Agatha Christie's Poirot Episode Guide - inaf iasf bologna

Agatha Christie’s Poirot Episode Guide
needed] At the inquest, despite Rosaleen’s protests that the dead man was not Robert, Porter
confirms that Arden was indeed her first husband. The estate will revert to the Cloades.
Rosaleen has a strong alibi for the time of the murder since she was in the London flat that
evening. David has only a weak alibi: down from London for the day, he met Lynn on his dash to
catch the last train to London leaving at 9:20 pm, and evidently telephoned her from the London
flat shortly after 11 pm. Since the murder is believed to have taken place shortly before 9 pm, he
had enough opportunity and motive to be arrested.
David’s alibi improves when it is discovered that a heavily made-up woman in an orange
headscarf left Arden’s room after 10 pm. The investigation shifts back to the female Cloades, but
Poirot discovers that the immediate cause of Arden’s death may have been smashing his head
against a heavy marble mantelpiece. The appearance of a murder may have been created after
some form of accidental death.
Lynn, though engaged to Rowley, seems to love David. Rowley may be attracted to Rosaleen,
who seems to be consumed with guilt and fear. Major Porter apparently commits suicide but
leaves no note. It comes to light that Arden was actually Charles Trenton, second cousin to
Frances Cloade. She came up with the plan to blackmail Rosaleen after hearing Major Porter’s
anecdote from Jeremy. Although this explains Arden’s identity, it does not clarify who killed him
or who bribed Porter to falsely identify the corpse.
Rosaleen dies in her sleep from an overdose. Superintendent Spence, the investigating officer,
suggests that perhaps she was the murderer; the police have so focused on David’s alibi that
they subjected hers to little scrutiny.
Lynn tells Rowley that she wishes to marry David Hunter. Rowley is strangling Lynn when
Poirot stops him. David arrives and Poirot explains everything. Rowley visited Arden, and seeing
the physical resemblance to Frances, reacted angrily to the deception that was being played.
Pushed by Rowley, Arden fell against the mantelpiece, and Rowley saw the opportunity to incriminate
David. He smashed in Arden’s head with fire tongs and left David’s lighter at the scene. It
was Rowley who persuaded Porter to give the false identification, carefully employing Poirot, who
would be sure to go to Porter on the basis of that first scene at the club, which Rowley also knew
of from Jeremy. Porter’s guilt got the better of him and he committed suicide, leaving a note that
Rowley destroyed.
Discovering Arden’s body, David ran for the 9:20 train but missed it; Lynn actually saw the
smoke from the departing train on the evening, but he convinced her that it was earlier than it
was and that he had time to meet her. He then backtracked to The Stag, disguised himself as
a woman, and played out the scene that established the later time of death. Then he returned
to the station and called Rosaleen, who placed a call to Lynn that was delivered by the operator
but then cut off. Afterwards, David spoke to Lynn from the station, giving the impression that a
single call from London was interrupted. He returned to London on the milk train the next day.
Rowley is implicated in two deaths: one accidental and one a genuine suicide. The only true
murder was Rosaleen’s. David had no apparent motive to kill his own sister, especially when it
would mean depriving himself of the Cloade fortune. But the woman posing as Rosaleen was not
his sister; his sister was killed during the bombing of Gordon’s household two years before. The
woman posing as Rosaleen was one of Gordon’s housemaids, who became David’s lover and his
accomplice in obtaining the Cloade fortune. Now he could kill this accomplice and marry Lynn,
whom he loved and who would gain a portion of the fortune through family connections.
In the end, no one is tried other than David. Poirot ensures that Rowley is not tried for his
own crimes, but instead will marry Lynn, who has loved him without realising it.
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