Miss Russell and Charles Kent

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

This flow follows the concealed mother-son relationship that places Charles Kent at Fernly and briefly makes him a suspect.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Secret Birth A Secret Birth from "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". A Secret Birth A hidden beginning Miss Russell gives birth to Charles Kent while unmarried.

A Secret Birth from "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". A Secret Birth A hidden beginning Miss Russell gives birth to Charles Kent while unmarried.

A Secret Birth A hidden beginning Miss Russell gives birth to Charles Kent while unmarried. She keeps her motherhood secret and arranges for him to be supported elsewhere. Respectability at stake The secret shapes her adult life and her position at Fernly. Discovery could cost her the respectability on which her employment depends.

A Son Lost to Drugs A Son Lost to Drugs from "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". A Son Lost to Drugs A troubled departure Kent grows into a man affected by drinking and drug addiction.

A Son Lost to Drugs from "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". A Son Lost to Drugs A troubled departure Kent grows into a man affected by drinking and drug addiction.

A Son Lost to Drugs A troubled departure Kent grows into a man affected by drinking and drug addiction. Miss Russell pays for his passage to Canada, hoping distance may help him. Contact resumes After years without news, Kent discovers his mother’s identity and returns to England. His dependence brings the secret back to the place she most needs it hidden.

The Summerhouse Visit The Summerhouse Visit from "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". The Summerhouse Visit A guarded reunion Miss Russell arranges to meet Kent in the summerhouse rather than let him enter Fernly.

The Summerhouse Visit from "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". The Summerhouse Visit A guarded reunion Miss Russell arranges to meet Kent in the summerhouse rather than let him enter Fernly.

The Summerhouse Visit A guarded reunion Miss Russell arranges to meet Kent in the summerhouse rather than let him enter Fernly. He is rough and abusive, and she gives him the money she has brought. An innocent visit misread Kent leaves before the murder. His presence, the drug clue, and his disguised voice make him look dangerous until the meeting’s private purpose is understood.

A Suspect at Liverpool A Suspect at Liverpool from "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". A Suspect at Liverpool Recognition by voice Police detain Kent in Liverpool, and Dr. James Sheppard recognizes him by the voice heard outside Fernly.

A Suspect at Liverpool from "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". A Suspect at Liverpool Recognition by voice Police detain Kent in Liverpool, and Dr. James Sheppard recognizes him by the voice heard outside Fernly.

A Suspect at Liverpool Recognition by voice Police detain Kent in Liverpool, and Dr. James Sheppard recognizes him by the voice heard outside Fernly. Kent admits visiting the estate but refuses to explain why. The alibi holds A barmaid places him at the Dog and Whistle before the murder window. The evidence clears him of killing Ackroyd, but his silence still threatens his mother.

A Mother Speaks A Mother Speaks from "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". A Mother Speaks A protective confession Poirot tells Miss Russell that Kent is suspected after the accepted murder window changes.

A Mother Speaks from "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd". A Mother Speaks A protective confession Poirot tells Miss Russell that Kent is suspected after the accepted murder window changes.

A Mother Speaks A protective confession Poirot tells Miss Russell that Kent is suspected after the accepted murder window changes. She breaks composure and insists that Kent never went near the study. The secret explained She admits he is her son and describes their meeting. Poirot believes her account and delays exposing the family secret to the police unless it becomes necessary.

Many years before the murder, in Kent

Years before the murder

Friday evening, shortly after nine

Several days after the murder

Near the ending, after the murder window is revised