And Then There Were None By Agatha Christie

way you can't bring his little crime home to him."

A sudden flash passed like lightning through Armstrong's mind. "Murder in Hospital. Murder on the Operating Table. Safe-yes, safe as houses!"

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

4 a

I

Philip Lombard was saying:

"Hence-Mr. Owen-hence-Indian Island!" Armstrong drew a deep breath.

"Now we're getting down to it. What's the real purpose of getting us all here?" Philip Lombard said:

"What do you think?" Armstrong said abruptly:

"Let's go back a minute to this woman's death. What are the possible theories? Rogers killed her because he was afraid she would give the show away. Second possibility: She lost her nerve and took an easy way out herself." Philip Lombard said:

"Suicide, eh?"

"What do you say to that?"

Lombard said:

"It could have been-yes-if it hadn't been for Marston's death. Two suicides within twelve hours is a little too much to swallow! And if you tell me that Anthony Marston, a young bull with no nerves and precious little brains, got the wind up over having mowed down a couple of kids and deliberately put himself out of the way-well, the idea's laughable! And anyway, how did he get hold of the stuff? From all I've ever heard, Potassium Cyanide isn't

the kind of stuff you take about with you in your waistcoat pocket. But that's your line of country." Armstrong said:

"Nobody in their senses carries Potassium Cyanide. It might be done by some one who was going to take a wasps' nest."

"The ardent gardener or landowner, in fact? Again, not Anthony Marston. It strikes me that Cyanide is going to need a bit of explaining. Either Anthony Marston meant to do away with himself before he came here, and therefore came prepared-or else-"

Armstrong prompted him. "Or else?"

Philip Lombard grinned.

"Why make me say it? When it's on the tip of your own tongue. Anthony Marston was murdered, of course."

MASTERPIECES OP MURDER

3

Dr. Armstrong drew a deep breath. "And Mrs. Rogers?"

Lombard said slowly:

"I could believe in Anthony's suicide (with difficulty) if it weren't for Mrs. Rogers. I could believe in Mrs. Rogers' suicide (easily) if it weren't

for Anthony Marston. I can believe that Rogers put his wife out of the wayif it were not for the unexplained death of Anthony Marston. But what we need is a theory to explain two deaths following rapidly on each other." Armstrong said:

"I can perhaps give you some help towards that theory."

And he repeated the facts that Rogers had given hiin about the disappearance of the two little china figures.

Lombard said:

"Yes, little china Indian figures. . . . There were certainly ten last night at dinner. And now there are eight, you say?"

Dr. Armstrong recited:

"Ten little Indian boys going out to dine;

One went and choked himself and then there were nine.

"Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;

One overslept himself and then there were eight."

The two men looked at each other. Philip Lombard grinned and flung away his cigarette.

"Fits too damned well to be a coincidence! Anthony Marston dies of asphyxiation or choking last night after dinner, and Mother Rogers

oversleeps herself with a vengeance." "And therefore?" said Armstrong. Lombard took him up.

"And therefore another kind of puzzle. The Nigger in the Woodpile! X! Mr. Owen! U. N. Owen. One Unknown Lunatic at Large!"

"Ah!" Armstrong breathed a sigh of relief. "You agree. But you see what it involves? Rogers swore that there was no one but ourselves and he and his wife on the island."

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

257

"Rogers is wrong! Or possibly Rogers is lying!" Armstrong shook his head.

"I don't think he's lying. The man's scared. He's scared nearly out of his senses."

Philip Lombard nodded.

He said:

"No motor boat this morning. That fits in. Mr. Owen's little arrangements again to the fore. Indian Island is to be isolated until Mr. Owen has finished his job."

Armstrong had gone pale. He said:

"You realize-the man must be a raving maniac!"

Philip Lombard said, and there was a new ring in his voice: "There's one thing Mr. Owen didn't realize."

the wind up too and bumps off his wife! All according to U. N. O.'s plan." Armstrong shook his head. He stressed the point about the Cyanide. Blore agreed. "Yes, I'd forgotten that. Not a natural thing to be carrying about With you. But how did it get into his drink, sir?"

Lombard said:

"I've been thinking about that. Marston had several drinks that night. Between the time he had his last one and the time he finished the one before it, there was quite a gap. During that time his glass was lying about on some table or other. I think-though I can't be sure, it was on the

little table near the window. The window was open. Somebody could have slipped a dose of the Cyanide into the glass.

Blore said unbelievingly: "Without our all seeing him, sir?" Lombard said drily:

"We were all-rather concerned elsewhere." Armstrong said slowly:

"That's true. We'd all been attacked. We were walking about, moving about the room. Arguing, indignant, intent on our own business. I think it could have been done.

Blore shrugged his shoulders.

"Fact is, it must have been done! Now then, gentlemen, let's make a start. Nobody's got a revolver, by any chance? I suppose that's too much to hope for." Lombard said:

"I've got one." He patted his pocket.

Blore's eyes opened very wide. He said in an over-casual tone: "Always carry that about with you, sir?"

Lombard said:

"Usually. I've been in some tight places, you know."

"Oh," said Blore and added: "Well, you've probably never been in a tighter place than you are to-day! If there's a lunatic hiding on this island, he's probably got a young arsenal on him-to say nothing of a knife or dagger or two." Armstrong coughed.

"You may be wrong there, Blore. Many homicidal lunatics are very quiet, unassuming people. Delightful fellows."

Blore said:

"I don't feel this one is going to be of that kind, Dr. Armstrong."

2

The three men started on their tour of the island.

It proved unexpectedly simple. On the northwest side, towards the coast, the cliffs f ell sheer to the sea below, their surface unbroken.

On the rest of the island there were no trees and very little cover. The

three men worked carefully and methodically, beating up and down from the highest point to the water's edge, narrowly scanning the least irregularity

in the rock which might point to the entrance to a cave. But there were no caves.

They came at last, skirting the water's edge, to where General Macarthur

sat looking out to sea. It was very peaceful here with the lap of the waves breaking over the rocks. The old man sat very upright, his eyes fixed on the horizon. He paid no attention to the approach of the searchers. His oblivion of them made one at least faintly uncomfortable.

Blore thought to himself:

"'Tisn't natural-looks as though he'd gone into a trance or something." He cleared his throat and said in a would-be conversational tone: "Nice peaceful spot you've found for yourself, sir."

The General frowned. He cast a quick look over his shoulder. He said: "There is so little time-so little time. I really must insist that no one disturbs me."

Blore said genially:

"We won't disturb you. We're just making a tour of the island, so to speak. Just wondered, you know, if some one might be hiding on it."

The General frowned and said:

"You don't understand-you don't understand at all. Please go away." Blore retreated. He said, as he joined the other two:

"He's crazy. . . . It's no good talking to him." Lombard asked with some curiosity:

"What did he say?"

Blore shrugged his shoulders.

260 MASTERPIECES OF MURDER

"Something about there being no time and that he didn't want to be disturbed." Dr. Armstrong frowned. He murmured: "I wonder now.

"There might be a hole in the cliff. If we had a boat now, we could row round the island."

Lombard said:

"If we had a boat, we'd all be halfway to the mainland by now!" "True enough, sir."

Lombard said suddenly:

"We can make sure of this cliff. There's only one place where there could be a recess-just a little to the right below here. If you fellows can get hold of a rope, you can let me down to make sure."

Blore said:

"Might as well be sure. Though it seems absurd-on the face of it! I'll see if I can get hold of something."

He started off briskly down to the house.

Lombard stared up at the sky. The clouds were beginning to mass themselves together. The wind was increasing.

He shot a sideways look at Armstrong. He said: "You're very silent, doctor. What are you thinking?" Armstrong said slowly:

"I was wondering exactly how mad old Macarthur was.

4

11

Vera had been restless all the morning. She had avoided Emily Brent with