1After breakfast, Emily Brent had suggested to Vera Claythorne that they should walk up to the summit again and watch for the boat. Vera had acquiesced.

2The wind had freshened. Small white crests were appearing on the sea. There were no fishing boats out and no sign of the motor boat.

3The actual village of Sticklehaven could not be seen, only the hill above it, a juttingout cliff of red rock concealed the actual little bay.

4Emily Brent said: "The man who brought us out yesterday seemed a dependable sort of person. It is really very odd that he should be so late this morning."

5Vera did not answer. She was fighting down a rising feeling of panic.

6She said to herself angrily: "You must keep cool. This isn't like you. You've always had excellent nerves."

7Aloud she said after a minute or two: "I wish he would come. 11 want to get away."

8Emily Brent said drily: "I've no doubt we all do."

9Vera said: "It's all so extraordinary... There seems no no meaning in it all."

10The elderly woman beside her said briskly: "I'm very annoyed with myself for being so easily taken in. Really that letter is absurd when one comes to examine it. But I had no doubts at the time none at all."

11Vera murmured mechanically: "I suppose not." "One takes things for granted too much," said Emily Brent.

12Vera drew a deep shuddering breath.

13She said: "Do you really think what you said at breakfast?" "Be a little more precise, my dear. To what in particular are you referring?"

14Vera said in a low voice: "Do you really think that Rogers and his wife did away with that old lady?"

15Emily Brent gazed thoughtfully out to sea. Then she said: "Personally, I am quite sure of it. What do you think?" "I don't know what to think."

16Emily Brent said: "Everything goes to support the idea. The way the woman fainted. And the man dropped the coffee tray, remember. Then the way he spoke about it it didn't ring true. Oh, yes, I'm afraid they did it."

17Vera said: "The way she looked scared of her own shadow! I've never seen a woman look so frightened... She must have been always haunted by it..."

18Miss Brent murmured: "I remember a text that hung in my nursery as a child. 'Be sure thy sin will find thee out.' It's very true, that. 'Be sure thy sin will find thee out.'"

19Vera scrambled to her feet. She said: "But, Miss Brent Miss Brent in that case " "Yes, my dear?" "The others? What about the others?" "I don't quite understand you." "All the other accusations they they weren't true? But if it's true about the

20Rogerses " She stopped, unable to make her chaotic thought clear.

21Emily Brent's brow, which had been frowning perplexedly, cleared.

22She said: "Ah, I understand you now. Well, there is that Mr. Lombard. He admits to having abandoned twenty men to their deaths."

23Vera said: "They were only natives..."

24Emily Brent said sharply: "Black or white, they are our brothers."

25Vera thought: "Our black brothers our black brothers. Oh, I'm going to laugh. I'm hysterical.

26I'm not myself..."

27Emily Brent continued thoughtfully: "Of course, some of the other accusations were very farfetched and ridiculous.

28Against the judge, for instance, who was only doing his duty in his public capacity, And the exScotland Yard man. My own case, too. "

29She paused and then went on: "Naturally, considering the circumstances, I was not going to say anything last night. It was not a fit subject to discuss before gentlemen." "No?"

30Vera listened with interest. Miss Brent continued serenely: "Beatrice Taylor was in service with me. Not a nice girl as I found out too late. I was very much deceived in her. She had nice manners and was very clean and willing. I was very pleased with her. Of course all that was the sheerest hypocrisy! She was a loose girl with no morals. Disgusting! It was some time before I found out that she was what they call 'in trouble.'" She paused, her delicate nose wrinkling itself in distaste. "It was a great shock to me. Her parents were decent folk, too, who had brought her up very strictly. I'm glad to say they did not condone her behaviour."

31Vera said, staring at Miss Brent: "What happened?" "Naturally I did not keep her an hour under my roof. No one shall ever say that I condoned immorality."

32Vera said in a lower voice: "What happened to her?"

33Miss Brent said: "The abandoned creature, not content with having one sin on her conscience, committed a still graver sin. She took her own life."

34Vera whispered, horrorstruck: "She killed herself?" "Yes, she threw herself into the river."

35Vera shivered.

36She stared at the calm delicate profile of Miss Brent. She said: "What did you feel like when you knew she'd done that? Weren't you sorry?

37Didn't you blame yourself?

38Emily Brent drew herself up. "I? I had nothing with which to reproach myself."

39Vera said: "But if your hardness drove her to it"

40Emily Brent said sharply: "Her own action her own sin that was what drove her to it. If she had behaved like a decent modest young woman none of this would have happened."

41She turned her face to Vera. There was no selfreproach, no uneasiness in those eyes. They were hard and selfrighteous. Emily Brent sat on the summit of Indian

42Island, encased in her own armour of virtue.

43The little elderly spinster was no longer slightly ridiculous to Vera.

44Suddenly she was terrible.

45II

46Dr. Armstrong came out of the diningroom and once more came out on the terrace.

47The judge was sitting in a chair now, gazing placidly out to sea.

48Lombard and Blore were over to the left, smoking but not talking.

49As before, the doctor hesitated for a moment His eye rested speculatively on Mr.

50Justice Wargrave. He wanted to consult with some one. He was conscious of the judge's acute logical brain. But nevertheless he wavered. Mr. Justice Wargrave might have a good brain but he was an elderly man. At this juncture, Armstrong felt what was needed was a man of action.

51He made up his mind. "Lombard, can I speak to you for a minute?"

52Philip started. "Of course."

53The two men left the terrace. They strolled down the slope towards the water.

54When they were out of earshot, Armstrong said: "I want a consultation."

55Lombard's eyebrows went up. He said: "My dear fellow, I've no medical knowledge." "No, no, I mean as to the general situation." "Oh, that's different."

56Armstrong said: "Frankly, what do you think of the position?"

57Lombard reflected a minute. Then he said: "It's rather suggestive, isn't it?" "What are your ideas on the subject of that woman? Do you accept Blore's theory?"

58Philip puffed smoke into the air. He said: "It's perfectly feasible taken alone." "Exactly."

59Armstrong's tone sounded relieved. Philip Lombard was no fool.

60The latter went on: "That is, accepting the premise that Mr. and Mrs. Rogers have successfully got away with murder in their time. And I don't see why they shouldn't. What do you think they did exactly? Poisoned the old lady?"

61Armstrong said slowly: "It might be simpler than that. I asked Rogers this morning what this Miss

62Brady had suffered from. His answer was enlightening. I don't need to go into medical details, but in a certain form of cardiac trouble, amyl nitrite is used.

63When an attack comes on an ampoule of amyl nitrite is broken and it is inhaled.

64If amyl nitrite were withheld well, the consequences might easily be fatal. "

65Philip Lombard said thoughtfully: "As simple as that. It must have been rather tempting."

66The doctor nodded. "Yes, no positive action. No arsenic to obtain and administer nothing definite just negation! And Rogers hurried through the night to fetch a doctor and they both felt confident that no one could ever know." "And, even if any one knew, nothing could ever be proved against them," added

67Philip Lombard.

68He frowned suddenly. "Of course that explains a good deal."

69Armstrong said, puzzled: "I beg your pardon."

70Lombard said: "I mean it explains Indian Island. There are crimes that cannot be brought home to their perpetrators. Instance, the Rogerses'. Another instance, old Wargrave, who committed his murder strictly within the law."

71Armstrong said sharply: "You believe that story?"

72Philip Lombard smiled. "Oh, yes, I believe it. Wargrave murdered Edward Seton all right, murdered him as surely as if he'd stuck a stiletto through him! But he was clever enough to do it from the judge's seat in wig and gown. So in the ordinary way you can't bring his little crime home to him."

73A sudden flash passed like lightning through Armstrong's mind. "Murder in Hospital. Murder on the Operating Table. Safe yes, safe as houses!"

74Philip Lombard was saying: "Hence Mr. Owen hence Indian Island!"

75Armstrong drew a deep breath. "Now we're getting down to it. What's the real purpose of getting us all here?"

76Philip Lombard said: "What do you think?"

77Armstrong said abruptly: "Let's go back a minute to this woman's death. What are the possible theories?

78Rogers killed her because he was afraid she would give the show away. Second possibility: She lost her nerve and took an easy way out herself. "

79Philip Lombard said: "Suicide, eh?" "What do you say to that?"

80Lombard said: "It could have been yes if it hadn't been for Marston's death. Two suicides within twelve hours is a little too much to swallow! And if you tell me that

81Anthony Marston, a young bull with no nerves and precious little brains, got the wind up over having mowed down a couple of kids and deliberately put himself out of the way well, the idea's laughable! And anyway, how did he get hold of the stuff? From all I've ever heard, Potassium Cyanide isn't the kind of stuff you take about with you in your waistcoat pocket. But that's your line of country. "

82Armstrong said: "Nobody in their senses carries Potassium Cyanide. It might be done by some one who was going to take a wasps' nest." "The ardent gardener or landowner, in fact? Again, not Anthony Marston. It strikes me that Cyanide is going to need a bit of explaining. Either Anthony

83Marston meant to do away with himself before he came here, and therefore came prepared or else "

84Armstrong prompted him. "Or else?"

85Philip Lombard grinned. "Why make me say it? When it's on the tip of your own tongue. Anthony

86Marston was murdered, of course. "

87Ill

88Dr. Armstrong drew a deep breath. "And Mrs. Rogers?"

89Lombard said slowly: "I could believe in Anthony's suicide (with difficulty) if it weren't for Mrs.

90Rogers.

91I could believe in Mrs. Rogers' suicide (easily) if it weren't for Anthony Marston.

92I can believe that Rogers put his wife out of the way if it were not for the unexplained death of Anthony Marston. But what we need is a theory to explain two deaths following rapidly on each other. "

93Armstrong said: "I can perhaps give you some help towards that theory."

94And he repeated the facts that Rogers had given him about the disappearance of the two little china figures.

95Lombard said: "Yes, litde china Indian figures... There were certainly ten last night at dinner.

96And now there are eight, you say?

97Dr. Armstrong recited: "Ten little Indian boys going out to dine;

98One went and choked himself and then there were nine. "Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;

99One overslept himself and then there were eight. "

100The two men looked at each other. Philip Lombard grinned and flung away his cigarette. "Fits too damned well to be a coincidence! Anthony Marston dies of asphyxiation or choking last night after dinner, and Mother Rogers oversleeps herself with a vengeance." "And therefore?" said Armstrong.

101Lombard took him up. "And therefore another kind of puzzle. The Nigger in the Woodpile! X! Mr.

102Owen!

103U.N. Owen. One Unknown Lunatic at Large!" "Ah!" Armstrong breathed a sigh of relief. "You agree. But you see what it involves? Rogers swore that there was no one but ourselves and he and his wife on the island. " "Rogers is wrong! Or possibly Rogers is lying!"

104Armstrong shook his head. "I don't think he's lying. The man's scared. He's scared nearly out of his senses."

105Philip Lombard nodded.

106He said: "No motor boat this morning. That fits in. Mr. Owen's little arrangements again to the fore. Indian Island is to be isolated until Mr. Owen has finished his job."

107Armstrong had gone pale. He said: "You realize the man must be a raving maniac!"

108Philip Lombard said, and there was a new ring in his voice: "There's one thing Mr. Owen didn't realize." "What's that?" "This island's more or less a bare rock. We shall make short work of searching it.

109We'll soon ferret out U.N. Owen, Esq. "

110Dr. Armstrong said warningly: "He'll be dangerous."

111Philip Lombard laughed. "Dangerous? Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? I'll be dangerous when I get hold of him!"

112He paused and said: "We'd better rope in Blore to help us. He'll be a good man in a pinch. Better not tell the women. As for the others, the General's ga ga, I think, and old Wargrave's forte is masterly inactivity. The three of us can attend to this job."