Marple Bk2: Thirteen problems (11/13)

The Herb of death (Mrs Bantry's account)

Victims: A girl, from Toomie's family, died of ptomaine poisoning- a type of food poisoning while eating on the same table with her family. The rest of the Toomie family members fell ill after Mrs MacArthur sending some herbs to Mrs Toomie for cook.

Was the dead girl targeted to die while the others were to be kept alive?
Sir Ambrace was older and weaker than the girl. The poison in the food should have killed Sir Ambrace before her. Was Sir Ambrace the target, but the unfortunate girl died in his place?

Suspects:
1) Mrs MacArthur
2) Mrs Toomie
3) Sir Ambrose
4) Syliva-> her daily job is to pluck the leaves for cooking.
5) Jerry-> absence when the poisoning took place.

Leads-> Sir Ambrose was sticking against Sylvia's marriage with Jerry Lorimer.
-> Sir Ambrose was believed to be suffering from heart pain.
-> The poison was caused by foxglove- digital leaves which acts on the heart. However it is a valuable drugs for heart trouble.

Marple Bk 2: Thirteen problems (10/13)

A Christmas Tragedy (Miss Marple's account)

Death=> 1. Hall porter-> die of bronchitis's & pneumonia.
2. Housemaid-> had an infection on her septic finger and died in 24 hrs.
3. Mrs Sanders found dead on the floor in a room, facing downward dead.

Was it accident? Mr Sanders lost his balance, fell down against his wife, sending her head first down the stairs. Fortunately, a strongman caught her.

Suspects:
Mr Sanders-> came to the room with Marple's group of ladies to the room and discovered that her wife was dead.
=> could not have possibly killed his wife
-> Mrs Sanders left after playing bridge at 6.15pm. She should reach home at 6.30pm.
-> Mr Sanders went out from 5.30pm and shopped till 6.45pm with Hitchcock and Spender. Later he met Miss Marple's group of ladies and was with them all the way.

Gladys-> Her hat was found on the floor.

Lead-> Pearls below the brim of the hat.
-> Jewel case was rifled
-> Hat cupboard which was in the scene of crime, was locked and no one could have hidden inside.
-> Mrs Sanders' hand was icy cold.

Marple Bk 2: Thirteen problem (9/13)

The Four Suspects (Sir Henry's account)

A story of (undiscovered crimes Vs unsolved crimes)

Victim - Dr Rosen was in secret service. He lived in isolated place with 4 family members. He fell down the stairs and died. The cause of the fall was unknown.

What the suspects were doing when the murder was committed?:
1) Greta, niece -> planting bulb
2) Charles Templeton, secretary -> went out for a walk
3) Gertrud, old German Servant with 40yrs of service-> in kitchen and heard nothing of anyone falling down the stairs.
4) Dobbs, gardener & handyman ->in plotting shed.

Mystery: Dr Rosen expected that someone will try to kill him. There must have been message from outside to instigate murder in the house. There are letters being delivered to the house. One letter was mailed in recently and had no recipient name on it. It is highly suspected to be the letter to instigate the murder of Dr Rosen, by pushing him off the stairs.

Suspects for the ownership of the letter:
#1) For Gerturd (above all suspicion)
#2) For Mr Templeton
#3) Dr Rosen, himself

Leads -> The letter has a word; (Honesty)
Greta pleaded to Sir Henry that Charles is not the murderer. The word; (Honesty) may have something to do with the gardening catalogue.

Marple's Anology -> Annie Poultny with 50yrs faithful service to Miss Lamb was suspected of making away with Miss Lamb's will. However, nothing can be proven. In the end, the letter of will was found safely in a secret drawer.

(It isn't really guilt that is important- it's the innocence.)

Marple Bk 2: Thirteen problem (8/13)

The Companion (Dr Lloyrd's account)

Mystery: Two good friends, Amy & Mary Barton came to an island for holiday. Amy was drowning when she was swimming in the sea. Mary saw it and swam to her and tried to save her, but failed to save her. After Amy was being pulled back to the shore, Dr Lloyrd attended to her while Mary left because she was grief stricken. It was too late for Dr Lloyrd to do anything to save Amy. Mary was remorseful, left a suicide note and committed suicide by drowning herself in the sea. Her body was never found.

Did Amy die of natural death in the sea?
Amy was an orphan at early age. She was brought up by an uncle. She is poor but she met Mary who is rich. Mary hired her as an employee for her company and Amy became a close friend and a companion to Mary whom has traveled many places with Mary. Mary could not have possibly gained anything from the death of Amy.

Curious:
1) The companionship between Amy and Mary was supposed to be very strong. However, Dr Lloyrd sensed that they did not have much attachment between them.
2) Mary had asked Dr Lloyrd before if taking the laws into one's own hand ever justified, even when the law is powerless.
3) How could Mary's body never to be recovered after drowning herself in the sea?

Leads:
1) The clothes left behind on the shore suggesting the place Mary had committed suicide.
2) Mary's asset and estate goes to a family of cousin in Australia.
3) Dr Lloyrd had met the girls when they first came onto the island. Dr Lloyrd recognised them by the size of the swimming costumes.

Marple's analogy: Old Mrs Trout drew old age pension. Some families were very poor, having an old age pension would help their children alot. Her children started to die one by one. Old Mrs Trout was good at red herring. She was cheerful and unrepentant up to the last.

Marple Bk2: Thirteen problems (7/13)

Blue Geranium

Mystery: There was a premonition of the death.
One can see future through the heavily scented paper.
Blue Holyhock signifies danger.
Blue geranium signifies death.
Murdered?=> George's wife, fell sick and then died.

Suspects:
1) George
2) Nurse Copling
3) Zarida, fortune teller- noone had heard of her but she appeared out of a blue and then vanished.

Curious-> Pink and red Hollylocks were left in the locked room.
They seem to turn blue on its own.

Marple Bk2: Thirteen problems (6/13)

Thumb Mark of ST Peter (Miss Maple)

Mystery=> Mabel's husband, Geoffrey Denman could be dead due to poisoning. There was rumor spreading in the village saying that Mabel killed Denman.

Murdered: Denman-> He was hard to speak and died shortly after the Doctor came. Before death, he had mentioned 'Heap of Fish'. Forsentic re-examined the body and found no arsenic or any poison that can kill him. Vegetable alkaloid can possibly kill him without leaving traces.

Suspects:

1) Mabel-> (Mabel's account): She bought the arsenic and wanted to use it to commit suicide. But she gave up that idea and threw the arsenic away. She had been tired living with Denman.

2) Borothy (Maid)
3) Mr, Mrs Old Denman-> Mr old Denman had both mind and eyesight failing.

Lead=> Geoffrey Denman was a chemist.

Marple Bk2: Thirteen problems (5/13)

Motive V Opportunity (Mr Petherick, a lawyer's account)

Mystery : The will of late Simon which was kept in an envelope went missing. Simon had the will drafted in pencil, put it in the envelope and passed it to Mr Petherick. But, Mr Petherick found the envelope empty after the death of Simon in his office.

The original will in ink:
5000pounds to each niece
The rest to Mrs Eurydice Spragg.

Suspects:
1) Emma Graut (maid)
She took a fountain pen from another drawer to pass to Simon to write the will.
When she handed Mr Pentherick the letter, it slipped and fell onto the floor. But Mr Petherick could swear that he saw Emma picking up the letter and passing it into his hands and no trick could have been made.

2)Mrs Spragg (Simon's Admiral)
She was kneeling next to Mr Pentrherick's overcoat which contains the letter when the rest entered the room. She stood up with a red face. She had more than enough time to take out the will from the letter.

3)Mary Clode
She had helped to relieve Mr Petherick of his overcoat. She could possibly did it unnoticed skillfully.

4)Grace Clode & Philip Garrod (husband of Grace) They could only get an inheritance of 5000pounds which was much less then Mrs Spragg's, whom was not
5)Mr Spragg called, Mr Pentherick had to leave the letter of will on the desk for 5mins. He smiled to the fact that it was a blank will.

Opportunity- Mrs Spraggs, Mr Spraggs. The Spragg family could have no motive in changing the will because they were the ones who would benefit the most. Emma, just a maid. The will shalln't bother her. Mary Clode had barely the chance.

Motive- Clode family could have felt the will was unjust and sort to change it. It without the will, Clode family could inherit the whole fortune.

Marple's analogy: Tommy Symonds who has the innocent childlike face is always the one up to some mischief. Marple gave a broken link: the analogy is like Mr Petherick's story:' So like a Lawyer'.

Marple Bk2: Thirteen problems (4/13)

Bloodstained Pavement (Joyce Lemprieve's account)

Mystery: Joyce heard an explanation of the bloodstained pavement from a stranger. It was rathole story that the last man who was killed there, died while his blood spurted onto the pavement. No one was able to wash away the blood but the time of hundreds of years. She had thought that she herself had unconciously painted the red on the pavement, but the stranger did not see her doing so. There was saying that death will occur before 24hrs after having seen the bloodstain.

Murdered: Mrs Dacre, wife of Captain Denis Dacre.
Her husband and her have been staying in the hotel until they decided to go bathing in the sea. She was drowned and was believed to have dived into the sea and hit her head on the rock. She left her clothes lying beside the rock before she went into the water.

Leads: The new wife, (Joan Carol instead of Margery) collected the bathing things on the balcony above the bloodstained pavement.
It was Margery who was wearing the scarlet bathing suit when going for a dip in the sea. Captain Denis had said before, "the rocks are not dangerous when you take a man that knows the place with you."

Marple's analogy: Mrs Green who buried all five insured children inevitably causes one to get suspicious.

Marple Bk2: Thirteen problems (3/13)

Ingots Of Gold (Raymond West's account)

Mystery: (Newman's account to Raymond) => Newman had witnessed a shipwreck before. The ship which was carrying gold bullions, was discovered with the gold bullions missing.

Suspects: 1)Kelvin,a diver. He was the sole survival of the shipwreck. He was suspected of the theft of the gold bullions. He had been avoiding everyone's glance all the time. He was also suspected to be responsible for the abduction of Newman. There were tyre tracks of a lorry leading to his garage. He had no alibi at the night of abduction.
(An artist lady, living opposite of Kelvin, accounted): She heard no motor vehicle leaving that night.

Danger=> ( Newman's account) He was abducted by two powerful men when he went close to the smugglers' cove. He was transported by a lorry and was thrown into a deep ditch. Newman had managed to escape by his own.

Leads
->There was definite evidence that the gold bullions had been stored in the ship.
->There was a tyre track.
->Newman's gardener was seen suspiciously digging grave on a Monday morning.

Marple Bk2: Thirteen problems (2/13)

The Idol House Of Astarte (Dr Pender, old clergyman relates)

Murdered
=> Richard Haydon was struck by something while running to Diana
->Diana, just trying to be playful, said she would strike Richard with the magic of Astarte if he won't back down.
-> Richard had stabbed heart wound but no weapon was found.

Danger:
Elliot (lying exact spot as Richard, not dead). A thin bronze weapon was shot and pierced though his shoulder when he reached exact spot as Richard. Did Eilliot self-inflicted himself? Or was he being struck by the Astarte Magic?
He had shot himself in the war to escape from going into the battlefield.

Suspects:
1) Diana (priestness of Astarte) -> threw nothing visible at Richard. There was still a distance to her when Richard dropped dead. Scared by Richard's death, fainted, brought back into the house before Richard.
(Violet's account, only her): she saw Diana had a dagger in her hand.
2) Elliot, went back alone to find any clue at where Richard was struck. He was holding on to a piece of jewel when struck by the bronze rod.
3) Violet, (lady mannering)-> found Eillot struck with a rod, gathered everyone, offered to look after Elliot's jewel and went to call for police.

Leads=> The weapon was brought by richard and no one knew about it.

Analogy: At Lady Sharpley's garden party, a man tripped over something and lost his conscious.

Marple Bk2: Thirteen problems (1/13)

Tuesday Night Club (Sir Henry relates)

Mystery at the Supper: 3 eaten
2 fell ill: Mr Jones & Miss Clerk
1 died: Mrs Jones, the difference is she took a glass of cornflour water from her husband.

Suspects:
1) Mr Jones-> took cornflour water to his wife to drink
2) Miss Clark-> Mrs Jones's companion, claims Mrs Jones did not want to drink it and offered it to her, so she drank the cornflour water instead.
3) Maid Gladys-> Housemaid, prepared the cornflour water. She was terribly agitated when the doctor spoke to her.

Marple's analogy: Mrs Hargraves' husband leaving all his money to another family. The mistress happened to be once their housemaid.