And Then There Were None

Lombard, Blore, and Dr. Armstrong discuss their theories on who might be behind Anthony Marston and Mrs. Rogers’s death. Before beginning their search of the island, Blore asks if any of them have a revolver. He is immediately suspicious of Lombard when he admits that he is carrying one.

The three men search the island for a possible hidden assassin. They pass by General Macarthur who is still sitting on the shore, staring off into the distance as if in a trance. The General tells them that there is little time, and he does not want to be disturbed. Blore and Lombard conclude that General Macarthur has lost his mind.

It becomes clear after the men do a thorough search of the island that there is nowhere for anyone to hide.

Meanwhile, Vera has been avoiding Emily Brent all morning. She is appalled at Emily Brent’s lack of remorse for her role in Beatrice Taylor’s death. Vera takes a walk on the shore where she sees General Macarthur, still sitting alone peacefully watching the sea. General Macarthur gently informs her that he is waiting for the end and that no one is going to leave the island. He tells her that she is young, so she can’t understand the relief that death provides. General Macarthur confesses to Vera that he sent Richmond to his death, but only because he loved his wife so much.

Dr. Armstrong asks Blore if he thinks that General Macarthur could be behind the murders since they are looking for someone with a possible mental health condition. Blore agrees that General Macarthur seems to fit the profile, but he doubts that he is a killer. Blore suspects Lombard may be their culprit because he brought a gun to the island with him.

The only thing left to search is the house, but they are unsuccessful. Lombard suggests to Blore and Dr. Armstrong that Mr. Rogers may be the one behind the attacks. They hear someone moving around upstairs in Mrs. Rogers’s bedroom where her body is, but it only turns out to be Mr. Rogers who is collecting his things so he can stay in another room. Blore, Dr. Armstrong, and Lombard conclude that after an exhaustive, unsuccessful search, there is no one else on the island but the eight of them.

Blore accuses Dr. Armstrong of accidentally administering Mrs. Rogers the wrong dosage of medicine, which in turn could have led to her death. Blore demands that Lombard explain why he brought a revolver to the island knowing it was only supposed to be a social visit. Lombard admits that he brought the gun because he suspected there may be trouble. He confesses that a boy named Morris offered him 100 guineas to come to the island to keep an eye out for something. He now recognizes that Mr. Owen threw in the 100 guineas to lure him to the island like the rest of them.

The guests gather in the dining room for lunch. Dr. Armstrong goes to fetch General Macarthur who is still sitting by the shore. Dr. Armstrong returns, however, and reports that General Macarthur is dead. A storm breaks out just as Blore and Dr. Armstrong bring in General Macarthur’s corpse. Vera and Mr. Rogers notice that there are now seven soldier figurines on the dining room table.

After laying General Macarthur‘s body in his room, the remaining seven members of the party gather in the drawing room where Justice Wargrave takes control of the situation. He asks Dr. Armstrong to confirm the cause of General Macarthur‘s death. A shaken Dr. Armstrong informs the group that General Macarthur‘s death was caused by a blow to the back of his head. Justice Wargrave concludes that the murderer, the mysterious Mr. Owen, must be one of them. Dr. Armstrong objects that it can’t be him because he is a professional man, which leads to a debate about whether professional men are capable of murderous acts. A similar debate breaks out about whether women are capable of murder, such as Vera or Emily Brent.

Justice Wargrave leads a group discussion in which they each try to provide an alibi for where they were during the time of Mrs. Rogers and General Macarthur’s murder. No one can definitively prove they were not behind the murders, and they conclude that they have no other choice but to proceed with extreme caution because the killer could be any one of them.

In the living room, Vera and Lombard share their theories about who is behind the murders. Lombard says that Vera strikes him as one of the sanest women he’s ever met, so he doesn’t think she could be the murderer. Vera says that even though Lombard has admitted to not holding human life as sacred after he abandoned people to die, she still can’t see him being the murderer either. Lombard confides in Vera that he thinks the murderer is Justice Wargrave. Vera places her bet on Dr. Armstrong.

Elsewhere in the house, Blore and Mr. Rogers consult one another. Blore admits that he has an idea of who Mr. Owen might be, but he doesn’t name the person in question. Mr. Rogers has no idea.

Dr. Armstrong is in a panic, insisting to Justice Wargrave that they all must find a way off this island. Justice Wargrave is confident in their ability to protect themselves. Justice Wargrave confides in Dr. Armstrong that even though he does not have all the necessary evidence, there is one person whom he clearly views as guilty.

In her bedroom, Emily Brent writes about General Macarthur’s death. She writes that everyone believes the murderer is one of them, but she is the only one who knows the truth. Her eyes become drowsy as if in a trance as she writes: The murderer’s name is Beatrice Taylor. She jerks awake and is shocked and confused at what she has written.

Later that evening, the guests gather in the living room for tea. The storm is still raging outside. Mr. Rogers enters and asks if anyone knows what has become of the scarlet oilsilk bathroom curtain that has disappeared. No one knows where it has gone, which makes everyone more uneasy.

The women rise for bed, going upstairs to their respective bedrooms and locking their doors. An hour later, the gentlemen follow. After he watches all four gentlemen lock their doors to their bedrooms, Mr. Rogers gets the idea to lock away the china figurines so Mr. Owen can’t play any tricks on them tonight.