THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD
slightly stupid face. She answered our questions readily enough, and showed much distress and concern at the loss of the money.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with her," observed the inspector, after he had dismissed her.
"What about Parker?"
Miss Russell pursed her lips together and made no reply.
"I've a feeling there's something wrong about that man," the inspector continued thoughtfully. "The trouble is that I don't quite see when he got his opportunity. He'd be busy with his duties immediately after dinner, and he's got a pretty good alibi all through the evening. I know, for I've been devoting particular attention to it. Well, thank you very much, Miss Russell. We'll leave things as they are for the present. It's highly probable Mr. Ackroyd paid that money away himself."
The housekeeper bade us a dry good-afternoon, and we took our leave.
I left the house with Poirot.
"I wonder," I said, breaking the silence, "what the papers the girl disarranged could have been for Ackroyd to have got into such a state about them? I wonder if there is any clew there to the mystery.
"The secretary said there were no papers of particular importance on the desk," said Poirot quietly.
"Yes, but———" I paused.
"It strikes you as odd that Ackroyd should have flown into a rage about so trivial a matter?"
"Yes, it does rather."
[132]
