James Sheppard, Caroline Sheppard and others in “Unfinished Business”

[after being exposed as the murderer] Dorothy Ferrars was an adulterous murdering bitch! She lorded it over us! All the money she had, she never worked for it, nor did her drunk of a husband before her. They were idle, useless parasites.

Stop it, James.

No! They didn't know what it was like. Scrimping and saving year after year, never able to afford a holiday, on call day and night to every idiot with a bilious attack for miles around. You've no right to stand in judgment on me. Blackmail? You call it blackmail? The law wouldn't punish her, would they? So I did. Well, there you are. I've done your work for you. Sorry Caro. Killing Ackroyd was easy. The knife was sharp, and I knew just where to strike. And for the rest, I simply had to follow my plan. The first thing to do was make sure everyone remembered me leaving the house. I drove away but parked the car a little way down the drive. Then I had to make it look as if Ralph Paton had entered through the window. He was a pathetic, profligate fellow. I knew Ackroyd had bought a dictaphone and had been using it. Now, I was going to use it to arrange for Ackroyd to speak from the grave. And then the business of the chair, which so intrigued you. I'd left Ralph Paton's muddy shoe outside when I entered through the window. Now, as I made my escape, I was able to use it to make a footprint on the sill.

Hercule Poirot

And then, of course, the dictaphone did its work. Which convinces us that Monsieur Roger Ackroyd was alive at half past nine, by which time you were safely back at home awaiting the telephone call from the patient whom you had persuaded to take part in what you had told him was a practical joke.

Yes, you did well there, Poirot. I was quite surprised when you showed us your telegram from the ocean liner. Well done.

Hercule Poirot

Thank you.

I needed the excuse of his phone call, you see, to ensure that I was first on the scene when the murder was discovered. I'd carefully calculated the position of the chair so that the dictaphone would be hidden from anyone standing in the doorway. When I'd sent Parker to telephone for the police, I had ample time to remove my contrivance and put the chair back in its accustomed place. Finally, I had to tell Ralph Paton of his uncle's murder, persuade him that he was in danger and get him to accompany me to the nursing home.

James Japp

Why did you kill Parker?

Parker was too observant. He remembered that he'd brought in five letters, not four, and that one of them was handwritten on dark blue paper. He knew he hadn't moved the chair. How long would it be before he realized I had? No, I couldn't take that chance.