And Then There Were None – Week 3

Three mysterious deaths so far, and the remaining guests on the island are beginning to eye each other with wild suspicions. While each of those remaining try to figure out who could be responsible, the fact that things are quickly spiraling out of control is something that they are not yet willing to face. The judge has pointed out that one of the guests HAS to be the U.N. Owen they are looking for, but which one!? Trying to find a madman among the sane is like looking for a needle in a pile of needles!

Vera Claythorne is pretty sure that Philip Lombard is not the killer, and he is certain about her as well. But their tenuous alliance is still shrouded in suspicion. While they try to decide who it can be, they know that they will not have a lot of time to try and find the answer. With the stilted conversations and trying to polite when all one wants to do is run and scream is beginning to take its toll on them all. Mr. Blore, the ex-inspector, is no closer to finding the answer, and Doctor Armstrong is not sure either. Each are trying to find a common theme, other than the nursery rhyme to tie into the crimes, but each of them are such that any one of them could have done it, no matter the strength or age.

But when Rogers, the Butler is found dead, the unsettled suspicions begin to become hysterical. As they each try to ask questions and decipher more between the lines of each answer, they are no closer to finding the answer. When Ms. Brent is found dead after the breakfast things are cleared and washed, the entire mood becomes heavier. Each of the remaining guests huddle together for safety, yet each acutely aware that they are in the presence of death. While most of them feel that they can cheat the hangman, they all know that with no warning, there is not much that they can do.  When Vera walks into her room, smelling the sea, and then touched by what she feels is a clammy hand, she loses it, and in the mayhem that follows, another death occurs. Their numbers are dwindling.. and the nursery rhyme seems more of a prophecy than a harmless verse for children. Who will be next??

This week we are reading Chapters 10-13

Questions:

1. How do you go about finding a madman that does not want to be found?
2. The suspicions of each guest are founded on the accusations that were leveled against them their first night on the island. But most of their “crimes” have been explained. Why after so long is someone interested in pursuing justice?
3. If you were a guest on the island, what would be your strategy at this point?