And the men of the city did as Jezebel had said on to them
and as it was written in the letters she had sent on to them.
They carried Naboth forth out of the city
and stoned him with stones
that he died.
Aargh!!!!!
And it came to pass that Jezebel said to Ahab
"Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth's
which he refused to give to thee for money."
For Naboth is not alive...
...but dead.
Our reading today was the story of Jezebel,
whose name has come to stand for the wickedness of women.
The painted Jezebel, of two King's chapter nine.
A woman who was shallow and profane.
It was she who persuaded her husband Ahab to kill Naboth
and for this she was punished.
She the girl who found the body?
And of Jezebel also spoke the Lord, saying
"The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezrael."
She had sold herself to work evil at the sight of the Lord
and the punishment was death.
This is the God of the Old Testament.
Wrathful... unforgiving.
We may find this at odds with our understanding of Christianity.
But for the Jezebels of this world,
death is the price that must be paid.
The body of Alice Corrigan
was discovered at the site known as Blackridge Woods,
at exactly 10:15 a.m. by Miss Jane Martindale,
who was on a cycling holiday in the area
and who made a note of the time.
It was her opinion that the woman had been dead only a short while,
a view shared by the police surgeon
who examined the body where it had been found, at half past eleven.
We have several witnesses who have attested
that the dead woman's fiancé, Mr. Edward Deverill,
was on the train from London and this didn't arrive until twenty past ten.
This inquest therefore returns a verdict of murder
by person or persons unknown.
You look very smart, Mr. Poirot.
You think so, Miss Lemon?
It is true.
But for the grand dinner of Captain Hastings,
it is necessary to make the impression, n'est-ce pas?
The opening night of his new Argentinian restaurant!
It will be a new experience, this cuisine of the Argentine.
I don't know the Argentine or the cuisine.
Miss Lemon, are you sure you will not be able to join us?
I'm way behind with my filing, Mr. Poirot.
I'm sure you'll have a good time without me.
Something wrong, Mr. Poirot?
Yes. What do you think, Miss Lemon?
This jacket seems to have shrunk a little, non?
- Here and here. - Huh. Hardly think so.
Maybe you put on a little weight.
I... non. No, no, Miss Lemon.
That is not possible.
Remind me, if you please, to speak to my cleaners tomorrow.
- You have called for the taxi? - It's outside.
Bon.
So, to...
El Ranchero.
Very kind of you to invite me, Captain Hastings.
On the contrary, Chief-Inspector, it's very good of you to come.
This is a new venture for me and to be honest, I need all the wish ons I can get.
You have invested a great deal of your capital in this restaurant, Hastings?
A fair amount, yes.
Which is why it means a lot to me that you're here on opening night, Poirot.
A big celebrity never hurts.
But I believe I'm not the only celebrated person here tonight, Hastings.
Oh indeed, no. You see that girl over there?
That's Arlena Stuart.
Ah, the actress?
Yes, stunning isn't she?
That's just the sort of glamour a place like this needs.
And the man who is with her, Hastings?
Kenneth Marshall. He's her husband.
Do you mind if I cut in?
Nathan, darling!
You promised me a dance, right?
You don't mind, do you?
- Well, as a matter of fact... - Oh, don't be such a stick-in-the-mud, Kenneth.
Nathan's about to go back to América.
I won't be able to see him for months.
Well, if you insist, darling.
Order me some champagne.
- Arlena, we need to talk. - What about?
I want the money.
She is indeed most beautiful, Hastings.
But for a woman to treat her husband in such a way and in public...
If looks could kill...
Your brain never stops working, does it, Poirot?
Ah!
- Well... bon appétit. - Merci.
Mais c'est délicieux!
My felicitations, Hastings.
This is the most excellent soup.
Are you familiar with Argentinian wine, Chief-Inspector?
No, no, I can't say I am, Captain Hastings.
I didn't know it either.
It's an acquired taste.
- It is a little warm, n'est-ce pas? - I'm all right.
- Have another glass of wine. - Merci.
- Chief-Inspector? - Thank you.
I must tell you, Chief-Inspector, about the case which is most interesting.
Are you alright, Poirot?
Ah yes, er...
No, I feel...
Poirot!
Someone! Call an ambulance!
Captain Hastings, Chief-Inspector! Is he alright?
Yes, he's fine, he's resting now.
Is it serious?
Put it this way, Miss Lemon.
It's not going to be very easy breaking it to Poirot.
Have you spoken to the doctor?
Yes, he's just left.
So what did he say?
I demand, at once, a second opinion!
I think we should wait, Poirot.
The doctor's taken some tests, but it'll be a week before he's certain.
But I am certain, Hastings.
Hercule Poirot, he is not obese.
Medically obese, Mr. Poirot, it's not quite the same.
It may have led to a problem with your heart, which is what caused the, you know.
Well, we should be grateful it's nothing more serious.
You can come home tomorrow.
But it's going to mean plenty of rest, light exercise and a strict diet.
"Hoping you'll soon be back on your feet."
From everyone at the Forensic Department, Scotland Yard.
Oh here's one from the Belgian Ambassador.
Seems that the whole of London knows what has occurred, Hastings.
- Oh, not more mail, Miss Lemon! - This is from the doctor.
I telephoned him this morning and he sent it round.
The Sandy Cove Hotel, just up the south coast.
For the last couple of years, it's been run as a health resort.
It's highly recomended.
A strict regime of diet and exercise, sunshine and the sea.
Non, Miss Lemon, this is not for Poirot.
Your doctor disagrees, Mr. Poirot, and so do I.
We might have lost you the other night and...
Well, it doesn't even bear thinking about.
Doctor's orders. I've booked you a room for two weeks.
Oh, don't worry, Poirot, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
I'm sure you will too, Captain Hastings, you're going as well.
What?
Well, you didn't expect Mr. Poirot to go on his own!
Hastings, the hotel, it is on an island.
Oh, don't worry, Poirot, you won't have to go on a boat.
There's er... that to carry you over the causeway.
All aboard, please. We'll leave in a minute.
- Hello. - Hello.
You're on board for the island of the lost souls?
Oh Patrick, I don't think it's gonna be as bad as it sounds.
I'm Patrick Redfern. My wife, Christine.
Madame.
Hercule Poirot.
This is my associate, Captain Hastings.
How do you do?
Hercule Poirot, the famous detective?
- Oui. - Well, that will certainly liven things up.
Here we go.
You're not here on business, Mr. Poirot?
Non, I come on the recommendation of my doctor.
We all need a rest from time to time.
Nothing like a bit of sun and sea air.
I have to be careful of the sun. I burn up in a minute.
I say, Poirot. There's Arlena Stuart!
Do you remember... El Ranchero?
That was an evening, Hastings, that I was trying to forget.
- Patrick? How could you...? - What?
That woman, Arlena Stuart! She's staying here, isn't she?
- I've no idea. - Don't lie to me!
It was your idea to come here, I wondered why, and now I know.
Christine!
You knew she was going to be here and you followed her.
No!
You know, sometimes I don't understand you.
- Darling... - Sometimes, you can be so hurtful.
- Christine! - Patrick, darling!
Was that Christine I just saw?
Yes, she just went in to get out of the sun.
It's so wonderful to see you. What a wonderful surprise.
Wonderful to see you too. Oh, Mr. Poirot.
This is an old friend of mine, well, new friend I should say, Arlena Stuart.
- Madame. - We met at a cocktail party.
And it was love at first sight.
How long are you staying?
- A week. - Thank goodness.
This place is nice enough, but it's a rather stuffy crowd.
Arlena!
You're late for tennis.
Actually, Kenneth, I'm not playing.
Look who's just turned up.
- Redfern. - How are you, Marshall?
You did say you'd play. We got Rosamund waiting.
Well, tell her I've got a headache.
Come on, I'm gonna show you around.
But I haven't even checked in yet.
Oh, you can do that later. This way.
- Why do you let her treat you that way? - Lionel...
I hate her!
I wish you'd never married her!
Yes?
Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings.
Oh, yes, Mr. Poirot. Welcome to the Sandy Cove Hotel.
I hope you have a very happy and a very healthy stay.
Merci, madame.
I had a letter from your doctor
and you'll be pleased to know that I've worked out a complete program for your stay here.
We'll be combining the natural goodness of the sea and the sunshine
with our indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, heated oil therapy and steam room,
brisk daily exercise and of course a strict diet.
William, show Mr. Poirot and Captain Hastings to their rooms, please.
Yes, Mrs. Castle.
Lunch will be served at one.
You have a sea view, sir.
Most of the rooms have a sea view.
It comes on being on an island.
That is evident, yes.
If you need anything, there's shops on the mainland.
A library, post office and a decent restaurant.
And if you get package, or anything, you can always ask me to run over.
- Right, sir? - Thank you.
Hastings?
Oh!
Right.
Thank you, sir.
You're next door.
Right.
You can swim just down there, look?
Oh yes, there's a lovely spot just down by...
I say, what a splendid view!
Yes, indeed, Hastings, it is of great interest.
How are you feeling, Poirot? Not too tired after the journey?
Hastings, I am recovered. I am not an invalid.
There's no need to act like a mother chicken.
Hen.
- Thank you, Hastings. Ça va? - Absolutely.
Lunch!
Thank you.
It is for the best you know, Poirot.
Peut-être, mon ami.
Your health.
Here's to yours.
Waiter!
If you please tell me what is this in my glass?
Natural water, sir. Mrs. Castle swears by it.
Monsieur Poirot!
Ah! Mademoiselle...
...Darnley, is it not?
How nice that you remember me.
We met in...
- Egypt. - Egypt.
I was on holiday, you, solving a murder.
Comme toujours, mademoiselle. Pardon.
You have not met my associate, Captain Hastings.
How do you do?
Hastings, this is Mademoiselle Darnley, a dressmaker of the most reknown.
Would you please to join us, Mademoiselle?
I'd be delighted.
Thank you.
Merci.
I see they've got you on punishment luncheon.
You are here also for the health, Mademoiselle?
Partly.
Also, I decided to catch up with an old friend, Kenneth Marshall.
- Have you met him? - Oh, we've seen him.
He and I were what you might call "childhood sweethearts".
Long, long time ago. Now we're just good friends.
He suggested that I'd come down.
Do you know his wife?
The first wife, Linda. A sweet girl.
She died a few years ago, typhoid. Very sad.
I'm afraid I'm not so close to Arlena. Thank you.
The second Madame Marshall.
I'm sorry?
Pardon, you were speaking of Madame Arlena...
...Marshall.
Yes. Well now... what can I say?
She treats him dreadfully.
And she's up to her eyes in scandal.
That business with Erskine for a start.
- But this is a name I do not know. - Sir Roger Erskine?
Elderly, unattached, very, very rich.
He's following her around like a puppy and then suddenly, dropped dead,
left her his entire fortune.
So, Madame Marshall is a woman of wealth in her own right?
Maybe that's why Kenneth's married her.
But I tell you this, Mr. Poirot.
That woman is trouble.
You wait and see.
- Marvellous view, don't you think? - Yes, indeed.
- Miss Brewster. Emily Brewster. - Mademoiselle.
And I know who you are.
- You're Hercule Poirot. - Oui.
- And you must be Captain Hastings. - That's right.
Word's got around that you were here.
Now don't tell me.
There's been a gruesome murder somewhere
and you think there's a homicidal maniac lurking among the hotel guests.
Non, non, mademoiselle, I am here for my health.
How disappointing.
Of course, if you did want to commit a murder,
this would be the perfect place.
You believe so, mademoiselle?
People away from home.
Everybody's got a reason to be here.
But if you'd secretly want to get close to someone
because you wanted to finish them off,
this is where you'd come.
So tell me, mademoiselle, who would be the target of such an attack, here at the hotel?
Oh, I don't know.
Arlena Stuart, perhaps.
I'd happily stick a hat pin on her, or whatever.
But to come upon her sunbathing on the beach,
huh, is the best chance I'll ever get.
But surely nobody would think of murder in such a beautiful place.
Non, non, non, non Hastings.
It is romantic, yes.
It is peaceful.
The sun, it shines, the sea, it is blue.
But you forget, mon ami, there is evil everywhere under the sun.
What? Even here?
Especially here.
It's interesting what you're saying, Mr. Poirot.
It's almost a quotation from Ecclesiastius.
"Yay, also the heart of the son of man is full of evil"
"and the madness is in their hearts while they liveth."
You are of the church, monsieur...?
Lane. Stephen Lane.
I was.
But then I was ill.
My wife, you see...
Well, it's a long story.
But that's why I'm here, it's for my health.
Anyway, you don't have to be of the church to recognise evil, Mr. Poirot.
I see it there.
I recognise it.
It's real.
Ah, this must be that ladder down to Pixy Cove.
- Comment? - Pixy Cove, it's what they call this beach.
For me, Hastings, I call it too steep and too dangerous.
Hastings, you see that boat with the red sail?
Yes, I noticed it this morning.
It is a color most strange, n'est-ce pas?
I hadn't really thought about it.
I suppose the sails ought to be white.
And for me also, it is a place most strange to have moored.
Mr. Poirot?
Monsieur?
My name's Barry. Major Barry.
Major.
I was outside just now and I couldn't help noticing you.
I wondered what you might be doing down here, at Sandy Cove Hotel.
I am here like all the rest.
For my health.
Really?
Well, if you'll take a tip from an old soldier,
I wouldn't have said this island was the healthiest place to be, at the moment.
Just a thought.
How very odd!
I have the great fear, Hastings.
Oh, what do you mean?
Well, the Major who gives the warning. The vicar who speaks of evil.
The husband who watches as his wife deceives him.
The solving of the murder is of, too often, the work of Poirot, mon ami.
This time, the murder,
it is something which I must try to prevent.
The steam cabinet, it is widely used throughout the Americas, Mr. Poirot.
It purifies the skin
and it is also recommended as an aid to respiration and the circulation of the blood.
Fo me, it is a new experience, madame.
I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Come, come, come, there's nothing to be afraid of.
What do you say, Mr. Blatt?
Come along, now.
Horace Blatt.
Forgive me if I don't shake hands.
Hercule Poirot.
The famous sleuth eh?
You down here on a job?
Oh no.
It doesn't look like it.
Nice place, hey?
Not quite Deauville, or Nice, of course, but it does.
You are on holiday?
I spent quite a bit of time here.
Sailing.
The best fun in the world, if you ask me.
You've probably seen me, bobbing around.
Oh, yes.
You have the boat with the red sail?
That's me.
I use the hotel as a base.
It's convenient for my business.
And what business is that, Monsieur Blatt?
Oh, a bit of this, a bit of that.
So, you're Hercule Poirot, hey?
Strange thing is, I thought you were dead.
Why don't you divorce her?
You don't understand.
You don't love her.
It's got nothing to do with this. I married her.
Your own happiness has got nothing to do with it?
It's not a question of my happiness.
You're too proud, that what it is?
- What about Lionel? - What about him?
Don't you see how unhappy he is?
Oo, I can look after Lionel.
I'm sure of it.
Do you ever think for both's sake, that you ought to get rid of Arlena?
- You mean divorce her? - Of course.
Arlena's my wife and that's all there is to it.
"Til death us do part."
Exactly.
I see.
Ah, there you are, Poirot! What can I get you?
Hastings, thank you, that is most kind of you.
- A little crême de cassis. - Crême de cassis.
I'm very sorry, sir, not for you.
Comment?
No alcohol, sir.
Mrs. Castle's orders.
Oh, bad luck, Mr. Poirot.
There'll be dinner in a minute.
Not that's anything to write home about.
Do come and sit over here, Mr. Poirot.
Merci, Mademoiselle Brewster.
Merci.
I was just talking about my trip around the island.
I climbed down to Pixy Cove.
Did you find the cave?
Damn!
That was silly of me.
Er, what cave?
Oh, I've heard it say that there's a cave on Pixy Cove.
It's quite hard to find.
It's just a crack in the rock, but inside it widens out.
And that's where you'll find a buried treasure.
There's no such thing as buried treasure.
That's what you get in children's books.
Now, now, Lionel.
Whatever you say, Lionel, dear.
So, who's for tennis, tomorrow morning?
How about you, Mr. Poirot?
Er, non, non, non, it is most kind of you, mademoiselle, but
I think that the tennis, it is not for me.
I'll play.
I mean, if there's not too much sun.
How about you Captain Hastings?
Oh, yes. I brought down my racket.
And I'll make up a four, if it's not too early.
I have some typing to do, in the morning.
How about 12 o'clock, mid-day?
That's fine.
- That's dinner! - I'm starving.
It had better not be cabbage soup.
Mrs. Marshall, you have a telephone call.
What? At this time?
Who could that be?
Roger or Charlie, or Dominic, or Michael.
Could be anyone.
You go on without me. I need to powder my nose.
After you, Miss Brewster.
Thank you.
I'm so hungry, it must be all the sea air.
Hello?
Oh, hello.
Yes.
Well, it's a little bit difficult, now.
Yes, of course.
- Hello, Mr. Poirot. - Monsieur Redfern.
How was dinner?
It was, how should I say, not subtantial.
Huh, well, that's true.
Merci.
Monsieur Redfern, may I ask you what do you do for your work?
I'm a journalist.
What, for the newspapers?
Yes, for the city pages. I'm a freelancer. Anything that pays.
So you are not here, I think, for your health.
Oh no, I'm here to enjoy myself.
Christine is the one that has to look after herself.
Ah yes.
Madame Redfern.
You have a wife most charming, monsieur.
And who, I think, of you also is most fond.
I love her.
I'm glad to hear it.
Mr. Poirot, are you trying to tell me something?
Only this, Monsieur Redfern.
I wonder why, if it is necessary for you to conduct an affair,
here, on this island, with Arlena Stuart,
you choose to do it before the very eyes of your own wife?
What?
- Well, who've you been talking to, Mr Poirot? - Well I...
Miss Darnley, or that bible bashing vicar?
Just because a woman is good looking, everyone has to come down on her like a sack of coals.
Monsieur Redfern, I try only to prevent occurring events of which I have great fear.
Well, maybe you should just mind your own damn business.
Lionel! Where have you been?
I went to the mainland. To the library.
So I see.
I was thinking of going over to Gull Cove to do some sketching before tennis.
Why don't you come with me?
- Uh, well, er... - Well, you can have a swim.
Come on, you don't want to be skulking and reading all day.
All right.
I'll meet you here in an hour from now.
Ten-thirty.
Thank you.
Ah! Good morning.
- Did you have a good ride? - Fine, thank you.
I'm just off myself. I have friends on the mainland.
Enjoy your day.
- When do you leave again? - In a few minutes, sir.
Good.
Alright, Poirot?
Thank you, Hastings.
Is that not the boat of Monsieur Blatt?
I think so.
It is strange, n'est ce-pas? Today he has the boat with a white sail.
Yes.
So, how are you feeling, Poirot?
You refer to my health, Hastings?
Or to my feelings concerning the events on this island to which I am confined?
Well both, really.
I'm going to have to phone Miss Lemon, today.
She wanted a daily report.
You may tell to her that I am not sure.
Madame Stuart.
Do you depart for a trip on the sea?
Mr. Poirot! Captain Hastings! Hello!
Yes, I thought I'd take a cruise round to Pixy Cove.
- But, please, don't tell anyone that. - Madame?
Well, everyone here just has to follow me around.
And, for once, I want to be alone.
Ça jamais!
That, I do not believe.
You think she's going to meet someone?
It is possible, yes.
Oh, excuse me, sir.
Oh. Do you mind coming back later? I've got some important work to do.
Leave the door open. It's a bit stuffy in here.
- Are you ready? - Yes.
Let's go then.
Mr. Poirot!
Oh! Mademoiselle Brewster.
Something very stange just happened.
What is that, mademoiselle?
Well, I just got back from my bike ride, went five miles up and round the coast.
Would you believe it? Someone took a potshot at me with a bottle!
A bottle?
I think it was a bottle.
It was chucked out of one of the windows.
Where did this take place, mademoiselle?
On the steps, the side of the hotel.
- 11:15. I better get changed. - Comment?
Oh, I'm playing tennis at 12:00.
I better get me ready.
Do you need anything, Poirot?
Non, merci. Merci, mon ami.
- Morning. - Morning.
You haven't seen, uh...?
- Sorry? - Doesn't matter.
Umm... I thought I'd go for a row round the island.
I don't suppose you'd care to come, Mr. Poirot?
Non, non, merci. Absolument, non.
Poirot and the sea, they are not compatible.
I'll come with you.
Mrs. Castle says that rowing is very good for building body tone.
Hah! You can have the oars, then.
- How is it? - Warm.
You should come in.
I'm not really a big swimmer.
Do you have the time?
Hold on.
Quarter to.
Didn't you say you had tennis at 12.00?
I'm going to have to run and get changed.
Will you be alright on your own?
I'll be fine, Mrs. Redfern.
Look, there's someone on Pixy Cove.
Looks like Mrs. Marshall.
So it does.
We're not going to land here, are we?
We've got plenty of time.
Just go and say hello.
Arlena!
She's asleep.
I dunno.
Arlena?
Arlena.
You alright?
My God!
She's dead!
She's been strangled. She's dead!
Are you sure?
There's no pulse. She's not breathing.
Go and get the police.
You mustn't touch anything.
I know, I know, ah... one of us has to stay here with the... body.
Who would do this? Who would to this?!
I don't want to stay.
- You wait here. I'll go. - Right.
Th-th-there's a constable at Leathercombe Bay.
No! Poirot! Fetch Mr. Poirot. He'll know what to do.
I can't manage that ladder.
I'll go by boat, the current's with me.
- I'll be back as soon as I can. - Just go!
Mr. Marshall?
Kenneth...
- I'm the first to arrive. - After me, yes.
- Did you get it done? - What?
Your typing.
Oh, yes.
Hastings!
Hastings, what time is it?
Ahh... just coming up to twelve. Why?
- Not late, am I? - No, no, you're exactly on time.
Mr. Poirot! Mr. Poirot! Mr. Poirot!
Hastings! It is exactly as I feared.
Mr. Poirot! Thank goodness! It's Arlena Stuart.
She's... dead.
Right. Where's the body?
It's over there, sir.
Right. Where's the boat?
Strangled, that's for sure.
And a pretty powerful pair of hands.
Must've been a man.
I am also of that opinion, Chief-Inspector.
Well, we're lucky, in some ways.
This is a small island.
We know exactly when the body was discovered
and the time of death could only have been about 10 or 20 minutes before.
Should be easy enough to pinpoint where everyone was.
Where were you?
All right.
So, what kind of a woman was she then, this Arlena Stuart?
A very flirtatious one.
She was carrying on outrageously with Patrick Redfern.
- He was the chap who found her. - Yes.
You said she was married, Poirot.
Did her husband know what was going on?
Oh yes, Chief-Inspector.
It was most certain that Monsieur Kenneth Marshall
was aware of the behaviour of his wife.
Oh, there's a motive for you, if ever there was one.
- Chief-Inspector, voilà. - Spectacles.
A man's.
Or perhaps of a boy.
I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do.
The hotel's closed, the whole island's closed.
You're going to have to leave.
But we've only just arrived.
What's going on here, Sergeant?
These two men came over in on that "tractor" thing, sir.
They say they're bird watchers.
We're regular visitors. You have no right to stop us.
We have every right, sir.
I'm pursuing a murder investigation
and nobody enters or leaves this island until I say so.
- But we have... - Get them to mainland, Sergeant.
Yes, sir. Come on.
What are you looking for, Poirot?
Chief-Inspector, the two arrivals that we saw just now.
The bird watchers?
Yes, did you notice something about them that was strange?
- No. - I did. They had no binoculars.
Très bien, Hastings. You begin, at last, to learn.
Voilà.
You see?
That's a piece of broken glass.
Someone threw a bottle at Emily Brewster this morning.
From what would you say has this come?
Medicine bottle?
And it contained some liquid that was brown.
But it has no odour.
I'm so shocked. I'm...
I don't know what to say.
Arlena...
It's unbelievable.
Who would want to kill her?
How long had you been married, Mr. Marshall?
Four years.
Happily?
Yes.
If you please, Monsieur Marshall, what is your opinion of Monsieur Redfern?
I have no opinion of him.
And yet, his relationship with your wife...
There was no relationship.
That's all just hotel gossip. Nothing more!
When was the last time you saw Mrs. Marshall?
After breakfast.
I looked into her room.
You had separate rooms?
Yes.
It was about 10 o'clock. She said she was going down to the beach.
Oh, that's right. We met her just after 10:00.
And what of your movements, Monsieur Marshall?
I had some letters to write.
I stayed up here typing till midday.
Then I went down to play tennis.
That was when I heard the news.
One final question, if you please, Monsieur Marshall.
Do you recognise these?
Yes, they're Lionel's.
Where did you get them?
It is of no matter.
Could you please show us to the room of your wife?
Well, there's not much here.
I don't think you'll find anything in any of those bottles, Poirot.
But a bottle was propelled from this hotel, Chief-Inspector.
And it could have come from this room.
What makes you so sure it was throwned?
Maybe it was just dropped.
I say! A telegram to Arlena.
From New York. Dated three days ago.
Go on.
"Send the money now, or you will lose a great deal. Nathan."
- That's it. - Nathan, that rings some sort of bell.
It was the name of the young man with whom she danced that day,
in your restaurant, Hastings.
- El Ranchero. - Oui.
Sounds a bit threatening.
I wouldn't mind talking to him.
But if he's in America.
Well, for me, I prefer to speak to Lionel Marshall.
You can't want to ask me any questions.
I mean, I didn't have anything to do with it.
I don't know anything.
Can you tell us your movements this morning?
Yes.
I had breakfast.
I went to the library.
On the mainland?
Yes.
I'm revising for my exams.
Chemistry.
When I came back, I bumped into Mrs. Redfern.
Well she saw the book, so she can vouch for me.
Mm. Go on.
She invited me to go swim with her, at Gull Cove.
I swam 'til exactly 11:45.
How can you be so sure of the time?
She asked me and I looked at my watch.
I had another swim and went back to the hotel.
There was a program on the wireless and I thought I was going to miss it,
but actually, it was only ten past twelve when I arrived.
Monsieur Lionel,
this is not easy for you, I know, but,
if you please, could you describe your feelings for your stepmother?
She was alright.
You can't think of no one who could wish to kill her?
Any help you can give us, Lionel.
Well... only Mrs. Redfern.
I mean, you only have to look at the way her husband was all over Arlena.
I bet she had wanted to kill her.
Not that she had it in her.
You mean she isn't violent?
Yes. Is that all?
Can I go, now?
Oh non, one last question, if you please.
I believe that these are yours?
Yes, they're my old spectacles.
But, your old spectacles?
Yes, I had to have a new prescription, but I keep those for emergencies.
Where did you find them?
Oh, non, non, non, it is of no matter.
Thank you very much. You may go now.
That's not a job I particularly enjoy, interviewing a seventeen-year-old boy.
Yes.
But a boy with the hands the size of a man.
Excusez-moi, mademoiselle.
Yes, sir?
You are aware, are you not, that we are investigating the murder this morning of Arlena Stuart?
Yes, sir. It's a terrible business.
I still can't believe it.
And you are responsible for the cleaning of the rooms this morning?
- Between 10 and 12 o'clock? - Yes, sir.
Mademoiselle, could you tell to us whether you heard or saw anything out of the usual?
Not really, sir.
There was no one around,
apart from Mr. Marshall, he was in his room.
Did you see him?
I did see him, about 10:15.
That's when I went in to make the beds.
I didn't see him again after that.
So, he could have left the room.
No, sir, I heard him.
He was typing.
Mademoiselle, have you observed, in any of the rooms,
a bottle which is now missing or which contains, perhaps, something strange?
Well, Mrs. Marshall has perfume bottles.
And Mr. Lane.
The vicar!
His bathroom's full of bottles.
Could you show to us his bathroom?
Where is Lane?
Apparently, he's visiting friends on the mainland.
Chief-Inspector, what is that liquid that is brown?
Morphine.
Is there anything else, sir?
Non, non, merci, mademoiselle.
Unless... mademoiselle!
Unless there was something that you observed that was unexplained, or curious.
Something that was different from the other days.
Not that I can think of.
Actually, there was one thing.
But it can't be important, though.
No, go on.
Well, just before twelve, I thought I heard someone running a bath.
And it did strike me as odd, someone having a bath at that time.
Whose bath was it?
I couldn't tell you, sir.
Somewhere on this floor.
But it could have been anywhere.
If the bath was running just before twelve,
that's twenty minutes after the body was discovered.
Exactement, Hastings.
It is strange, n'est ce pas?
Broken bottles, running baths.
The trouble with you Poirot, is you always have to make everything so complicated.
Madame Redfern.
Oh! Mr. Poirot, I was waiting for you.
I suppose you want to know my movements this morning.
S'il vous plaît, madame.
If you would commence from the moment you woke up.
I had breakfast. I met Lionel.
Ah, Lionel Marshall. He'd just come back from the library.
That's right.
I suggested that he'd come with me while I was sketching.
We stayed together at Gull Cove until exactly a quarter to twelve.
He had a watch and he told me the time.
I then went back to the hotel, got changed
and arrived at the tennis court at twelve o'clock on the dot.
And that was when we heard.
And had you, at any time, seen Arlena Stuart this morning?
No, I hadn't. I didn't want to.
Were you surprised at her death?
Surprised? No.
I was shocked, but I wasn't exactly surprised.
A woman of that sort is mixed up in everyhing that's sordid.
Blackmail, jealousy, violence.
What do you mean, blackmail?
Oh, well, it was just something I overheard.
What?
Last night, Mrs. Stuart received a telephone call.
That's right, it was just before dinner.
Well, I happened to be passing and I overheard what she was saying.
I suppose it was wrong of me to eavesdrop.
Non, non... please.
Someone was asking her for money.
She said she couldn't get anymore.
She said she was going to tell her husband everything.
Those were her very words.
But you didn't hear a name?
I mean, was it a man or a woman?
I've no idea.
I didn't want to be seen, especially by her,
so I hurried on in to dinner.
But it was blackmail, I'm sure of it.
Blackmail! That must tie in with the telegram you found.
Nathan! The man in New York.
So it might seem.
But it doesn't make sense. Arlena didn't have any money, did she?
Au contraire, Chief-Inspector. She was a woman of wealth in her own right.
The Erskine scandal. Sir Roger Erskine. Apparently he left her a fortune.
Be interesting to know how much of it's left.
It would indeed, Chief-Inspector.
Well, she must have a lawyer, or a bank manager.
I suppose we could ask her husband.
Non, non, non, Chief-Inspector.
I think it better that we do not inform Monsieur Marshall of this.
Miss Lemon, she will make the inquiries for me.
I must telephone to her at once.
Yes, Mr. Poirot, I'm still here.
How are you?
Oh, Mr. Poirot, it wasn't meant to be a busman's holiday.
Very well.
Right.
I'll get on to it first thing tomorrow.
In normal circumstances, Miss Lemon,
the information you're requesting would be considered confidential.
I quite understand, Mr. Applegood.
However,
I have to say that the bank is already gravely concerned about Mrs. Marshall
and, given the circumstances of her death,
and the fact that Mr. Poirot was involved...
Six weeks ago, Mrs. Marshall came to my office
and instructed me to withdraw a very large sum of money from her account.
The money was to be paid in bearer bonds.
Did she say what the money was for?
I'm afraid not.
I did try to illicit from her what her intentions were,
but she said it was her own private business, so,
I felt unable to press her further.
How did she seem, Mr. Applegood?
Was she nervous, or afraid?
Neither.
She was determined.
That would be the best word to describe her.
I don't suppose you can tell me how much of her money was involved.
I don't see why it'd make any difference now.
We're talking all of it.
Just about her entire fortune.
Mr. Redfern?
Ah. I wondered when you'd be coming talk to me. You're the Police?
Chief-Inspector Japp, Scotland Yard.
Right.
To be honest, sir, I find it a little strange,
you carrying on like this as if nothing had happened.
What else am I meant to do?
The whole thing so bloody horrible!
You're forgetting I was the one who found her.
I'm just trying to put it out of my mind.
Monsieur Redfern, did you anticipate to find yesterday
Madame Marshall on the beach at Pixy Cove?
No.
As a matter of fact, I was looking for her when I met you on the terrace.
But I didn't know where she'd gone.
Why were you looking for her, sir?
Well, it's not easy to explain.
Au contraire, Monsieur Redfern. To explain, I think it is most simple.
You were in love with Madame Marshall.
Not in love. Infatuated.
I hope you realize, sir, that this infatuation of yours
could very well be the reason for Mrs. Marshall's death.
What do you mean?
Well, if her husband had caught wind of it...
What? He'd have strangled her.
Kenneth is not the sort.
Well, what about your wife?
Christine had nothing to do with it.
If she was gonna kill anyone, she probably would have killed me.
And anyway, it's impossible.
What makes you so sure of that, monsieur?
Because I saw the body, that's why.
And it had to be a man.
I saw what had been done to her neck.
It was a man's hands.
You know it and so do I.
But I only want go to the mainland for a couple of hours.
Just to clear my head.
I'm sorry, ma'am.
- I'll take that from you. - What?
Mr. Poirot! Is it really true that no one can leave the island?
I'm afraid I'm keeping everyone here, until I've completed my investigations.
Mademoiselle Brewster, there is something that I do wish to ask you.
Oh, yes?
We spoke together of Arlena Stuart the day before her body was discovered.
Yes, I was wondering when you'd ask me about that.
And you said...
...I'd be happy to stick a hat pin in her.
I wasn't being serious.
A year ago, I invested money in a play she was starring.
But after the first performance, she just walked out.
- So you lost your investment. - All of it.
Of course I was annoyed.
It was a stupid thing to say, I really didn't mean it.
An unfortunate coincidence.
But I was nowhere near the beach when it happened.
And Mr. Redfern was with me when we found her.
It must have been a great shock to you to discover the body.
It's horrible.
At first, she didn't look dead.
She just looked as if she was sunbathing.
But then you moved more close.
I saw at once.
There was something unnatural about the way she was lying.
Her arms...
And underneath her tan...
She had a lovely tan, before she even arrived here.
There's a sort of paleness...
- The paleness of death. - Yes.
I'll never forget it.
Monsieur Blatt.
Is the tractor leaving?
Because if it is I'm going home now.
Sorry sir, no one is to leave the island.
- What? - They've just told me the same.
You can't stop me. I'll take my own boat, if I have to.
I wouldn't try that if I were you, sir.
Monsieur Blatt,
I would be interested to know why was your boat
anchored close to the beach at Pixy Cove the day before Arlena Stuart died.
It wasn't.
We both saw it.
Well..., maybe I went for a swim.
I don't remember where I was, really.
I stopped and went for a swim.
How long do you propose to keep us here?
As long as it takes.
I can't believe it!
Second time!
Why is it that when you're around, people seem to drop like flies?
I met Mademoiselle Darnley when I was in Egypt.
Mademoiselle, may I introduce the Chief-Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard.
How do you do?
Let's get straight down to brass tacks, Chief-Inspector.
- Please sit down. - Merci, mademoiselle.
I expect you want to know my movements at the time of the crime.
If you don't mind, Miss Darnley.
I've written them down. I thought it would save time.
Thank you.
Breakfast at nine. Left the hotel around half-past.
Walked over to Sunny Ledge, arrive at about quarter to ten.
Sunny Ledge?
Yes, it's on top of the cliffs.
You get a good view of Pixy Cove.
You can see the whole beach, the cave, everything.
And before you ask me, yes, I did see Arlena arrive in that boat of hers.
But that's all I saw.
You returned to the hotel at 11:50 and arrived at the tennis court ten minutes later.
- Is that it? - I'm afraid so.
Mademoiselle Darnley, a moment ago, you mentioned the view of the beach at Pixy Cove.
You remarked that you could see the cave?
Yes, it's quite hard to make out the entrance from there.
It's concealed. But you can see it, yes.
So this cave, it does indeed exist.
Miss Brewster mentioned it the other evening.
Of course it exists.
- It's over here. - Merci.
Oh Hastings, this killer could not have suffered as I do, from the mal de mer.
- Sorry? - The sickness of the sea.
- He'd need to be pretty fit, too. - It is true.
Down the ladder, cross the beach and back up again in a hurry.
That narrows it down.
Mademoiselle?
That's the entrance, there.
Right, you wait here, Miss Darnley.
- There's a cave, all right. - Good Lord!
Well, there's nothing here.
Not to see, there's nothing, Chief-Inspector, but...
...to smell.
Seaweed?
Perfume.
Hastings, you recall that in the bedroom of Arlena Stuart
there was a bottle of perfume that I smelled?
- You mean it's the same? - Oui.
There's some footprints.
Flat, no heel.
Canvas, beach shoes, or something.
And to where does these footprints lead, Chief-Inspector?
Ah, it's a dead end.
Wait a minute!
Sandwíches?
I do not think so.
This is heroín.
That changes everything, Poirot.
Drugs, that's what's at the bottom of this.
Perhaps, Chief-Inspector.
No doubt about it, if you ask me.
Why are we going to the mainland, Poirot?
What's so important to the case?
It is not important, Hastings.
It is vital.
Here you are, sir.
Voilà, Hastings.
The little grey cells, they are like the army of Napoléon.
You mean they march on their stomach?
- For you, sir. - Thank you.
You had any thoughts then, Poirot?
Oui, it is true, Chief-Inspector,
that the discovery of a large quantity of heroin
close to the place where Arlena Stuart was murdered
would indicate that this was the motive for the crime.
You said you smelled her perfume at the cave.
- Oui. - Well, there you are, then.
She went into the cave, stumbled on the heroin,
realized there was some sort of drugs ring operating on the island
someone strangled her to silence her.
Non. One question, Chief-Inspector.
The cave, it is dark and unpleasant, non?
Why did she enter? Was she indeed being blackmailed?
Also what was in the bottle that was thrown at Mademoiselle Brewster?
And how did the spectacles of Lionel Marshall come to be at the bottom of the ladder?
And yes also, I wonder what was in the book that he was reading.
It's good to see you back on form, Poirot.
One helping of spotted dick and you'll probably solve it.
Lionel Marshall, a young man staying on the island.
Let me have a look.
He borrowed a book yesterday morning.
Oh yes, of course I remember now.
I thought it was a rather strange choice,
but he said it was for a homework project.
And the name of the book, if you please, madame?
"Dangerous Chemicals and Poisons".
Excuse me.
Those two! What are they still doing here?
Well, maybe they wanna a book on bird watching.
It all begins to make sense.
What, you mean Lionel Marshall?
Well, there's obviously no love lost between him and his stepmother.
You mean he was thinking of poisoning her?
And in the end he used his bare hands.
But he's only seventeen.
Hastings, is that not Monsieur Lane?
It's been a whilst since we saw him.
He wasn't at the hotel last night.
That's a chemist shop. And he had drugs of some sort in his room.
Alors. Monsieur Lane!
- Mr. Poirot! - You have heard about the events on the island?
Yes, dreadful.
They were talking about it in the shop.
Perhaps you'll return now to the hotel?
- Yes. - We'll come with you.
I was on the mainland all day.
I wasn't anywhere near her.
I couldn't have had anything to do with it.
Why didn't you return here last night, sir?
I was having dinner with a friend,
the Bishop of Exmouth.
It was late, so he suggested I stayed the night.
And for what purpose have you come here to this island, Monsieur Lane?
I've told you.
I've been ill.
I needed a rest for my nerves.
And you're a vicar?
I was.
The church of St. Mathews, at Blackridge, in Kent.
I had to leave.
Why was that?
There was a scandal.
My wife...
you see...
...she left me.
She ran away with a member of my congregation.
She was a wicked woman.
She should be punished.
I've got a question for you, if you don't mind, Mr. Lane.
Are you, by any chance, taking some sort of drug?
I have an opiate prescribed by my doctor.
It's for my nerves. But it's perfectly legal, Chief-Inspector.
I've done nothing wrong.
An opiate. I wonder.
Did you not remark, Chief-Inspector, the village of which he spoke?
- Blackridge. - Blackridge?
Hey, wait a minute!
Alice Corrigan.
It was a murder unsolved, n'est ce-pas?
About two years ago. She was strangled too.
You think there's a link?
Well, it's a bit of a coincidence,
the Reverend comes from a place with an unsolved murder,
and now the same thing happens here.
Well, perhaps someone should ask a few more questions.
Yet another task for the inimitable Miss Lemon.
Thank you.
Miss Lemon?
Chief-Inspector.
Weston, Charles Weston. Do come this way.
So, how is Mr. Poirot?
He was meant to be having a rest.
I'd very much like to meet him.
Of course I've heard a lot about him.
There's the church of St. Mathews.
This is were the body was found.
Uh! Strangled.
Yes. She was found by a game's mistress, Jane Martindale.
She was cycling in the area.
Must have rather spoiled her holiday.
She reported it to us.
- What can you tell me about the dead girl? - Alice Corrigan?
She was twenty-seven. Engaged to be married.
She was a wealthy woman of her own right.
We think that might have been the motive.
You thought she'd been killed by her fiancé.
Edward Deverill? Oh, yes.
He inherited everything.
But the body was discovered at quarter past ten,
in the middle of the morning church service,
and he was on the London train at the time, non-stop to Blackridge.
And we had a dozen witnesses who saw him get on and get off.
It couldn't have been him.
So it was never solved.
And never will be.
Unless Mr. Poirot has some new light to shed on the matter.
I think you can expect plenty of new light, now Mr. Poirot is involved.
Chief-Inspector?
Yes, sir?
I'm Major Barry and I was wondering...
...if I might have a word with you.
About the murder?
Well, I was wondering how long you expect this investigation of yours to continue.
Well, that's hard to say, sir.
I see.
Because I...
Never mind.
- What was that? - I have no idea.
Are you ready, Captain Hastings?
Yes. Do you think this plan of Poirot is gonna work?
I hope so. He's there telling them now.
So, when are you going to allow us off the island and let us go home, Mr. Poirot?
I have already asked the Chief-Inspector Japp to open up this island once again.
- Really? - Oh yes, Monsieur Blatt.
The new guests, they are now permitted to arrive.
Good.
Well, I'm going, if you don't mind.
I've had enough of hanging around.
Have you worked it out yet?
Oh, this is a case most complicated, Mademoiselle Brewster.
But you-you must have some idea.
Et bien, mademoiselle, I am a man very simple.
I always inclined to believe that the person who is most obvious
is the one who commits the crime.
And in this case, there is indicated very clearly...
...one person.
- Who? - Ah...
But there is what you might call a snag.
Because it seems impossible for this person to have committed the crime.
- So, Poirot was right. - As usual.
Come bird watching, have we?
Don't think you'll find many birds nesting in there, will you?
What do you want?
We haven't done anything wrong, you know!
Oh, no? I suppose that depends on what's inside that box you just taken.
And I think we all know what that is, don't we?
All right, get back!
Don't be daft! You're not gonna use that.
I've got men all over this island.
- You're lying! - Shoot them.
Shoot them both and let's get out of here!
I'm a Chief-Inspector of Scotland Yard! Put that gun down!
Do it!
- Wait! - Aargh!
Are you all right?
Damn you!
Don't let him go away!
Come on you, on your feet!
I'm with Home Office.
Seconded to Scotland Yard, with Drug Enquiry.
What, you mean, you're one of us?
Why didn't someone tell me?
Sorry about that. Had to keep it under wraps.
I am sorry I tried to warn you off the way I did, Mr. Poirot.
I've been watching this place for months.
I was afraid you were gonna blow the whole operation.
It is of no matter, Major Barry.
Anyway, I've got them, that's all matters.
Your two "bird watchers".
Oh, they had a good thing going from down here.
The stuff coming in from the continent.
But how did it get here?
Oh, that Hastings, is most simple.
What do you think you're doing?
You can't treat me like this!
This is an outrage!
Oh, the game it is over, Monsieur Blatt.
Ah...
And there, Hastings, is the answer to your question.
It is Monsieur Blatt who speaks of Deauville and of Nice, but chooses to sail here.
And of course he wears the sailing shoes made of canvas.
- The footprints in the cave! - Oui, c'est ça.
The heroin, it is carried from France with the red sail
which signals to the mainland that it arrives.
- And the white sail is the "all clear". - Oui.
You have got it in one, Mr. Poirot.
Oh, we've known about this game for some time,
we just couldn't pinpoint the place of entry.
Take him away!
Wait a minute, Poirot.
Are you seriously suggesting that all this had nothing to do with the death of Arlena Stuart?
So it would now appear.
But you said she went into the cave. You smelled her perfume.
That is indeed what I thought, Chief-Inspector.
But then the question becomes, why did Arlena Stuart enter the cave?
Well, perhaps she was hiding from someone.
Hastings, once again, you arrived at an explanation which makes everything clear!
Not to me, it doesn't.
You mean she was afraid of someone?
I mean, Hastings, that there is evil on this island.
And the murder that took place here was the work of a mind that was brilliant.
But there was one thing that the killer did not expect.
The mind of Hercule Poirot.
Et bien, now is the time for these two minds to meet
and the truth at last must come to light.
I congratulate you, Miss Lemon. You have achieved a great success.
So you think that the deaths of Arlena Stuart and this Alice Corrigan
are definitely linked?
Of that I am sure, Chief-Inspector.
Both women were young, both strangled,
one with a fiancé, the other a husband who could not have possibly committed the crime.
Edward Deverill, because he was on a train,
Kenneth Marshall, because he was typing letters in his room.
Oui, c'est ça.
Everyone's gathering in the dining room, Poirot.
Bon.
Now the time, it has come.
So...
...let us go.
Mesdames et messieurs,
we have all come here to this hotel for the reasons of health, exercise, for the holiday...
... and for murder.
I myself, was here on account of an illness,
but it was not my body that was put to exercise, non,
it was the little grey cells.
How was this crime,
so seemingly impossible, in fact committed?
And who among us, is responsible for the death of Arlena Stuart?
- Do you know? - Oui! Bien sûr, mademoiselle.
Hercule Poirot, he knows all.
La pauvre Arlena...
To Monsieur Lane, as he watched her swimming on the beach,
she was the focus of evil, huh?
Of evil under the sun.
We don't have to be of the Church to recognise evil, Mr. Poirot.
I see it there.
I recognise it.
It's real.
But, to my mind,
the evil was connected with Arlena Stuart in a different way.
I saw her first, last, and all of the time, as a victim
eternal and predestined.
You mean she was being blackmailed.
Of that I am not so sure, Chief-Inspector.
- But I heard her on the telephone. - Non, non, non, madame.
You heard only one side of the conversation.
Hastings, do you not recall the telegram that we discovered in the bedroom of Arlena Stuart?
Yes, it was from someone called Nathan.
I say, it's a telegram to Arlena, from New York.
- Dated three days ago. - Go on.
"Send the money now or you will lose a great deal. Nathan."
To the Chief-Inspector Japp, this man Nathan, seemed to be threatening her.
But to me, he wrote simply a statement of fact.
What do you mean?
He was an American, Chief-Inspector,
speaking of a great deal, a great business deal.
No, it is my belief that he wanted the money of Arlena Stuart simply to invest.
You mean he wasn't blackmailing her?
We saw them once, Hastings.
They were together dancing.
Yet you will not dance with a man that threatens to destroy your life.
Nathan Lloyd!
Monsieur Marshall?
You're right.
He's a New York stockbroker, although not a very reputable one.
Oui, c'est ça.
So this was simply a case of man who was young, who was, how do you say,
opportunistic, who saw Arlena Stuart exactly for what she was,
a target,
and a very easy one.
Oh, she'd inherited all that money from Sir Roger Erskine.
And now it's all gone, every penny of it.
That's what the bank manager told me.
So you're saying she sent it all to this chap in New York?
No, I said that this was a weakness in her that was fatal.
That she was attracted always to men who took of her only the advantage.
We were happy together!
Monsieur Marshall, you are a man most gallant, n'est-ce pas?
But for you, life with her must have been a torture.
Also, I believe, for your son.
I didn't like her, but I never made any secret of it.
It was also your spectacles that were discovered beside the ladder at Pixy Cove.
At the time of her death, you were alone.
- I was swimming with Mrs. Redfern! - At a quarter to twelve, yes.
We have only your word for it that that was indeed the time.
Madame Redfern could not see the watch.
Suppose it was only half-past eleven, hmm?
That would have given you sufficient time,
after she had departed for her tennis,
- to run to the ladder, climb down... - No!
Leave him alone, damn you! He's only a boy.
You, Monsieur Marshall, you have no alibi for the time that your wife was killed?
I told you, I was typing.
You were heard to type, yes, but you were never seen.
From the very start it was my belief
that one person alone must be responsible for this crime.
And each person here in this room
wished the death of Arlena Stuart.
- I didn't! - Yes, you did.
She was the person who stood between you and Monsieur Marshall.
The son also, who studies poisons,
- wished to see his father set free. - I never went near her!
Mademoiselle Brewster lost a great deal of money because of her.
And you, Madame Redfern, believed that you were in danger of losing your husband.
Yes, but I didn't, I mean, but I couldn't!
I had no reason to kill her.
Monsieur Lane...
To you, she was a woman of evil, just as your wife.
- And you also wished to see her punished... - No!
So, who was it then, Poirot?
It was the person who she went to meet that day on the beach, at Pixy Cove.
I thought I'd take a cruise round to Pixy Cove.
- But please, don't tell anyone that. - Madame?
Well, everyone here just has to follow me around.
And for once, I want to be alone.
Both Hastings and I saw quite clearly...
- She was on her way to an assignation. - Oui.
And an assignation with you...
... Monsieur Redfern.
- No! - Oh, yes.
I knew you for what you were from the moment I first saw you.
A wastrel, cheating and defrauding women of wealth.
Like Nathan Lloyd and all the other young men who were drawn to her.
She was your prey!
To hell with you! You got it all wrong!
Well, can't be Redfern. He was the one who discovered her.
Seemingly so, yes, Chief-Inspector.
But what if the body that was discovered by Monsieur Redfern on the beach, that day,
was not, in fact, Arlena Stuart?
Oh, but it was, Mr. Poirot. I saw her myself.
Non, Mademoiselle Brewster, you saw what you were meant to see.
And I will tell to you all how it was, a crime of the most ingenious.
At half-past nine, Christine Redfern makes the arrangement to go swimming with Lionel Marshall.
- Were have you been? - I went to the mainland.
She sees the book.
So I see.
She knows of his dislike of his stepmother,
and it is not hard to see what is going on in his mind.
- ...come with me. - Where?
You can have a swim.
And that was a bonus that was unexpected.
All right.
I'll meet you here in an hour from now. Ten-thirty.
So the plan that was pre-prepared is now set into motion,
and the timing, it must be precise.
First...
...Madame Redfern returns to her room...
...and applies to her skin that is pale some make-up which is dark.
She will now appear to have the sun tan.
First, she must dispose of the evidence
which will be lost in the undergrowth, outside of the hotel.
But it was a mistake to throw the bottle out of the window,
because there happens to be walking close to the hotel, at that time,
Mademoiselle Brewster, who sees the bottle fall.
It was a remnant of this bottle that I found, containing some liquid that was brown.
You see?
And now, Christine Redfern can keep her appointment with Lionel Marshall.
She leaves the hotel wearing the beach clothes that are vey loose fitting
and which completely cover the make-up she has put on.
- Morning. - Morning.
Have you seen er...
- I'm sorry? - It doesn't matter.
At the same time, Monsieur Patrick Redfern suggests to me
that he does not know the whereabouts of Arlena Stuart.
And so to Gull Cove.
While Lionel Marshall swims in the sea,
it is simple for Madame Redfern to steal his spectacles
and to alter the time on his watch.
- How is it? - It's warm.
Do you have the time?
It's a quarter to.
But is was not quarter to twelve.
No.
It was no more than half-past eleven.
You told me so, non?
You thought you would be late for a program that you wished to hear on the wireless.
That's right.
But in fact, it was only a little past twelve when I got back.
But now, Madame Redfern, she has much to do
and has gained herself additional time with which to do it.
First, she returns the watch to the time that is correct.
This is unlikely to be noticed by Lionel Marshall, which is indeed the case.
Then, she runs across the island to Pixy Cove,
which, of course, requires great speed and stamina.
Hastings, you will recall that she told to us of her former occupation.
- Well, she said she was a teacher. - Oui.
But what if she was a teacher of the Physical Education?
Someone for whom such exercise and exertion would be easy?
She arrives at the ladder above Pixy Cove.
Patrick? Are you there?
And is careful to ensure that Arlena Stuart sees her.
However, Arlena had made a secret rendezvous with Patrick Redfern
and his wife is the last person she wishes to see.
But Arlena Stuart and Patrick Redfern, they had made a plan.
If Madame Redfern should happen to appear, she would hide in the cave.
The mouth of this cave it is very narrow,
it has no view of the entrance to the cove
or that part of the beach where Madame Redfern is changing,
hidden by the rocks.
And so everything is prepared for the next stage of the plan.
The timing, it has to be perfect.
Patrick Redfern had already begun his tour of the island with Mademoiselle Brewster.
Oh look, there's someone on Pixy Cove.
Looks like Mrs. Marshall.
And so to the discovery of the body.
With the hair that is false, the chinese hat
and the make-up that is brown, she will resemble very much Arlena Stuart.
She's dead!
She's been strangled! She's dead!
Are you sure?
No pulse. She's not breathing.
- We have to get the Police. - You're not to touch anything.
Oh, no, no, no. One of us has to stay here with the body.
He chose you, Mademoiselle Brewster, to go with him in the boat
because he knew that, like the rest of us, you would not wish to climb the ladder.
It was essential that you should return in the boat.
I could have sworn it was her. I really thought it was Arlena!
Yes.
But even so, it was you who told to me later that you detected a certain paleness beneath the tan.
- It was because the tan was fake! - Oui.
And you departed with great haste to find help,
leaving, as you thought, Patrick Redfern alone with the body.
She's gone.
As soon as you were out of sight,
Monsieur et Madame Redfern were able to put into action the next part of their plan.
Christine Redfern now returns to the ladder.
She drops there the spectacles that she has stolen from Lionel Marshall.
She knows that he has been contemplating murder,
and that he will be implicated.
Et bien, to the rest of the world, Arlena Stuart is already dead,
and both Monsieur et Madame Redfern have the alibis that are beyond dispute.
But, for Arlena Stuart, her death, it is still to come.
Arlena? Darling? I'm here.
Did she go? Christine was here.
I did what you told me and hid in the cave.
Forget Christine.
The beautiful Arlena.
She was an actress most accomplished, but a woman most susceptible.
Men preyed on her for her money.
Men like the American, Monsieur Nathan Lloyd,
but it was Monsieur Patrick Redfern who tempted her most of all.
Who better to suggest a scheme of investment for her money
than a journalist who works on the city pages of a newspaper?
And so she gives to him all of her money to invest.
But, of course, there was no such scheme.
And from that moment, her fate, it was sealed.
He takes the money, and then he kills her.
Oui, c'est ça, Chief-Inspector.
And, from now, the rest, it is very simple.
Christine Redfern returns to the hotel.
With great haste, she takes off her outer clothing,
and there now needs only to be removed from her body, the make-up that is brown.
So, she must take a bath.
And it is this that is heard by the maid as she performs her duties.
It is now 12:00 mid-day.
And every single task has now been accomplished.
And neither Monsieur or Madame Redfern could possibly have committed the murder.
- Hello. I'm not late, am I? - No, exactly on time.
Mr. Poirot! Mr. Poirot!
It's Arlena Stuart.
She's dead.
Well...
that's the most devilish thing I've ever heard.
Yes Chief-Inspector, it was indeed unique, uh?
For the murder, it was committed after the time of her death.
But this was not the first occasion that they had effected such a scheme.
- The Alice Corrigan affair. - Yes, Miss Lemon.
Another woman who was young murdered for her money.
But this time, by a fiancé who could not possibly have been there.
- And who was it that discovered the body? - The game's mistress.
Absolument.
Again, a teacher of the Physical Education.
At that time,
Christine Redfern called herself Jane Martindale.
And it was she, who at a quarter-past ten, discovered the body
that could not possibly have been there.
The true killer,
who called himself Edward Deverill,
arrives on a London train at only twenty-past ten
and hurries to a meeting that he has arranged with his fiancée.
Again, the timing, it has been parfait.
For Alice Corrigan is strangled after her body has supposedly been found.
Strangled by you, Monsieur Redfern!
My God!
Alors, Jane Martindale, Edward Deverill,
Monsieur et Madame Redfern,
a couple who preyed on women who are young and wealthy.
Monsieur Lane,
I know that you have not been well,
you have suffered from the nerves most bad,
but perhaps, the evil that you saw that day on the beach
it was the same evil that you glimpsed in the court room, two years before.
This inquest, therefore returns a verdict of murder by person or persons unknown.
Yes.
He looks different now.
But it was him.
Très bien, Monsieur Poirot.
Monsieur.
You damned, interfering ...
... lousy little worm!
Patrick!
The face of evil...
... it remains always the same.
So much for your rest cure, Mr. Poirot.
Yes, perhaps you should take up running, Poirot, or what about tennis.
Obesity's today's number one killer, I'm told.
Non, non, non, Hastings.
The diagnosis of the hospital was at fault.
My tailor tells to me that I am a fine figure of a man.
And you truly believe your tailor than a medically qualified doctor?
Maîs certaînement.
The remedies of my tailor are painful only to my bank account.
But, to celebrate the return to health of Poirot,
may I suggest a little meal together most convivial.
Oh, splendid. We can all go to El Ranchero.
- I'm afraid not, Captain Hastings. - What?
I'm sorry, Poirot, I know you didn't want me to tell Captain Hastings yet, but...
Tell me what?
Well, Poirot's little problem was food poisoning.
I don't understand.
This was not the first case associated with El Ranchero, Hastings.
It was the 14th.
No!
The Ministry of Health have closed it down.
What rot!
How do you know about this, anyway?
I've asked the Yard to post an armed guard around the kitchen area.
- What? - Er, just while they do some more tests.
But I've got a fortune tied up in that place!
Come, come, come, Hastings, what is done, is done.
And what is underdone, is underdone.
Oh no...
But to help you with your losses,
I will treat us all to my favorite little Belgium bistro just around the corner.
And I am pleased to say they have never known to serve l'eau d'ortie.
What?
L'eau d'ortie, Chief-Inspector.
The water of the nettle.