And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie
Contributed by Sharon Fleming
Chapter 8-9
Summary

Mr. Blore, Mr. Lombard, and Dr. Armstrong have decided the best way to find out if anyone else is on the island is to search it. They search every section of the island, which is an easy task, because the island has a sheer drop on the north-west side and the rest of the island is almost devoid of trees. The men decide to be totally sure of no one being on the island, one of them should repel down the cliff. The cliff might conceal a cave, in which a person could hide from the others on the island.

The three men also discuss the events of the previous evening. Philip Lombard feels it is possible cyanide could have been slipped into Anthony Marston’s drink. He noticed Anthony had set his drink down on a table near an open window, and someone could have slipped the cyanide into the drink through the opening.

The men, on their search of the island, approach General Macarthur and try to have a few words with him, but the old man tells them to leave him alone, because there is so little time left. The men come away from him wondering if he has cracked from the strain of the recent events on the island. Dr. Armstrong wonders if the General is mad enough to have committed the murders. Mr. Blore and Dr. Armstrong also wonder why Philip Lombard has brought a gun to the island.

General Macarthur tells Vera Claythorne he is guilty of ordering Arthur Richmond to his death. He tells her he did not regret sending Arthur to his death when it happened, but now after his wife’s death, he sees life differently. He is actually looking forward to his own death, because it will be a relief to not have to carry the guilt of his actions anymore. He tells Vera she too will be glad when her own death comes, for the same reasons as he has. Vera is shocked by his words and his acknowledgment that he knows what she has done.

During this time the three men have searched the outbuildings and are now searching the house for any signs of another person living there. So far they have not found anything, but they hear footsteps in the servants’ quarters. They have just seen Mr. Rogers walking to the terrace with some drinks, so they are certain no one besides themselves are in the house. They rush into the servants’ room, only to find Mr. Rogers there packing up his things. He explains he is moving into another of the bedrooms, as his wife’s body is still in this room.

The search of the house is complete and nothing of value to the investigation is discovered. Mr. Blore has stuck to his assertion that Dr. Armstrong might have accidently given Mrs. Rogers an overdose of the sedative the previous evening. Dr. Armstrong vehemently defends himself, because he is sure he did not give her an overdose. The conversation turns to Philip Lombard and the gun he has brought with him to the island. Blore and Armstrong want to know why he has the gun with him. He finally confesses he is known to be someone who could be of use if a person was put in a tight spot. He was not told what the Owens thought would happen, but since he needed the money he accepted the job. He sees now it was all a rouse to bring him to the island.

The lunch gong sounds and the guests assemble in the dining room, all but General Macarthur. Dr. Armstrong finds the General dead in his chair, sitting by the sea. The General has been killed by someone who hit him in the head with a life preserver or something similar to it. Mr. Justice Wargrave takes the opportunity to once again take charge of the group. He tells them the murderer is not someone who is hiding on the island, but instead it is one of them. He determines the only way to find out who the murderer is is to use cold hard facts. They each need to establish an irrefutable alibi for themselves at the time of each murder.

Vera Claythorne is beside herself from the stress and anxiety of the situation, which makes the Judge even more impatient with her than usual. The others while upset manage to express themselves in a coherent manner. They each give an accounting of their whereabouts during each of the murders, unfortunately, none of them have an ironclad alibi for any of the murders. Even Mr. Justice Wargrave does not have an alibi for the time of the murders. Justice Wargrave leaves the group with the admonition to constantly be on their guard, because none of them know which one is an insane murderer.

The men and women of Indian Island are being murdered one by one, each in a different manner. As each person falls victim to the murderer, a figurine on the dining room table disappears. The group has come to the conclusion the murderer must be one of them and since they do not know who it is, then all of them are suspects. This leads to distrust and anxiety amongst those who are left on the island. It does not help the situation to not know when or if the boat will return to the island. The fear of being killed weighs heavily on the shoulders of those who remain on the island.

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