A.B.C Murders

At the end of the book after Alexander Bonaparte Cust is released, Agatha Christie creates the ending to be shocking and unbelievable. The murderer was right under everyone’s nose the entire time. It turns out that the A.B.C murderer was the third victims own brother. Sir Carmichael Clarke had a brother named Franklin Clarke who wanted his brothers’ money and estate. In order to receive it after his death without causing suspicion he decided to make his brother’s murder one amongst many of a suspected psychotic serial killer. This way, the murderer would create the allusion that there may have been a connection between all of the victims and a hidden clue on the A.B.C railway guide when it fact was irrelevant.

Poor Alexander Bonaparte Cust comes in with no connection to the murders by through Franklin Clarke’s clever planning. The two had met but with no intention of the murders happening but then Clarke saw his opening and used Cust as an alias. Clarke helps Cust to get a job as a stocking salesman that way he will be in the vicinity of the murders and not remember details due to his epilepsy. There was also more evidence pointed toward Cust that was explained by Clarke. The typewriter that Cust had which produced all of letters was sent to him from Clarke after all of the letters were written, along with a package of A.B.C railway guides. On the third murder, the letter had been addressed to the wrong residence on purpose, giving Franklin Clarke time to commit the murder. To take the suspicion away from Franklin Clarke’s brothers’ murder, the letters were written to Poirot so that an investigation could begin immediately, and Sir Carmichael Clarke’s murder would blow by while the chase to find the murderer continued.