And then There Were None Summary of Chapters 9-12

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Chapter 9

Lombard is convinced that the two deaths on the island are coincidences, but Dr. Armstrong thinks that Marston’s death was not suicide. Blore thinks that perhaps something that Dr. Armstrong gave to Mrs. Rogers is to blame for her death. He accuses Dr. Armstrong of giving her too much of medicine. Armstrong strongly denies it. Lombard becomes mad with Blore, and Blore confronts him about the reason for bringing a pistol to the Island. Lombard tells them that he expected to run into trouble while on the Island and then he he tells the story about how the Jewboy, Mr. Morris, had convinced him to come to the island. Lombard tells them that he knows now it was all a trap.

Mr. Rogers makes a lunch of tongue and boiled potatoes for the guests, and they all enter the dining room. Emily Brent says that the General is not here yet. Dr. Armstrong volunteers to go and get him, and he leaves the room. There were guests of wind, and Miss Brent says that a storm is coming soon. Then, Armstrong comes back and tells them that General Macarthur is dead. They come back to the table and see that there are only seven Indians left.

Armstrong looks over the body and tells them that he had been killed by a blunt trauma to the back of the head. He tells them that he thinks that the deaths are acts of murder and that Mr. Owen has brought them all to this island in order to kill them. He tells them that he is sure Mr. Owen is on the island and that, in fact, Mr. Owen is one of the guests. The judge begins to go over all the evidence with all of them. He tries to find the killers. Then they all decide that even though Armstrong and Wargrave are good men, and Rogers is just a butler who would have had to kill his wife, there is no way to completely find if any of them are the killer. Mr. Justice Wargrave says, «There is no way to find the score of character, position, or probability».

Wargrave tells them that no one can be eliminated from doing the death of Anthony Marston since a poison had killed him. He says that Mr. Rogers and Dr. Armstrong are the likely suspects in the death of Mrs. Rogers, but many of the other guests could have had the chance to make a perfect amount of poison. Blore wants to know where this all leads. Wargrave talks more on the death of General Macarthur and thinks that Lombard, Armstrong, Blore, and Vera Claythorne all had the chance to kill Macarthur but that each guest had had moments when they were not sure about the others. Wargrave warns them to be more careful and to suspect every one of them.

Chapter 10

Lombard talked about if they believe everything that Wargrave said. Lombard said he did not know what to think, but he was sure he was the murder. They both think that it is a dream. Lombard tells says that he does not think that Vera is the murderer, but Vera is not as sure that Lombard is the murderer too. She tells to him that he does not seem to kill someone. He reminds her that if he were to kill one of the others, it would only be for what he could get out of it. Lombard thinks that Wargrave might be the murderer since he’s played God Almighty for a long time and this fact must go to someone's head soon. Vera says that she thinks it is Dr. Armstrong since two of the deaths were by poison. Lombard says that Armstrong probably would not have had time to kill Macarthur in short time he was alone. Vera tells him that he had the chance when he went down to call the General to lunch.

At the house, Rogers and Blore talk about who they think might be the murderer. Blore says that the person he thinks it is a “very cool customer.” In another room, Dr. Armstrong is going crazy and crying that they must leave the island. Wargrave tells him that in this weather, it is likely that a boat would come or leave the island. Armstrong thinks that Wargrave is probably much more crazy than anyone knows. Wargrave says that, though he does not have proof, that there is one person he thinks is cost likely the killer. Armstrong says that he is confused.

In her room, Miss Brent takes out a small diary and begins to write the events of the day. She notes that Wargrave thinks the murderer is one of the island’s visitors, and that means that one of them is the killer. She sits with her eyes closed for a moment and then, writes The killer is Beatrice. She looks down at what she has written and cannot believe it came from her.

All the guests gather in the drawing room for tea. They close the curtains and turn on a light. Suddenly, Rogers comes in and asks if anyone has taken the bathroom curtain. None of them can understand why anyone would take it. Fear comes over them once again. All the guests eat dinner, and Miss Brent and Vera Claythorne go to their bedrooms. All the men hear the sound of the bolts being locked on their doors. The men go an hour later, and Wargrave tells them to lock their doors. Rogers goes back downstairs and has a thought he locks the dining room door so that no one has the opportunity to sneak in and take another of the Indians.

Chapter 11

Lombard wakes up and hears the wind from outside. He goes back to sleep before finally waking up at nine thirty. Thinking that things are weird, he knocks on Blore’s door and wakes him up. They then go to each room and wake the others, except for Miss Brent who cannot be found. They all think it is odd that Rogers has not brought them tea. Then they started to search the house. Miss Brent joins them. She had been walking around outside in the storm, something they all tell her was foolish. Vera then sees that on the dining room table, another of the Indian is missing.

They soon find Rogers in the shed, and he is dead. A large ax leans against the wall with blood on it. Rogers had been hit over the head with it. Armstrong says that he thinks that it would not have taken a strong person to do the fatal blow. Blore finds no fingerprints on the ax. They all hear laughter in the yard and see Vera Claythorne standing there, laughing and asking if there are any bees on the Island. She explains that the murders are going in order of the children’s rhyme. The last line had been, “Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks.” The next line is, “Six little Indian boys playing with a hive.” Dr. Armstrong calms Vera and sends her and Miss Brent into the house to begin preparing breakfast.

Blore pulls Lombard aside and gives him his take on the situation. Blore remembers a case of murder by ax some time ago, an unsolved crime because it seemed too incredible that a housewife could have committed such a killing. This makes Blore believe that it is Miss Brent and her religious that must be the culprit. He reminds Lombard that Miss Brent had been out wandering the island when Rogers was murdered. Lombard and Blore both agree that they do not think the other of the crimes. Blore opens up and tells Lombard that, indeed, he had been responsible for that the man named Landor away to prison where he had died. He did it on a bribe from a crime organization. Lombard promises not to tell. He then tells Blore that he is a target for U.N. Owen because he has not a criminal. Lombard declares that he has his own craziness and plans to get off this island.

In the kitchen, Vera begins to feel bad because she became so hysterical. This brings a memory from her day with Cyril. She tries to calm herself, telling herself that Cyril had drowned long before she had been able to reach the rock where he swam. However, because she knows that Hugo, her true love, knew just from looking at her that she had been there for the death. Vera goes to Miss Brent and talks about how calm she is. She asks her if she is afraid and says, “Don’t you mind dying?” The word shocks Miss Brent, because she had not thought of this before. She thinks, the others would die, but not Emily Brent. At breakfast, everyone is there, but each is thinking about who the murderer could be and who would be the next to die.

Chapter 12

When the breakfast is over, they clear the table and wash up. Miss Brent says that she would help, but that she is feeling good. Dr. Armstrong tells her it is everyone in the kitchen. As Miss Brent sits in the dining room, she begins to feel dizzy and to have a quiet buzzing in her ears, like a bee. She thinks it is somebody in the room, but she cannot turn around and scream. She feels a pinch like a bee sting on the side of her neck.

Everyone waits for Miss Brent in the room. Blore speaks up and tells everyone that it is Miss Brent, because of her religious mania. He reminds them that she would not explain herself from the last time. Vera Claythorne tells them that she had confided in her and then tells her the story. Mr. Justice Wargrave observes that it is a reasonable story. They walk into the dining room, looking for Miss Brent, and find her sitting up straight, her face is covered with blood, with blue lips and dead eyes.

Armstrong sees the mark on the side of her neck and declares that someone had injected her with poison from a syringe. In the window, a bee is trapped inside and trying to escape the room. Lombard tells them that this is the killer’s “touch of local color!” Wargrave asks if anyone brought a hypodermic needle, and Armstrong admits that he always travels with one. The entire party moves upstairs and discovers that the needle is missing.

Armstrong insists that someone must have taken the needle, and the judge tells them that one of them must be the murderer. Wargrave suggests that all medicines and Lombard collected it and safely put it away. They all go to Lombard’s room to fetch his collected item and are shocked when he opens a drawer, and it is not there. Each guest submits to a search of his or her person. They are searched except for Miss Claythorne and are searched for any weapon. Mr. Justice Wargrave then takes the collected drugs and medicines into a small case, which he then puts into a cabinet. He locks both and gives the key to the case to Lombard and the key to the cabinet to Blore, reasoning that since they are the strongest physically, one would be able to stop the other from obtaining the other key if one is the murderer. They then decide to search for the revolver, but Blore tells them that he thinks he knows where the syringe might be. He goes into the dining room and finds another broken Indian figure. The syringe is next to it. They search the house for the revolver, but find nothing.

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