Agatha Christie's Poirot Episode Guide - inaf iasf bologna

Agatha Christie’s Poirot Episode Guide
granddaughter and have invited him to join them for Christmas in the hope that a few day’s close
contact with Sarah will show her how unsuitable he is, particularly in contrast to David Welwyn
who has been friends with Sarah since childhood. Lee-Wortley is there with his sister who is
recovering from an operation and is confined to her room, convalescing.
Colin, Michael, and Bridget are disappointed with Poirot as he does not meet their expectations
of what a detective should look like. They hatch a plan to arrange a false murder for Poirot
to detect with Bridget lying in the snow with blood as the ”dead” body and footprints leading
through the snow which is now falling and expected to grow heavier. They decide that they will
put their plan into operation on Boxing Day as Colonel Lacey would not like something of that
nature to take place on Christmas Day itself. That night, the Christmas tree is decorated and
the party retire to their rooms for the night. On his pillow, Poirot finds a scrawled note which
reads, ”DON’T EAT NONE OF THE PLUM PUDDING. ONE WHO WISHES YOU WELL”. He is most
puzzled.
The next day, the party eats a huge Christmas dinner and then the elderly and partly retired
butler brings in the Christmas pudding with great ceremony. The diners find the usual tokens
in their portions but the Colonel is annoyed and amazed when he almost chokes on a piece of
red glass in his. Poirot takes the object and pockets it. Afterwards Poirot visits the kitchen to
complement the daily cook, Mrs Ross, on the meal and particularly the pudding. She confesses
that two were made, one for today and one for New Year’s Day but the one for today was dropped
and the one for six days time substituted in its place.
That night, Poirot pretends to sleep in his bed, having avoided drinking a drugged coffee
which had been handed to him by Lee-Wortley. A figure enters his room and conducts a fruitless
search.
The next morning, the children carry out their ”murder” plan and rouse Poirot from his bed
to investigate the ”dead” body but the planners get a shock when Poirot confirms that Bridget
is indeed dead. Sarah and Lee-Wortley having joined them in the snow, Poirot invites the young
man to check Bridget’s pulse and he confirms there isn’t one. Poirot points out that the footprints
in the snow look like Lee-Wortley’s and that in the dead girl’s hand is the glass ”ruby” from the
pudding. Lee-Wortley is dumbfounded but, taking the glass, offers to ring for the police. Claiming
to Diana that the phone is dead, he drives off to fetch them. Poirot takes the others in the house
where he explains all.
He tells them that Lee-Wortley is a blackmailer and involved in other questionable matters.
His supposed sister is the young woman who took the ruby from the eastern prince and the two
of them were tracked to Kings Lacey. Bridget appears in the room... she is not dead, having worn
a tourniquet on her arm when lying in the snow... and she was in league with Poirot to trick Lee-
Wortley. Poirot heard the children planning their ”murder” through an open window and used
this opportunity to take Lee-Wortley in. The ”ruby” that Bridget held in the snow was a paste
copy that Poirot brought with him to the house and Lee-Wortley has taken this with him. Poirot
supposes that he will go abroad where he will be surprised when he tries to sell the false jewel.
The real ruby was hidden by the two thieves in what they were told was the New Year pudding
and they were unaware of the accident that befell the pudding intended for Christmas Day. Lee-
Wortley’s ”sister” overhears this and is furious that her co-conspirator has left her to face the
music. She too flees the house. The mystery of who left the note on Poirot’s pillow is solved when
one of the housemaids confesses that she heard Lee-Wortley and his ”sister” discussing getting
Poirot out of the way and that something had been put in the pudding, causing her to think
they planned to poison him. He rewards her by promising her a vanity box, and gets a kiss from
Bridget under the mistletoe.
66