And Then There Were None Chapter 11

Lombard wakes at Nine-thirty. He notices that Rogers hasn't given anyone their wake-up calls, and goes to look for him. The kitchen shows no sign of Rogers' presence - the fire hasn't even been lit. Lombard wakes Blore up and tells him about the situation. Together they collect everyone else. Armstrong is awake, and almost dressed. Wargrave has to be woken up. Vera is awake and dressed. Emily's room is empty. Everyone goes downstairs just as Emily walks through the front door, wearing a raincoat. Blore suggests that she shouldn't be out walking around in this weather, but Emily tells him she was very careful. They check the unlocked dining room, and find that it has already been set for breakfast - but there are only six figurines on the table.

After a quick search of the grounds, they find Rogers' body. It is lying in the wash-house where he'd been chopping wood. Someone had snuck up behind him with a small hatchet and killed him. Blore dusts the hatchet with flour, but can't find any fingerprints. Armstrong checks to see that Vera and Emily aren't around before pointing out that it wouldn't take a strong person to swing the hatchet - any one of them could have killed Rogers.

Just then, Vera starts laughing insanely outside. She asks them if there are any bees on the island. No one understands her. Vera points out the similarities between all the murders and the nursery rhyme, which means the next person will be killed by a bee sting. Vera continues laughing hysterically until Armstrong walks out to the yard and slaps her face. Vera shakes the hysteria off and thanks Armstrong. She then leaves to collect some would so that she and Emily can prepare breakfast.

Blore takes Lombard aside and explains a theory to him. He can't believe how calm Emily is with all the murders going on around her. He's sure that she must be the killer. Lombard says that if he were the killer, after murdering Rogers he would have gone back to sleep, not gone out wandering on the Island. Blore points out that Emily is quite possibly insane, but, more importantly, no one would go out wandering around the Island alone unless they felt safe - and how could she feel safe unless she was the killer? Lombard agrees that Emily is very suspicious, and he's happy to hear that Blore no longer suspects him. He asks Blore, since they may not be getting off the Island anyway, if he committed the crime he's been accused of. Blore confesses, telling Lombard that he framed Landor on behalf of a nasty gang. He'd gotten his promotion: " 'And Landor got penal servitude and died in prison.' 'I couldn't know he was going to die, could I?' demanded Blore. 'No, that was your bad luck.' 'Mine? His, you mean.' 'Yours, too. Because, as a result of it, it looks as though your life is going to be cut unpleasantly short.'" Chapter 11, pg. 173 Blore angrily states that he won't be killed like the rest of them. Lombard doubts his chances.

While cooking eggs, Vera chastises herself for getting hysterical. She always thought of herself as level-headed. She remembers when Cyril died, how she swam out after him and got carried away by the current. Everyone had called her heroic, all except for Hugo. She wonders where Hugo is, what has happened to him... Emily snaps her out of her reverie. Vera notes how calm Emily is. Emily says it was the we she was raised - Vera reads this as repression. She asks Emily if she's afraid to die. Emily thinks to herself - of course she isn't afraid to die. She's never done anything in her life that she had to be ashamed of. Everyone else might die, but she certainly wouldn't - so why should she be afraid? She remembers a dream she had last night. Beatrice Taylor had been at her window, begging to be let in, but Emily wouldn't open it. Emily suddenly notices that Vera is staring at her. She quickly changes the subject, announcing that breakfast is ready.

As everyone sits quiet and polite at breakfast, their minds race, all thoughts on the situation, including the killer's: "The damned fool, he believed every word I said to him. It was easy.... I must be careful, though, very careful." Chapter 11, pg. 177

Topic Tracking: Guilt and Responsibility 11
Topic Tracking: Trust and Suspicion 10