Agatha Christie: Murder in the Making: More Stories and Secrets From Her Notebooks

by John Curran

  In the opening chapter there is a variation on the ploy of a character seeing something momentous – ‘“Why!” exclaimed Mrs Upjohn, still gazing out of the window, “how extraordinary!”’ – that has an important bearing on subsequent events. This has often taken the form of seeing something over the shoulder of another character, as do Lawrence Cavendish in the bedroom of the dying Mrs Inglethorp in The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Mrs Boynton in the hotel foyer in Appointment with Death and Satipy on the path from the tomb in Death Comes as the End. In each case a death soon follows and the unidentified sight forms part of the explanation. If Miss Bulstrode had been listening properly to Mrs Upjohn, much of the ensuing mayhem might have been avoided. Two further telling examples of this ploy would appear within the next five years: when Marina Gregg, in The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, looks down her own staircase and sees something that transfixes her, and when the unfortunate Major Palgrave, in A Caribbean Mystery, recognises a killer over Miss Marple’s shoulder, just before his own murder. As with other novels from Christie’s later period – Hickory Dickory Dock, 4.50 from Paddington, Ordeal by Innocence, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side – there is an unnecessary and ‘rushed’ murder in the closing stages. It features the future victim talking to an unseen, and unnamed, killer, also a feature of Hickory Dickory Dock.

  There are over 80 pages of notes devoted to Cat among the Pigeons in three Notebooks, 70 of them in Notebook 15. The intricacy of the plot, with an unusually large cast of characters, two separate plot strands and scenes set in Ramat and Anatolia, as well as some beyond the grounds of Meadowbank, account for these extensive notes.

  The first page of Notebook 15 is headed ‘Oct. 1958 Projects’, and goes on to list the ideas that would become The Pale Horse, Passenger to Frankfurt and Fiddlers Five/Three, along with the possibility of plays based on either Murder is Easy (or, as it appears in the Notebook, ‘Murder Made Easy’) or ‘The Cretan Bull’, from The Labours of Hercules. Idea C on this list became Cat among the Pigeons.

  The earliest notes show Christie considering basic possibilities, which detective to use and how they might be brought into the story. At this stage also the princess/schoolgirl impersonation is under consideration, carrying echoes of a similar plot device in ‘The Regatta Mystery’.

  Book

  Girl’s school? Miss Bulstrode (Principal)

  Mrs. Upjohn – or parent – rather like Mrs. Summerhayes in Mrs. McGinty, fluffy, vague but surprisingly shrewd

  Miss Marple? Great niece at the school?

  Poirot? Mrs. U sits opposite him in a train?

  Someone shot or stalked at school sports?

  Princess Maynasita there or an actress as pupil or an actress as games mistress

  There were two contenders for the book’s title. The rejected one, which is not at all bad, is briefly mentioned at the start of Chapter 8 when the two policemen first hear of the murder:

  Death of a Games Mistress

  Cat among the Pigeons

  A list of characters in Notebook 15 is remarkably similar to those in the published novel, although the number of characters would increase considerably:

  Possible characters

  Bob Rawlinson

  Mrs. Sutcliffe (his sister)

  Frances [Jennifer] Sutcliffe (her daughter)

  Angele Black

  Fenella (pupil at school)

  Mademoiselle Amelie Blanche

  Miss Bolsover [Bulstrode] Principal of School ‘Meadowbank’

  Miss Springer – Gym Mistress

  Mrs. Upjohn (rather like Mrs. Summerhayes)

  Julia Upjohn

  Mr Robinson

  It seems likely that Angele Black and Amelie Blanche were amalgamated into Angele Blanche. It would seem that the character ‘Fenella’ was originally intended to be another agent, but masquerading as a pupil, possibly as well as Ann Shapland, within the school. The comparison of Mrs Upjohn with Maureen Summerhayes refers to Poirot’s inefficient landlady in his disreputable guest house in Mrs McGinty’s Dead, and it is an apt one. Both are disorganised, voluble and immensely likeable; and each is the possessor of a valuable piece of information which imperils their safety.

  The set-up on the opening day of the new term is sketched, including the all-important Mrs Upjohn and her sighting, although at this stage what, or more strictly, whom she sees is still undecided:

  Likely opening gambit

  First day of summer term – mothers etc. – Mrs. U sees someone out of window. Could be New Mistress? Domestic Staff? Pupil? Parent?

  The letters that constitute Chapter 5, and that contain much that is later significant, are considered in Notebook 15:

  Letters

  Julia

  Jennifer

  Angele Blanche

  Chaddy

  Two pages from Notebook 15 with a lot of plotting and speculation for Cat among the Pigeons. Note the incorrect spelling of Miss ‘Bullstrode’.

  Eleanor Vanstittart

  Anonymous to ??

  Well, I’ve settled in all right – you’d have laughed like a drain to see the reception committee. I’ve settled in – in this I look the part all right. Anyway, nobody seems to have any doubts of my bona fides – then we shall see what we shall see – I hope!

  The letter from Miss Chadwick (‘Chaddy’) did not materialise and although there is an anonymous one it is clear to the reader that the writer is Adam, the gardener. The inclusion of the one sketched here would have been tantalisingly mysterious and it is a shame that it was never developed.

  Christie devotes a lot of space to the progress of the tennis racquet:

  History of Racquet

  A. Brought home by Mrs. Sutcliffe by sea (Does she see A[ngele] B[lanche] at Tilbury?)

  B. Her husband meets her – drives them straight down to country or they go down by train and it is left in train?

  C. House is entered – tennis racquets taken and a few other things, later recovered by police

  In effect, it is this unlikely object that sets the plot in motion. In this, it has echoes of the ninth Labour of Hercules, ‘The Girdle of Hippolita’, where Poirot investigates the disappearance of the schoolgirl Winnie King; she also was the unwitting smuggler of contraband in her otherwise innocent luggage. The initial swapping of the tennis racquets is acceptable but the scene in Chapter 12 ii, when a total stranger approaches Jennifer and asks to exchange them (again), is less than convincing. Christie considers possibilities, discarding those such as the use of a lacrosse stick; note also her practical concerns about how long lost property offices retain items:

  Motive? Motive? Jewels bound for Near East country – prior to abdication – perhaps shirks plan turns back. Pilots sister takes them out of country concealed in schoolgirl’s ‘kit.’ Lacrosse stick?

  Tennis racquet? Where they lie concealed. Mother (or aunt?) killed – her room at the hotel ransacked – dies of shock?

  Racquets swopped by girls – Jennifer? Julia?

  Woman who comes – New lamps for old. Exchange tennis racquet for new one but it has already been swopped. Lost property office – how long – find out

  She then sketches the scene more or less as it appears in the book:

  A lady calls – tweedy, county, vague – asks girl ‘Can you tell me where I can find Janet McGrane? It’s Janet McGrane. What a coincidence’ Story about bringing a new tennis racquet ‘As I was coming here anyway to ask about the school for my niece.’ Takes old racquet to be restrung etc. J. gives her old tennis racquet but it’s not really hers – she has done a swap (with Julia?). Hers wasn’t ‘balanced.’ She exchanges it for one that needs restringing. Does woman say ‘It needs restringing – that’s what your aunt said.’ But her’s had been restrung for going abroad – a sort of ‘New lamps for old’ touch

  The enterprising Julia brings Hercule Poirot into the case in Chapter 17, and Notebook 15 summarises her efforts:

  Julia leaves French class – goes to London – con
tacts Hercule Poirot – Maureen Summerhayes (from Mrs McGinty) is her godmother. Tells about Mrs. U’s letter and her own observations. HP takes it seriously – goes to school. Interview with Miss B – they get on well – Miss B tells about Mrs. U and HP tells her about Mrs. U’s letter to India.

  And the killer appears in Notebook 15 with a change of name. An earlier note shows some indecision, but no lack of ideas, about the possible identity of this killer:

  Games Mistress, school maid, parent recognised by Mrs. U[pjohn] as espionage agent.

  Ann Shelbourne [Shapland] – a criminal by choice – as a girl wild – gives herself an alibi. In studying her career – a double life – like a drunk who has occasional ‘benders.’ Very able – good jobs – first on stage – then sec. to Sir Dawson Kops – over Oil Company? or Industrial Magnate, in between other things

  There was always going to be more than one murder; in the Notebooks the second murder seems to have been definite from the early stages. Although most Christie novels feature more than one death, the later deaths are usually as a result of the earlier one. Here, because of the two separate plot strands, the second murder is independent of the first; but, of course, the reader is unaware of this until the explanation. And the setting of the Games Pavilion seems to confirm the connection, as was Christie’s intention. But the identity of her third victim was still undecided at this stage:

  3 deaths

  1. Miss Springer’s games mistress (she surprises someone in sports pavilion)

  2. Miss ? Miss Bulford’s probable successor

  3. ?

  1st murder because of jewels. ‘Angelina’ is in Springer part – interrupted by Games mistress – kills her. Then Chaddy kills Rich

  Miss Bulstrode retiring. Going to take someone into partnership. Chadwick? Margaret Rich (Mathematical mistress?). But really Mary Templar – young – only there a few terms. But the stuff that’s needed.

  Second murder is committed by Miss Chadwick – sees light in Sports pavilion and finds Miss V there – also sees light – Chaddy has taken sandbag with her as weapon. Tempted – hits

  She lists alternative scenarios, some of which – Miss Springer in Ramat, the art room attack – were rejected and others – Julia and her missing mother, Miss Rich in Ramat – incorporated into the novel.

  One possible sequence

  B [Ann Shapland] does not recognise Mrs. U[pjohn] until Sports Day – does not know Mrs. U has seen her before. Manages an attack from behind (in the Arts Display Room?) Mrs. U concussed badly – taken to hospital

  Alternative

  (A) Rich is school teacher in Ramat. Pregnant – absent that term – not the woman who sees Bob [therefore] Dancer is the woman on balcony – Either Fenella Angele or Fenella or Ann

  B. Springer was schoolteacher in Ramat she saw Bob – got job at M[eadowbank]. Goes out to Pav[ilion] followed by ? Ann – member of organisation who shoots her

  Points to be fitted in and retained

  A. Julia comes to consult Poirot – mother missing? in hospital with concussion? Gone abroad – E. Africa? Safari?

  B. Recognition by Mrs. U of somebody at school. Is that somebody the victim or the murderer. Does an incident happen at some other school?

  C. 3 people on the job – (1) Knows about racquet (2) Relies on Fenella – (impersonates?). Believes Mrs. S. – has been instructed to give jewels to Fenella. (3) A woman who is put on to following whoever knows about racquet (S.T. or D) [school teacher or domestic]

  Overall, the two distinct strands of Cat among the Pigeons, the international and the academic, coalesce convincingly. And what seems like cheating, the transition between Chapter 14 i and ii, is shown in retrospect to be perfectly fair and acceptable. If there is a fault with the book it is the excess of female characters. Apart from Adam, the gardener, all the other male characters are peripheral; this applies even to Poirot – although he would doubtless disagree! Despite this abundance of femininity, there is never any difficulty in differentiating between the characters.

  UNUSED IDEAS: FOUR

  * * *

  SOLUTIONS REVEALED

  4.50 from Paddington • Five Little Pigs • The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side • Three Act Tragedy

  * * *

  This selection features a number of relatively short but intriguing possibilities.

  THE ‘HANDED TO’ IDEA

  Interesting idea that many murderers are loose. Experiment by saying to people ‘Getting away with murder’ etc.

  Dropped teacup just as it is being handed to someone. Inference – the hander has dropped it (wife or husband recently conveniently dead) – really the ‘handed to.’ Experimenter shortly after has near escapes – being gunned for. Result – investigation – more near escapes – actually investigations also apply to ‘recipient’ this not seen till by surprise at end

  This outline seems to date from the early 1950s, as it appears on a page in the middle of plotting 1952’s They Do It with Mirrors. Here Christie experimented with yet another variation on misdirecting the reader. In many of her poisoning dramas – Three Act Tragedy, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, Five Little Pigs – the ‘hander’, not surprisingly, was the killer, but the ‘handed to’ is a new twist. This would have needed careful setting-up on the part of the writer, not to mention careful stage-managing on the part of the murderous ‘recipient’. Two novels of the early 1950s feature a misdirection of the reader from the very start. After the Funeral and They Do It with Mirrors both mislead the reader into believing something that is completely false, although the author never explicitly states it. The above scenario is similar in design.

  THE LOCUM DOCTOR

  Next Detective novel

  Villain is doctor (locum) – Lies about time of death. But he is the one to suspect murder – not satisfied with cause of death – therefore he is free of suspicion and can add poison to a ‘sample’ he has taken – and which can only have been prepared by

  wife

  foreign girl in house

  etc.

  Actually that preparation was harmless – poison was administered by doctor himself in something else – before – or later (capsule?). Motive – will marry daughter – plain – devoted. 2 person crime – he and daughter?

  Book – Dr. Scofield – called in after discovery of body – gives time of death incorrectly. Dr. S (who is locum) suspects what real doctor (busy careless chap) has not – chronic poisoning by member of household. Takes sample of food (or vomit) – sends for analysis – sure enough there is poison – he gives a warning to household – that night the old man dies – Poison? Bashed? Appearance of robbery – doctor fixes time of death at such a time (wrong). Police surgeon arriving later can only give wide latitude of time

  The first of these notes appears in Notebook 53 alongside notes for the 1954 radio play Personal Call and the novels They Do It with Mirrors, After the Funeral and Destination Unknown, all published 1952–4. So it is reasonable to assume that the notes date from the early to mid 1950s. And some of the ideas do feature in 1957’s 4.50 from Paddington. Dr Quimper adds poison to the curry sample, having doctored the drinks jug earlier, with the intention of marrying the devoted daughter (and heiress), although in the book she is unaware of his plan. But it has to be asked why the villainous doctor of the first extract should draw attention to a murder instead of certifying it a ‘natural’ death.

  The ‘foreign girl in house’ scapegoat appears in ‘How Does Your Garden Grow?’, and will surface again in Hallowe’en Party. Oddly, the second sketch directly precedes the main plotting for 4.50 from Paddington, although there is less connection between the two.

  THE BRITISH MUSEUM

  British Museum Story

  S.S., Keeper of Babylonian Dept., has been stealing objects and replacing them with electrotypes in parchment unheard of in B.M. laboratories. Sir James Dale, director, gets wind of this but decides to hush the matter up. Dobson who has been passed over for director is suspected as he
has been very bitter – he went to see Sir James last thing with a dagger he wanted to buy for the Museum – wound is like one made by such a dagger.

  Slightly batty old gentleman (Olin?) gives show away by handling some stuff of his and saying it didn’t feel right

  The idea of a short story set around the British Museum appears in three other Notebooks but this, from Notebook 30, is the most elaborate version. The setting had an obvious appeal for Christie because of her connection, via her husband Max Mallowan, with the Museum and it might have been possible to have had some quiet fun with the characters. The idea of ‘electrotypes’ surfaced in Murder in Mesopotamia.

  THE BOMBED BUILDING

  Man trapped under bombed building – Nurse at AT crawls in and rescues him. He says do you want to be rich? She thinks funny idea.

  Now!

  He presses something into her hand – paper? Formula? Afterwards man visits her – asks – she senses danger – the paper? Hides it.

  This dates from early in the Second World War, appearing on a list between the ideas for The Moving Finger and Towards Zero. It sounds more spy story than detective story with its overtones of secret formulas, and the Nurse may well be a prototype for Hilary Craven in Destination Unknown and Victoria Jones in They Came to Baghdad. The ‘bombed building’ idea is the starting point for Taken at the Flood.

  Chapter 9

  Agatha Christie and Poison

  ‘Since I was surrounded by poisons, perhaps it was natural that death by poisoning should be the method I selected.’

  * * *

  From her experience as a hospital dispenser in both world wars, Agatha Christie had a professional knowledge of medicines and poisons. Starting with her first book, she used poison as a murder method more often than any of her contemporaries. The use of strychnine in The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a vital element of the murder plot; in fact the success of the conspirators depends on it. She uses not just the usual poisons – arsenic (Murder is Easy), morphine (Hickory Dickory Dock), cyanide (Sparkling Cyanide), but also the more esoteric – nicotine (Three Act Tragedy), thallium (The Pale Horse), taxine (A Pocket Full of Rye).