Spence
Spence was once a police superintendent for the Kilchester police force. He had worked alongside Poirot before the McGinty case, but these cases were never recorded. This honest officer was known for his big red face, his old-fashioned ways (always mailed Christmas cards to acquaintances), and growing roses in his garden. By 1969, Spence's hair was gray all over but he still had the round belly.
It was Superintendent Spence who asked Poirot to investigate the murder of Mrs. McGinty. Having retired after the McGinty case, he was living in Woodleigh Common with his widowed sister Elspeth. Poirot then in turn enlisted Spence's aid in solving the murder of a young girl there where Spence lived. It was then that Poirot taught Spence a lesson, that "once a policeman, always a policeman."
Superintendent Spence has appeared in:
Novels
- Mrs. McGinty's Dead (1952)
- Hallowe'en Party (1969)
- Elephants Can Remember (1972)