John Curran - Agatha Christie’s Murder in the Making - Stories and Secrets from Her Archive - includes an unseen Miss Marple Story

She leaves ‘Evans’ for a moment, looks up and stares absent-mindedly at the passing countryside. Outside snow is still lying on many of the fields, a fleeting reminder of the snowbound setting of yet-to-be-published The Sittaford Mystery. She returns to her notebook and turns the page.

Yes, here we are … I knew I jotted down a note somewhere … this one I do remember …

Idea for book

Murder utterly motiveless

Because dead man and murderer

Unacquainted –

Reason – a rehearsal

I’m sure this is really original but it needs careful treatment. Let’s leave that for the moment … not sure where to go from there … tricky set-up but I think the idea is promising … worth thinking about it carefully …

She looks speculatively again at the final word of the note and then glances across at the good-looking man opposite, still ostensibly studying his script.

My good-looking friend is examining his reflection in the window … he knows the young girl opposite is watching him … seems to enjoy it … used to people watching him … matinee-idol good looks … matinee … actor … rehearsal. How about an actor for the murder-as-rehearsal idea? Seems to make sense … but victim or murderer? Mmm … possibilities here although I’m not sure of carrying off a theatre milieu. Maybe just an actor and his social circle …

She turns another page and looks reminiscently at what she has previously written.

Man stabbed in room – everyone there – behind screen – gagged first.

Man induced to hide in other man’s rooms (his wife coming there) has tea first (drugged)

Hmmm, yes, that one we all wrote … was it last year?… the body found behind the screen when the blood flowed out from beneath it … lots of people in the room. Blood on the Screen or Under the Screen or something … Trouble with those combined efforts … you have to remember that someone else is going to take over after you so you can’t do everything, or even anything, you want … Dorothy always wants it all very structured and organised … I can’t really work under those circumstances and I think I can do something else with that same basic idea …

Man hides in chest – (but bores hole to see through) has previously had a dinner with friend …

Must finish this off … Edmund is sure The Strand will take it … which would be nice … and I have most of it sketched here … just a matter of writing it up. But I want to get Ruth Draper down on paper.

She flicks through a few pages until she finds a blank one, unscrews the top of her pen, writes and firmly underlines:

Book

Man Killed – says Jane Wilkinson (actress) beautiful amoral – ‘Only way is for me to kill him’

Carlotta Adams – her imitations – (including Jane) ‘Would do anything for money’

Crime discovered – either victim says it was Jane – or man servant saw her – or girl secretary saw her

However, Jane has alibi – quite unbreakable – dinner

Carlotta Adams also dies – before Poirot can see her – a simple poison

Right, that’s my basic situation. Now I wonder if I could work in the ‘Evans’ dying words idea, if the victim says Jane’s name … and I could call one of the servants Evans … must be careful about Poirot not getting to see Carlotta before she dies … now, some more detail …

An actress Jane W comes to see Poirot – engaged to Duke of Merton

Martin Squire – pleasant hearty young fellow – an admirer of Miss Wilkinson’s – he is seen next evening having supper with Carlotta

Lord Mountcarlin

Other man (Duke? Millionaire?)

Bryan Martin actor in films with her

Lord Mountcarlin’s nephew Ronnie West (debonair Peter Wimseyish)

Miss Carroll Margaret Carroll middle-aged woman A Miss Clifford

Not convinced about some of those names but I can remedy that later … ‘Evans’ is still a possibility but I’m not sure in which capacity … and I need some more suspects … what about the old reliable, the butler? or maybe a maid of Carlotta’s? And I think I’d better have Japp, especially if I set it in London … which is the most likely possibility if I have theatres and actors and actresses and rehearsals … he could be the official investigator. Rehearsals … now, I wonder … should I combine Ruth Draper and the rehearsal idea … or are they each good enough to carry a book on their own? I think they are …

Japp comes to see Poirot – threats – P says quietly ‘Who heard them?’ – J hedges? But perfect alibi – party Amersham

She pauses briefly and considers what she has written, reflecting on possible opening scenes. Turning the page she continues covering the smaller-than-usual pages in flowing, black handwriting.

Now, the actual events from the beginning …

Sequence

At theatre – CA’s performance – H’s reflections. Is JW really such a good actress? Looks round – JW – her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Supper at Savoy – Jane at next table – CA there also …

Enter Bryan (and CA) JW has gone into bedroom …

Next JW herself – her account – the telephone call …

With Jenny Driver – called for her – 8.30 – and took her out for evening …

Immersed mentally in the West End of night clubs and theatres and hat shops and dinner parties, she fails to notice the train slowing down until it jerks to a stop and her pen stabs the page. Glancing up briefly, she notes the approach of the ticket collector and reaches into her handbag to retrieve her ticket. Anxious to return to Jane and Carlotta and Miss Carroll, she begins a new page.

She is relieved? or disappointed. P asks if he can see Miss Carroll …

Her pen falters and she shakes it impatiently; a large splash of black ink obliterates most of the page.

Oh, what a mess … how can I mop it up?… no, I’ll just tear it out completely and start again … luckily, it’s a new page and I won’t lose the back …

‘Tickets, please.’

Distracted, she tears the page from the notebook and produces her ticket, noting idly that the official has a button missing from his uniform.

‘Thank you, Ma’am.’

Now, where was I? … Poirot was about to question Jenny … no, Miss Carroll … and he was talking to … let me check …

She unfurls the discarded, blotted page and studies it.

he is relieved

… who is?… was he not talking to … Oh, I see what’s happened … I didn’t remove it completely … there’s still some of the first word left in the notebook … makes quite a difference … now, I wonder …

She stares out the carriage window but instead of snow-covered countryside she sees Poirot, clutching a letter with a torn edge, gesticulating and explaining excitedly to Hastings, who merely looks bewildered, completely missing the vital point. She picks up her pen once more and while the idea is fresh in her mind dashes down her inspiration – an inspiration that will hang the murderer of Lord Edgware.

P looking at letter –

He had to tear it – you see?

I see nothing …

Letter … suggesting the letter was She…

‘If one idea in particular seems attractive, and you feel you could do something with it, then you toss it around, play tricks with it, work it up, tone it down, and gradually get it into shape.’

Introduction to Passenger to Frankfurt

The 73 notebooks reposed in an unpretentious brown cardboard box at the bottom of a cupboard; notebooks in various shapes, sizes, colours and states of preservation, covered with sprawling and often illegible handwriting in pencil, fountain pen and biro; no chronology, no order, no method; but a splendid profusion of imagination.