Agatha Christie: Murder in the Making: More Stories and Secrets From Her Notebooks
Page 17
The Body in the Library
11 May 1942
* * *
When the body of a glamorous blonde is found on Mrs Bantry’s library rug in Gossington Hall, she decides to call in the local expert in murder – Miss Marple. Together they go to the Majestic Hotel where Ruby Keene was last seen alive. And then a second body is found . . .
* * *
As explained above, the writing of The Body in the Library was done in parallel with that of N or M?. Thus the two very dissimilar novels, one a classical whodunit, the other a wartime thriller, would remain fresh. If indeed they were both written together, it was during 1940, as N or M?, the first to see print, appeared as a serial in the USA in March 1941. The Body in the Library was serialised in the USA in May/June 1941 and published as a novel there in February 1942. It is probable that N or M? was completed before The Body in the Library as the timescale for Basil Blake’s injuries (mentioned in Chapter 16 ii) in the Blitz, which began in September 1940, would seem to place the completion of the Marple title well into 1941.
There are references to Miss Marple’s previous successes. In Chapter 1 iv she mentions that her ‘little successes have been mostly theoretical’, an allusion to The Thirteen Problems, the last time she had featured in a Christie title. A few pages later Inspector Slack ruefully recalls his earlier encounter with the elderly sleuth in The Murder at the Vicarage; and Mrs Bantry reminds Miss Marple (as if she needed it) that the earlier murder had occurred next door to her. Sir Henry Clithering recalls her perspicuity in ‘Death by Drowning’, the last of The Thirteen Problems, in Chapter 8.
Unusually for Christie, the social reaction to the discovery of a body in Colonel Bantry’s library is remarked upon. Playful at first, with exaggerated reports circulating in St Mary Mead in Chapter 4, more serious discussion ensues in Chapter 8 ii when Miss Marple considers the potential long-term effect of social ostracism. Some years earlier in Death in the Clouds Poirot had questioned Jane Grey and Norman Gale about the practical effects on their lives, and businesses, of involvement in a murder, but he was considering motive and not social reaction.
The main plot device of this novel – the interchangeability of bodies – is very similar to that of the previous year’s Evil under the Sun. In that novel, in order to establish an alibi a live body masquerades as a dead one; in The Body in the Library one dead body is intentionally misidentified as another, again in order to establish an alibi. This sort of ploy was available to detective fiction only in the days before DNA evidence and the enormous strides in forensic medicine. Despite its light-hearted beginning there is a genuinely dark heart to The Body in the Library, with its use of a totally innocent schoolgirl as a ‘decoy’ body, chosen solely on the basis of her similarity to the ‘real’ corpse, Ruby Keene. This is the earliest example in Christie’s oeuvre of the murder of a child (apart from the almost incidental murder of Tommy Pierce in Murder is Easy) and unlike later examples – Dead Man’s Folly and Hallowe’en Party – the victim is cold-bloodedly selected and murdered solely to provide a corpse.
Notes for this novel are contained in six Notebooks, the bulk of them in Notebook 62. The plot variations are minimal, leading to the conclusion that Christie had sketched the book mentally before she began serious work on it. And in her Autobiography, she admits that she had been thinking about the plot for ‘some time’. One note, in Notebook 35, is however at strange variance with the finished novel; the ‘disabled’ reference could have inspired Conway Jefferson, but otherwise the only similarity is ‘Killed somewhere else?’
Body in Library
Man? Disabled? Sign of power? No name on clothes
Inhaling Prussic acid vapour (glucose) Manager of a disinfecting process. Killed somewhere else?
An earlier draft, from Notebook 13, outlines the basic plot device – the switch of the bodies and the misidentification – but many of the surrounding details are different. Oddly, one of the conspirators in this first draft is Ruby Keene, the victim in the published novel. At this stage in the planning there is no mention of Conway Jefferson, who provides the motive, and his extended family, which provides most of the suspects. The Girl Guide, the buttons, the bleached blonde – all these plot elements are in place, though as yet the background is not filled in:
Body in Library
Mrs. B – awaiting housemaid etc. – telephone to Miss Marple. Peroxide blonde connected with young Paul Emery [Basil Blake] – rude young man who has fallen out with Bantry and who had a platinum blonde down to stay (scandal). Paul is member of set in London – real murderer has it in for him – dumped body on him – Paul takes it up to Bantry’s house or real blonde girl knew Paul’s blonde girl and about cottage – so decoyed Winnie there (with key from friend). Body is really Girl Guide decoyed by Mavis who pretends she has film face. She and man make her up after she is dead. Paul proves he was in London at party at 11 pm. Really arrives home about 3 – finds dead girl – is a bit tight – thinks we’ll push her onto old Bantry.
Now – why?
Idea is that Mavis de Winter, night club dancer, is dead.
Say: Ruby Keene, Mavis de Winters, were friendly in Paris – come over here – live separately or share flat. Ruby Keen goes to the police – her friend disappeared – went off with man. She identifies body as Mavis – Mavis was fond of Mr Saunders. Mr. S has alibi because he was seen with Mavis after certain time. Later Body of Mavis is killed and burnt in car – girl guides uniform found.
Why variants
Idea being to kill Ruby Treves
This is followed by a bizarre variation, presumably taking the name Ruby as inspiration:
A. Is Ruby Rajah’s friend?
He gave her superb jewels – young man – Ivor Rudd – attractive – bad lot – takes her to England – tells her there’s been an accident – girl guide dead – fakes body – drives it down to Paul Seton’s. Later identifies it as Ruby’s body – later takes Ruby out in car and sets fire to it – girl guide buttons and badge found
Notebook 31 is headed confidently on the first page and followed by a list of characters to which I have added the probable names from the book. Then the main timetable is sketched, with a further paragraph filling in some of the details:
The Body in the Library
People
Mavis Carr [Ruby Keene]
Laurette King [Josie Turner]
Mark Tanderly [Mark Gaskell]
Hugo Carmody – legs taken off in last War – very rich [Conway Jefferson]
Step children Jessica Clunes
Stephen Clunes
Edward
Man (Mark or Steve) takes her [Mavis] to Paul’s cottage. Leaves her there – carefully asks way or draws attention to car? Body left there at (say) 9.30 – Mavis seen alive last at 9.15 in hotel. Both girls had drink. W[innie] doped at 6.30 or 7. Pansied up after being killed at 9 pm – driven ½ hours drive by Mark 9.30 to 10 – Mavis in hotel 9 to 10 – goes upstairs at 10 (killed). Mark dancing 10–12. Body in empty bedroom – [body] taken out and put in car between 12 and 1 – covered with rug. Driven off early morning – set on fire (time fuse) in wood. Mavis last seen 10 pm – did not come on and dance – car found missing, later found abandoned in St. Loo.
One of the dangers inherent in writing two books at the same time is shown in the extract below from Notebook 35, which has another possible sketch of the plot. The plot summary includes a Milly Sprott, who is actually one of the characters from N or M?. Presumably she was to be the Girl Guide character, as the list of characters that follows includes a Winnie Sprott. This extract may be the very first musings on the book.
Body in the Library Suggestions
Body immature – yellow bleached hair – extravagant make-up – (really girl guide – lost – or a VAD – adenoidy). Suggestion is actress – handbag with clippings of theatrical news – revue – chorus – foreign artist. Body planted on young artist who has had row with Col B – (in war – military service etc.) and who has had b
londe girl friend down. He plants her on Col B with help of real blonde friend. She can turn up later alive and well. Does girl in London come down and identify dead girl as Queenie Race. Really QR is alive – later Queenie killed and body dressed in Guide’s clothes.
Why was Milly Sprott killed – she saw too much – or overheard it? She is identified by Ruby – Ruby is accomplice of villain
Body L[ibrary]
Calling the Bantry etc.
Platinum blonde – everything points to young Jordan
Body
Blonde girl
Young Jordan’s friend
Winnie Sprott – girl guide
Mrs Clements – Brunette
Ruby Quinton – actress
Identified by best fr sister or friend or gentleman friend
Why?
Real Ruby engineers whole story – she – young man – life insurance?
Notebook 62 lists individual chapters and although the chapter headings do not tally, the material covered is as it appears in the novel. The names too are mostly retained, although Col. Melrose becomes Melchett, and Michael Revere and Janetta transform into Basil Blake and Dinah Lee:
The Body in the Library
Chapter I
Mrs B housemaid etc. Miss Marple comes up and sees body
Chapter II
Col Melrose – his attitude to Col B – Michael Revere and his blonde. Col M goes down there – M[ichael] in very bad temper – got down after party. Arrival of Janetta [‘his blonde’]
Chapter III
Melrose in his office – Inspector Slack – missing people. Who came down by train the night before? Lot of people at station. Bantrys – Mrs B went to bed early – Col B out at meeting of local Conservative Association
Chapter IV
Arrival of Josie – she is taken to the hall – sees body – Oh Ruby all right. Story begins to come out – Conway Jefferson – Mrs Bantry knows him
Chapter V
At hotel – Jefferson – Adelaide – Mark – Raymond (the pro) – evidence about girl
Chapter VI
Mrs B finds Jefferson – old friend – Miss M with her
Chapter VII
Adelaide and Miss M and Mrs B – Josie and Raymond
In the middle of these listings Christie sketches what she refers to as the ‘real sequence’, the mechanics of the murder plot, as well as a list of the characters. The deletions suggest that she amended this afterwards to reflect the eventual choices:
Real sequence – Winnie King leaves rally 6.30 – goes with Josie to hotel – drugged in tea – put in empty bedroom. After dinner 9.30 Mark takes girl to car and drives her to bungalow (Friday night). Strangles her 10 and puts her in – drives back – Ruby is on view 10 to 10.30 – then killed with veronal or chloral – put in room by Josie’s. 5 am – Mark and Josie take her down to car – (pinched from small house in street . . . young man’s car) Josie Mark drives her out to wood – leaving trail of petrol – gets away – walks back – arrives in time for breakfast or his bathe?
People
(Josie!) Josephine Turner
Ruby Keene
Raymond Clegg [Starr]
Conway Jefferson
Adelaide Jefferson – Rosamund?
Peter Carmody
Mark Gaskell
Then
Bob Perry (car trader)
Michael Revere Basil Blake
Diane Lee Dinah Lee
Mrs Revere Blake
Hugo Trent Curtis McClean (Marcus)
Pam Rivers [Reeves]
Basil Penton
George Bartlett
Reason why Miss Marple knows
Bitten nails
Teeth go down throat (mentioned by Mark). ‘Murderers always give themselves away by talking too much’ [Chapter 18]
Abandoning her list of chapters, Christie briefly sketches some scenes all of which appear in the second half of the novel, although the combination of characters sometimes varies:
A. Interviewing girls – Miss M present [14 ii]
B. Col Clithering interviews Edwards [14 i]
C. Col C and Ramon [13 iii but with Sir Henry]
D. Addie and Miss M [12 ii but with Mrs. B]
E. Mark and Mrs B or Miss M [12 iv but with Sir Henry]
F. Mrs B and Miss M [13 iv]
G. Doctor and Police [13 i]
In her specially written Foreword for the 1953 Penguin edition of The Body in the Library, Christie explains that when she tackled one of the clichés of detective fiction – the body in the library – she wanted to experiment with the convention. So she used Gossington Hall in St Mary Mead and Colonel Bantry’s very staid, very English library but made her corpse a very startling one – young and blonde, with cheap finery and bitten fingernails. But, as so often happens in a Christie novel, what may seem to be mere dramatics is actually a vital part of the plot. Three Act Tragedy, Death on the Nile, Sparkling Cyanide, A Murder is Announced – all feature a dramatic death, but in each case the scene in question is part of an artfully constructed plot; and so it is with The Body in the Library. Christie also considered the opening of this novel – Mrs Bantry’s dream of winning the Flower Show is interrupted by an hysterical maid with the early morning tea – the best she had written; and it is difficult not to agree.
Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case
22 September 1975
* * *
A frail Poirot summons Hastings to Styles, the scene of their first investigation and now a guest house. Poirot explains that a fellow-guest is a murderer. Convinced that another killing is imminent he asks Hastings to help prevent it. But who is the killer and, more importantly, who is the victim?
* * *
‘Do you know, Poirot, I almost wish sometimes that you would commit a murder.’
‘Mon cher!’
‘Yes, I’d like to see how you set about it.’
‘My dear chap, if I committed a murder you would not have the slightest chance of seeing – how I set about it! You would not even be aware, probably, that a murder had been committed.’
‘Murder in the Mews’
‘I shouldn’t wonder if you ended up by detecting your own death,’ said Japp, laughing heartily. ‘That’s an idea, that is. Ought to be put in a book.’
‘It will be Hastings who will have to do that,’ said Poirot, twinkling at me.
The A.B.C. Murders, Chapter 3
These telling and prophetic exchanges, both between Poirot and Inspector Japp, may have sowed the seeds of an idea in Christie’s fertile brain. The A.B.C. Murders was begun in 1934 and ‘Murder in the Mews’ was completed in early 1936, so both pre-dated Curtain. But, as will be seen, she had been considering a plot very like it for some years.
Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case is the most dazzling example of legerdemain in the entire Christie output. It is not only a nostalgic swan song, but also a virtuoso demonstration of plotting ingenuity culminating in the ultimate shock ending from a writer whose career was built on her ability both to deceive and delight her readers. It plays with our emotional reaction to the decline, and eventual demise, of one of the world’s great detective creations, and it also recalls the heady days of the first case that Poirot and Hastings shared, also in the unhappy setting of the ill-fated country house Styles.
The return to Styles was inspired; it encompasses the idea of a life come full circle, as Poirot revisits the scene both of his momentous reacquaintance with Hastings, and of his first great success in his adopted homeland. Like Poirot himself, Styles has deteriorated from its glory days and, instead of having a family gathered under its roof, is now host to a group of strangers; and one of them (at least) has, as in yesteryear, murder in mind. And the claustrophobic atmosphere of the novel is accentuated by having only two short scenes – those depicting Mrs Franklin’s inquest and funeral and the visit to Boyd Carrington’s house – set elsewhere. The novel also toys with the vexed question of natural versus legal justice. This is not the first time tha
t a classic Christie has explored this theme. And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express are both based on this difficult concept; and Ordeal by Innocence, Five Little Pigs, Mrs McGinty’s Dead and ‘Witness for the Prosecution’, in both short story and stage versions, further explore this theme.
But as usual with Christie, and certainly the Christie of the era in which she wrote Curtain, almost everything is subservient to plot; as it was throughout her career, the theme of justice – natural versus legal, justice in retrospect, posthumous free pardons – is merely the starting point for a clever plot. Two of her best and most famous titles – And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express – are predicated on this theme but in each case the moral dilemma is secondary to the machinations of a brilliant plot. In each case, in order to make her plot workable and credible she needed a compelling reason to motivate her characters. Lawrence Wargrave in the former novel, despite his status as a retired judge, needs to be provided with a convincing reason for his ingenious plan for mass murder; the murderous conspirators on board the famous train need an even more persuasive one. In each case miscarriage of justice fitted the bill as a motivating force better than any other; Murder on the Orient Express carries an added emotional factor – the killing of a kidnapped child despite the ransom being paid. In 1934 few more heinous crimes could be imagined, or at least written about. Discussion of justice is perfunctory in each title; plot mechanics override any philosophical consideration.