The murder happened 14 years ago, but now Lucy Crale, the daughter of the murdered man and of the woman who was hanged for it asks Poirot to investigate and find out the truth. She was only seven back then and knows very little, but when she came of age she was given a letter that her mother had written to her before her death, in which she proclaimed her innocence. Her parents were Amius and Caroline Crale.
Poirot goes to talk to Caroline’s defense lawyer: she didn’t defend herself at all and he thought her guilty, so she didn’t stand a chance, really. He gives Poirot the five names of the people he should talk to.
Philip Blake was Amyas friend. He says that Amyas was a great friend and a great artist, that he loved women and had a harsh attitude, that he was self-absorbed, but that Caroline had a terrible temper and that she was jealous and dangerous. Caroline had disfigured her younger sister in a moment of rage, and he says it was sibling jealousy. He tells him that Elsa - Amyas was painting her - proclaimed in front of everyone that he loved her and was going to marry her so she’d soon move in and make changes, and when Caroline asked Amyas about it, still in front of everybody, he didn’t deny it.
Elsa Greer, cold and calculating and apparently glad that Caroline died. She says she always loved Amyas since she first met him, and she herself asked him to do her portrait. They became lovers and he promised to tell his wife “after” he had finished the painting. She says that Caroline was devious and that Amyas admitted in front of her and everyone that he loved her.
Meredith Blake, Philip’s brother, says that Amyas was an artist, that his art was his passion and when he painted he was like obsessed, that he meant to finish that painting whatever the cost. He calls Caroline “gentle creature”, says that he was always devoted to her, but still thinks that she did it.
Miss Williams the governess. She says that Mr and Mrs Crale were very much taken with each other, that it was all Elsa’s fault, how she behaved. She says that Amyas wanted to get rid of Angela because he was jealous of all the attention Caroline gave her. Caroline was very fond of her sister, and that awful day she saw her with a beer and took it herself down to Amyas. She calls Caroline “a woman of honor and dignity” and yet she’s sad to confess that she’s sure that she did it because she saw her trying to fake a suicide, putting the bottle of beer into Amyas’ hand.
Angela, Caroline’s sister, is the only one absolutely sure that she didn’t do it. She says she knew her extremely well, that she could never have murdered anyone. She tells him that her disfigurement is precisely the reason why she couldn’t do it, because she was a constant reminder to Caroline of what it could happen if she gave way to her temper. She says that Amyas told her that Elsa was joking about their marriage, and that after finding Amyas dead Caroline sent her away in a hurry, telling her that she had “nothing to worry about”. She also says that her main suspect would be Philip because one night she saw Caroline coming out of his room, but he tells Poirot that he refused her, I’d say because he loved Amyas.
Poirot reunites all the characters at the old Crale house. He reveals that Caroline didn’t defend herself because she thought Angela had done it in a fit of rage and wanted to protect her. That much was so obvious it’s barely worth saying. He says also that Caroline had confronted Amyas about Elsa and he said that Elsa meant nothing and that he’d sent her back as soon as the painting was finished, and that she was thinking of Elsa when she was heard saying ‘too cruel’. Elsa heard it all and planned her revenge. She had believed his words of love. She drugged him and watched him die. Poirot says that he’ll present his findings but he doesn’t think that there’s enough evidence for her to be charged. She says that she died too, but this ending seems rather farfetched to me, she didn’t.
Amyas-Aidan Gillen
Philip-Toby Stephens
Elsa-Julie Cox
Angela-Sophie Winkleman
Miss Williams-Gemma Jones
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