# Agatha Christie - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd : Chapter 24 - Ralph Paton’s Story

An episode of [The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: A Classic Crime Novel by Agatha Christie](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1896551102), 19 Apr 2026, 7:46.

Audio: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/71442542/24_agatha_christie_the_murder_of_roger_ackroyd_chapter_24.mp3

Assumptions are questioned, and perspectives begin to change. A Hercule Poirot Mystery

## Transcript

[0:01] Speaker 1: Chapter twenty four, Ralph Peyton's story. It was a very
[0:08] Speaker 1: uncomfortable minute for me. I hardly took in what happened next,
[0:12] Speaker 1: But there were exclamations and cries of surprise. When I
[0:16] Speaker 1: was sufficiently master of myself to be able to realize
[0:18] Speaker 1: what was going on. Ralph Peyton was standing by his wife,
[0:22] Speaker 1: her hand in his, and he was smiling across the
[0:25] Speaker 1: room at Mequarro too was smiling and at the same
[0:29] Speaker 1: time shaking an eloquent finger at me. Have I not
[0:33] Speaker 1: told you at least thirty six times that it is
[0:35] Speaker 1: useless to conceal the things from Ecu Puaro? He demanded
[0:40] Speaker 1: that in such a case he finds out. He turned
[0:43] Speaker 1: to the others. One day, you remember, we held a
[0:47] Speaker 1: little seance about a table, just the six of us.
[0:52] Speaker 1: I accused the other five persons present of concealing something
[0:56] Speaker 1: from me. Thorresom gave up their secret. Doctor Shepherd did
[1:00] Speaker 1: not give up his. That all along I have had
[1:03] Speaker 1: my suspicions. Doctor Shepherd went to the three boys that night,
[1:08] Speaker 1: hoping to find enough. He did not find him there,
[1:11] Speaker 1: But supposing I said to myself that he met him
[1:14] Speaker 1: in the street on his way home. Doctor Shepherd was
[1:17] Speaker 1: a friend of Captain Peyton's, and he had come straight
[1:20] Speaker 1: from the scene of the crime. He must know that
[1:23] Speaker 1: things looked very black against him. Perhaps he knew more
[1:28] Speaker 1: than the general public did I did, I said, ruefully.
[1:33] Speaker 1: I suppose I might as well make a clean breast
[1:36] Speaker 1: of things. Now. I went to see Ralph that afternoon.
[1:40] Speaker 1: At first he refused to take me into his confidence,
[1:43] Speaker 1: but later he told me about his marriage and the
[1:45] Speaker 1: hole he was in. As soon as the murder was discovered,
[1:49] Speaker 1: I realized that once the facts were known, suspicion could
[1:52] Speaker 1: not fail to attach to Ralph, or as not to
[1:54] Speaker 1: him to the girl he loved. That night, I put
[1:57] Speaker 1: the facts plainly before him. The thought of having possibly
[2:00] Speaker 1: to give evidence which might incriminate his wife made him
[2:03] Speaker 1: resolve at all costs to to I hesitated, and Ralph
[2:09] Speaker 1: filled up the gap to do a bunk. He said, graphically,
[2:13] Speaker 1: you see, Ursula left me to go back to the house.
[2:17] Speaker 1: I thought it possible that you might have attempted to
[2:19] Speaker 1: have another interview with my stepfather. He had already been
[2:22] Speaker 1: very rude to her that afternoon. It occurred to me
[2:26] Speaker 1: that he might have so insulted her in such an
[2:28] Speaker 1: unforgivable manner that, without knowing what she was doing, he stopped. Ursula,
[2:33] Speaker 1: released her hand from his, and stepped back. You thought that, Ralph,
[2:38] Speaker 1: you actually thought that I might have done it. Let
[2:42] Speaker 1: us get back to the palpable conduct of doctor Shepherd,
[2:46] Speaker 1: said Quiro dryly. Doctor Shepherd consented to do what he
[2:49] Speaker 1: could to help him. He was successful in hiding Captain
[2:53] Speaker 1: Peyton from the police. Where, asked Raymond in his own house,
[2:58] Speaker 1: I no, indeed, quarrel, You should ask yourselves a question
[3:02] Speaker 1: that I did. If the good doctor is concealing the
[3:06] Speaker 1: young man, what place would he choose? It must necessarily
[3:10] Speaker 1: be somewhere near At hand, I think of Conchester, a hotel,
[3:18] Speaker 1: no lodgings. Even more emphatically, No, well, then, ah, I
[3:25] Speaker 1: have it a nursing home, a home father mentally unfit.
[3:31] Speaker 1: I test my theory. I invent a nephew with mental trouble.
[3:36] Speaker 1: I consult Mademoiselle Shepherd as too suitable homes. She gives
[3:41] Speaker 1: me the names of two near Conchester to which her
[3:44] Speaker 1: brother has sent patients. I make inquiries, Yes, that one
[3:49] Speaker 1: of them a patient was broad there by the doctor himself.
[3:52] Speaker 1: Early on Saturday morning, that patient, though known by another name,
[3:56] Speaker 1: I had no difficulty in identifying as Captain Peyton. After
[4:01] Speaker 1: certain necessary formalities, I was allowed to bring him away.
[4:06] Speaker 1: He arrived at my house since the early hours of
[4:09] Speaker 1: yesterday morning. I looked at him ruefully, Caroline's home office expert,
[4:15] Speaker 1: I murmured, And to think I never guessed. You see
[4:20] Speaker 1: now why I drew attention to the reticence of your manuscript,
[4:25] Speaker 1: murmured Poirot. It was strictly truthful as far as it went,
[4:30] Speaker 1: but it did not go very far. Eh, my friend,
[4:34] Speaker 1: I was too abashed to argue. Doctor Shepherd has been
[4:38] Speaker 1: very loyal, said Ralph. He has stood by me through
[4:41] Speaker 1: thick and thin. He did what he thought was the best.
[4:44] Speaker 1: I see now from what Monsieur Parro has told me
[4:47] Speaker 1: that it was not really the best. I should have
[4:49] Speaker 1: come forward and faced the music you see in the home.
[4:53] Speaker 1: We never saw a newspaper. I knew nothing of what
[4:55] Speaker 1: was going on. Doctor Sheppard has been a muddle of discretion,
[5:00] Speaker 1: said puiro dryly. But me, I discover all say little secrets.
[5:06] Speaker 1: It is my business. Now we can have your story
[5:10] Speaker 1: of what happened that night, said Raymond. Impatiently. You know
[5:14] Speaker 1: it already, said Ralph. There's very little for me to add.
[5:18] Speaker 1: I left the summer House about nine forty five and
[5:20] Speaker 1: tramped about the lanes, trying to make up my mind
[5:22] Speaker 1: as to what to do next, what line to take.
[5:25] Speaker 1: I'm bound to admit that I've not the shadow of
[5:27] Speaker 1: an alibi. But I give you my solemn word that
[5:30] Speaker 1: I never went to the study, that I never saw
[5:32] Speaker 1: my stepfather alive or dead, whatever the world thinks. I'd
[5:36] Speaker 1: like all of you to believe me. No alibi, murmured Raymond.
[5:41] Speaker 1: That's bad. I believe you, of course, but it's a
[5:45] Speaker 1: bad business. It makes things very simple, as though, said
[5:49] Speaker 1: Puiro in a cheerful voice. Very simple. Indeed, we all
[5:54] Speaker 1: stared at him. You see what I mean? No, just
[5:58] Speaker 1: this to save Captain Peyton's a real criminal, must confess.
[6:05] Speaker 1: He beamed round at us all. But yes, I mean
[6:09] Speaker 1: what I say. See now, I did not invite Inspector
[6:12] Speaker 1: Raglan to be present. That was for a reason. I
[6:17] Speaker 1: did not want to tell him all that I knew.
[6:20] Speaker 1: At least I did not want to tell him to night.
[6:24] Speaker 1: He leaned forward, and suddenly his voice and his whole
[6:27] Speaker 1: personality changed. He suddenly became dangerous. I who speak to you?
[6:34] Speaker 1: I know the murderer of mister Ackroyd is in this room.
[6:39] Speaker 1: Now it is to the murderer I speak to morrow.
[6:44] Speaker 1: The truth goes to Inspector Raglin. You understand. There was
[6:51] Speaker 1: a tense silence. Into the midst of it came the
[6:54] Speaker 1: old Breton woman with a telegram on a salver. Quarrow
[6:58] Speaker 1: tore it Open's voice rose abrupt and resonant. The murderer
[7:03] Speaker 1: is a monsters, you say, you know Whichquaro had read
[7:09] Speaker 1: the message. He crumpled it up in his hand. I
[7:12] Speaker 1: know now. He tapped the crumpled ball of paper. What
[7:17] Speaker 1: is that, said Raymond sharply, A wireless message from a
[7:22] Speaker 1: steamer now on her way to the United States. There
[7:26] Speaker 1: was a dead silence. Quaro rose to his feet, bowing,
[7:31] Speaker 1: Monsieur madame. This reunion of mine is at an end. Remember,
[7:39] Speaker 1: the truth goes to Inspector Raglan in the morning,

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