The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

Having heard the news of Roger Ackroyd’s murder, Dr. Sheppard drives over to the Ackroyd house. Parker lets him in, and Sheppard demands to know if he’s called the police. Parker seems confused—he knows nothing about a murder. Sheppard explains that, five minutes ago, someone called him, saying it was Parker, to explain that Ackroyd had been murdered. Parker suggests it was a practical joke.

Dr. Sheppard asks to see Roger Ackroyd, just to be sure that he’s all right. Parker leads him to the study, which appears to be locked. Sheppard calls Roger’s name, but hears no answer. Worried, he breaks down the door. Inside, Parker and Sheppard find Ackroyd sitting in his armchair, a knife sticking out of the back of his neck. Sheppard instructs Parker to call the police, and then tell Raymond and Major Blunt. Alone, Sheppard inspects the body—Ackroyd has clearly been dead for “some little time.”

Blunt and Raymond rush into the study. Raymond suggests that there was a robbery—nobody would have any other motive for killing Roger Ackroyd. He looks through the drawers, however, and finds that nothing is missing. There are a few letters on the floor, but Mrs. Ferrars’ letter is nowhere to be found.

The village inspector arrives, accompanied by a constable. He asks about the body, and Dr. Sheppard explains that he was summoned by a call. He also notes that Roger Ackroyd has been dead at least half an hour. The inspector notices two shoeprints on the windowsill, seemingly from shoes with rubber studs. The inspector posits that the killer climbed in through the window and stabbed Ackroyd from behind. Suddenly Dr. Sheppard remembers the mysterious stranger he met earlier that night. However, Parker says that nobody else came to the house that night.

The inspector tries to determine the exact time of death. He asks Dr. Sheppard about Roger Ackroyd, and Sheppard recalls leaving around 8:50. Raymond recalls hearing Ackroyd’s voice from the study around 9:30—he wasn’t sure who Ackroyd was talking to, but he heard him saying something about “the calls on my purse” and being unable to “accede to your request.” Blunt claims not to have seen Ackroyd after dinner. The inspector suggests that Ackroyd must have let a stranger into the house, and that Ackroyd must have been alive at 9:30. Parker adds that Roger saw Flora around 9:50—she told Parker, who was bringing whisky to the study, that Roger didn’t want to be disturbed. The inspector becomes suspicious—he asks Parker why he was returning to the study, and Parker suddenly becomes flustered.

The inspector asks more questions. Parker explains that the only ways to access Roger Ackroyd’s study would be to come through the main hall or through a window. Then, the inspector asks to speak with Flora Ackroyd. Raymond goes to summon her, with instructions not to tell her that her uncle is dead. Flora comes downstairs a moment later, and the inspector informs her that there’s been a robbery. He asks her about her conversation with her uncle, and Flora confirms that she came in to the study around 9:50 to say good night, and that Roger seemed perfectly fine. Major Blunt goes to Flora and tells her, gently, that Roger’s been killed. Flora faints. Dr. Sheppard and Major Blunt carry her upstairs to bed.