Dr. Sheppard returns from an early morning house call to Mrs. Ferrars, who has passed away due to an overdose of Veronal. Sheppard’s sister and town gossip, Caroline, believes that Mrs. Ferrars intentionally overdosed out of remorse over murdering her husband. In contrast, Sheppard believes it to be an accident. Sheppard and Caroline debate whether there is any merit to Caroline’s methods of information gathering and deduction, which leads him to become frustrated with her and leave the breakfast table.

Sheppard, who is out visiting patients on rounds, encounters Roger Ackroyd, a widower and supporter of local organizations and events. Ackroyd asks if Sheppard has a few minutes to talk; when he says that he does not, Ackroyd invites him to dinner at his estate, Fernly Park, that evening. Sheppard inquires if the meeting is about Paton, Ackroyd’s stepson, whom Sheppard saw in town recently. Ackroyd says it isn’t and that Paton is not in town.

Sheppard returns to his office to treat patients. One of them is Miss Russell, the housekeeper at Fernly Park. Miss Russell complains of knee pain, though Sheppard cannot see anything that would be affecting her knee.