Status Updates From The House of Lurking Death:...

As Hannah lunges for Miss Logan, she sets the bed on fire, and thankfully, Tommy is able to put it out. As he does, the doctor comes in. He confirms that the shock of the fire has killed Miss Logan, who was already fragile. He also confirms that there was also ricin in the glass they brought to him.

There are still a few questions that weren't answered but a nice wrap-up all the same.

Just as this is revealed Hannah jumps out with a torch! She heard the truth and she knew the truth. She had seen the older woman reading the book and saw what page she was reading. She knew that somehow the old woman must have killed her Mistress but couldn’t understand what it was. She knew that deep down that someone in her household killed her mistress (even though she was a "simple" maid).

She is pretty certain that Miss Logan has been doing just that. Working with her father, Miss Logan knew exactly how to extract it from the plants and how to use it. She poisoned herself so that she would not be considered a suspect. It was very important that Lois died first. If she did, Dennis would inherit all her money. Once he died, it would pass to his next of kin. Miss Logan was his father’s first cousin.

Tuppence has to ask Miss Logan one more question. Tuppence worked as a nurse in the War and she knows something about Syrum therapeutics. She tells Miss Logan that she knows a person can inject themselves many times over with small doses of something (ricin) and form immunities to them. An anti-ricin in this case, which would have saved the old lady from certain death.

Tuppence actually remembered seeing Castor plants in the garden of the house. This could easily be where the poison came from. In the book that Tommy took from Hannah’s room, he realized that the page it was open to was about ricin! As she reads the book on their way back to the door, Tuppence has an idea.

When they returned from their walk, they stopped at the doctor’s house. He wasn’t home but a young boy answered the door. He had a note for Tommy left by the doctor. The note told Tommy that the poison was ricin. This all but confirms that the book Tommy took probably played a part in the murders. Which means it is definitely someone living in the household.

Tuppence ask casually if Tommy noticed “a lot of small red dots” on Miss Logan’s arm. Tuppence believed they were made by syringes. Tommy didn’t notice but suggested the doctor may have given her some shots. Tuppence agreed that could be a possibility, however, there were forty shots. Tommy suggested cocaine or something like it, though Tuppence noticed that Miss Logan’s eyes showed no signs of a drug habit.

Finally, they talk about the other woman that died, Esther Quant. Tuppence wonders what that woman was like. And Tommy suggests that maybe Esther Quant was involved. With no answers, Tommy and Tuppence are quite discouraged. They are aware that the police will soon take this case and hopefully get to the bottom of things. This is one of their first "real cases".

While they agree that there is a lot of evidence against Hannah, Tuppence has an idea. She asks Tommy if he liked Mary Chilcott. He said he did, but Tuppence isn’t so inclined. She find it odd that Mary wasn’t as upset as she ought to be. But Tommy brushes this away. He thinks if Mary Chilcott had poisoned people she would be quite upset with herself. And there doesn’t seem to be a motive for Mary either.

First Captain Radclyffe, could have poisoned his cousin. But if it was him, how does he then die of poisoning himself? Next, they look at Hannah, she is a “religious zealot” in Tommy's words. But they believe that she needs some help perhaps from the doctor. It seems to have come on quickly, Miss Logan seemed shocked to hear about it, which makes no sense. Though Tommy points out that it could be a sudden change.

The is something odd about the house, Tuppence can feel it. And she suggests a walk so she and Tommy and figure things out. Once they are out they drop off the glass with the doctor and walk around talking. Tommy still tells his wife how guilty he feels. He still thinks there could have been more done to save her. He is even more determined now to solve the case. They talk about each possibility individually.

She did note that though the book should be in her sitting room, she lend it to Mary the other day. She tells Tommy and Tuppence that she brews her own liquors and that Mary often does things with herbs. She notes that Hannah is typically the one that cleans up that area. It seems like anyone could have had access to the book and the tools needed to create a poison.

Their first question is about Hannah. Tommy wants to know if she is “right in the head” which is surprising to the older woman. Then they ask about the book. Her father was Edward Logan and she describes him as a brilliant doctor. And she seems quite confused as to why Hannah would have the book. She finds it “disgraceful” that the help is touching her things.

When out of the room they notice the title is quite odd for a maid. It is a medical book by Edward Logan (or belonging to Edward Logan), which leads them to think of Ms Logan whom they haven’t talked to yet. They are then led to her. She is an old lady who seems to be recovering slightly from her ordeal. She tells Tommy and Tuppence that Lois told her she was going to detectives and she is open to asking questions.

Eventually, Tuppence asks about “Hannah”. She seemed “queer” and Tuppence brings Tommy to see her. Hannah is reading from her bible and is quite engrossed in what she is reading. She is rambling and seems to be having a nervous break. Tommy asks to speak to her but she tells them to leave her. She advances on them and Tommy decides to leave the room before anything happens but not before he slips one of the books.

Once Mary leaves them, Tommy and Tuppence establish a timeline of events. The sandwiches came out for tea, and the parlourmaid had one. However, Mary Chilcott said that Dennis wasn’t home for tea, it was cleared away by the time he arrived back home (around 6:45 pm according to one of the housemaids). “How did he get poisoned?” He had a cocktail before dinner, and Tuppence gathered the cup for testing.

As the doctor is about to leave, Mary Chilcott joins them and she is introduced to Tommy and Tuppence. She tells them that the fig jam is a staple in the house and not unusual. She states she doesn’t like figs so she was not affected. She also says that Dennis was out for tea, so she is not sure how he was affected but chalked it up to him grabbing a sandwich once he was home.

While talking to the doctor, Tommy asks if he is certain that Dennis was suffering from the same type of poisoning. To everyone's shock the doctor says no, he is not suffering any type of poisoning. Instead, he reveals that Captain Dennis Radclyffe died that morning. The doctor however believes that the other victim, Miss Logan will survive. He seems optimistic since she is an older woman and has survived so far.

Obviously, since the chocolates were laced with arsenic, Tommy asks if that is what killed the pair. But the doctor insists it is not. This was much more powerful and worked much quicker than arsenic would have. The doctor suggests a “powerful vegetable toxin”. Though he isn't sure what kind that would be. Clearly, he would only know once the analysis is done.