| Location of first appearance | Title / Profession | Character | Gender | Age | Hair Color | Hair direction / style | Features |
| Poirot's flat, 56b | Detective | Hercule Poirot | M | 50+ | Dark | Back, thinning | Neat moustache |
| Outside Whitehaven | Captain | Arthur Hastings | M | 50+ | Light grey | Back left | |
| Outside Whitehaven | Chief Inspector | James Harold Japp | M | 50+ | Greying dark brown | Right combed | Thick Moustache |
| Poirot's flat, 56b | Secretary | Felicity Lemon | F | 40+ | Orange | Right, Wavy | |
| Whitehaven Mansions | |||||||
| Kiosk | Coffee Stall Owner | Woman | F | 60+ | Dark Auburn | Right | |
| Street | Removal Man | Mover 1 | M | 50+ | Flat-cap | ||
| Street | Removal Man | Mover 2 | M | 40+ | Hat | ||
| Doorway | Doorman | M Dicker | M | 40+ | Cap | ||
| Ernestine's flat, 36b | Maid | Trotter | F | 50+ | Brown | Maids cap | |
| Ernestine's flat, 36b | Newly moved in | Ernestine (Trubshaw) Grant | F | 20+ | Dark | Wavy left | Slipped letter to Patricia under the door |
| Patricia's flat, 46b | Mildred Hope | F | 20+ | Brown | Curly right | Patricia's friend | |
| Patricia's flat, 46b | Patricia Matthews | F | 20+ | Blond | Straight | ||
| Ernestine's flat, 36b | Mysterious man | Frazer? | M | ? | Dark | Ernestine's acquaintance | |
| The Deadly Shroud, theatre play | |||||||
| Stage | Play character | Lady Muriel | F | ||||
| Stage | Play character | Major Sadler | M | ||||
| Stage | Play character | Mrs Sadler | F | ||||
| Stage | Play character | Detective | M | ||||
| Stage | Play character | Butler Chivers | M | ||||
| Theatre hall | |||||||
| Talking to Mildred | Jimmy Faulkener | M | 20+ | Dark | Right | Patricia's friend | |
| Talking to Patricia | Donovan Bailey | M | 30+ | Dark brown | Left thick wave | Patricia's fiancée Taller than Jimmy | |
| Inspector | Flint | ||||||
| Police Constable | |||||||
| Referred by Maid Trotter | Trotters sister | F | Trotter will sleep there for the night | ||||
| Kiosk | Coffee Stall worker | Man | M | 60+ | Grey | Balding | |
| Locations | Notes |
| Whitehaven Mansions | Poirot's home & office |
| Floor 3, app 36b | Ernestine’s flat |
| Floor 4, app 46b | Patricia’s flat |
| Floor 5, app 56b | Poirot flat |
| The Deadly Shroud | Theatre detective play for which Hastings bought tickets |
| Time | Event list |
| 13:00ish | Mildred came to Patricia |
| ? | Letter from Ernestine slipped under the door |
| 17:00 | Maid Trotter went out |
| 18:00 | Mildred’s appointment with Frazer (Handkerchief has the initials J.F.) |
| 19:00 | Jimmy & Donovan picked up Mildred and Patricia for the Theatre |
| 21:00 | Arrival of the last post of the evening |
| 22:00 | Maid Trotter back |
| 22:30 | Back from the theatre |
| 23:00? | Dead woman found, killed 5-6 hours before |