Nigel Chapman admits to having stolen the stethoscope to pose as a doctor and steal some morphine tartrate from the hospital dispensary as part of a bet to acquire three deadly poisons (the other two being digitalin and hyoscine). Inspector Sharpe solves the mystery of the stolen stethoscope during his interviews with the inhabitants of the hostel. It does not take investigators long to see that her death is murder.
Celia is discovered dead the following morning from an overdose of morphine. The more important incidents remain unsolved. She makes restitution for the crimes and reconciles with her victims. She committed the lesser thefts to attract the attention of Colin McNabb, a psychology student who then becomes engaged to her. She denies, however, the following: stealing Nigel Chapman's green ink and using it to deface Elizabeth Johnston's work taking the stethoscope, the light bulbs and boracic powder and cutting up and concealing a rucksack. Poirot's solution of the petty thefts is unsubtle but effective: once he has threatened to call in the police, Celia Austin quickly confesses to the pettier incidents. These include a stethoscope, some lightbulbs, some old flannel trousers, a box of chocolates, a slashed rucksack, some boracic powder and a diamond ring later found in a bowl of soup – he congratulates the warden, Mrs Hubbard, on a 'unique and beautiful problem'.
Then Celia is murdered.Īn outbreak of apparent kleptomania at a student hostel arouses Hercule Poirot's interest when he sees the bizarre list of stolen and vandalised items. Poirot is initially asked to investigate petty thefts and vandalism in the hostel, and easily discovers that most of these acts were committed by resident Celia Austin. The novel is notable for featuring Poirot's efficient secretary, Miss Felicity Lemon, who had previously appeared only in the Poirot short stories. It features her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. The UK edition retailed at ten shillings and sixpence (10/6) and the US edition at $3.00. Hickory Dickory Dock is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 31 October 1955 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in November of the same year under the title of Hickory Dickory Death.
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