you so anxious to overhear the conversation in Mr Ackroyd’s study the other evening, after you had caught the word blackmail?’ ‘I wasn’t-I-‘ ‘Who was your last master?’ rapped out Poirot suddenly.
‘My last master?’ ‘Yes, the master you were with before you came to Mr Ackroyd.’ ‘A Major Ellerby, sir -‘ Poirot took the words out of his mouth.
‘Just so. Major Ellerby. Major Ellerby was addicted to drugs, was he not? You travelled about with him. When he was in Bermuda there was some trouble – a man was killed.
Major Ellerby was partly responsible. It was hushed up. But you knew about it. How much did Major Ellerby pay you to keep your mouth shut?’ Parker was staring at him open-mouthed. The man had gone to pieces, his cheeks shook flabbily.
‘You see, me, I have made inquiries,’ said Poirot pleasantly. ‘It is as I say. You got a good sum then as blackmail, and Major Ellerby went on paying you until he died. Now I want to hear about your latest experiment.’ Parker still stared.
‘It is useless to deny. Hercule Poirot knows. It is so, what I have said about Major Ellerby, is it not?’ As though against his will, Parker nodded reluctantly once. His face was ashen pale.
‘But I never hurt a hair of Mr Ackroyd’s head,’ he moaned.
‘Honest to God, sir, I didn’t. I’ve been afraid of this coming all the time. And I tell you I didn’t – I didn’t kill him.’ His voice rose almost to a scream.