The stage is set in the small village of St. Mary Mead. The audience can see a quaint cottage where Miss Jane Marple resides. The sound of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the wind can be heard in the background.
Miss Marple, a woman in her late 60s, is sitting on her porch, knitting a sweater. She is interrupted by her close friend, Mrs. Bantry, who comes rushing in.
Mrs. Bantry: "Jane, have you heard the news? Colonel Protheroe has been murdered!"
Miss Marple: "Oh, dear me. How terrible. I knew the Colonel quite well, you know."
Mrs. Bantry: "Yes, it's quite a shock. And the police are saying it was someone from the village who did it. Do you have any idea who it could be?"
The sound of a police siren can be heard in the distance as the curtain falls.
ACT II
The scene opens in the local pub, where the villagers have gathered to discuss the recent murder of Colonel Protheroe. The pub is packed, and everyone is talking at once, trying to make sense of what has happened.
Miss Marple enters the pub, and the chatter dies down as the villagers notice her presence. She nods politely and takes a seat at the bar. The bartender, Tom, greets her warmly.
Tom: "Miss Marple, what can I get for you?"
Miss Marple: "Just a cup of tea, Tom, thank you."
Tom nods and gets her tea, and Miss Marple listens intently to the conversation around her. She hears different theories about who might have killed the Colonel, and she takes mental notes of the information being shared.
As the conversation dies down, Miss Marple stands up and addresses the group.
Miss Marple: "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, and I must say I find it all very concerning. Colonel Protheroe was a dear friend of mine, and I believe we owe it to him to find out who did this."
The villagers nod in agreement, and Miss Marple continues.
Miss Marple: "Now, I know we all think we know each other in this village, but I've learned from experience that things are not always what they seem. I think we need to look at this from a different angle, and I'm willing to do some investigating of my own."
The villagers look at her with surprise, and a few of them murmur in agreement. Miss Marple finishes her tea and leaves the pub, leaving the villagers to ponder her words.
As the curtain falls, the sound of footsteps can be heard walking away, and the pub goes quiet.
ACT III
The scene opens with Miss Marple visiting the local vicar, Reverend Leonard Clement. The two are sitting in the vicarage's living room, sipping tea and discussing the murder.
Miss Marple: "Reverend, I was hoping to pick your brain. You knew Colonel Protheroe quite well, didn't you?"
Rev. Clement: "Yes, I did. He was a frequent visitor to the church, and we often had conversations about theology and philosophy."
Miss Marple: "Interesting. And did he ever mention anything to you that might be relevant to his murder?"
Rev. Clement: "I can't say that he did, Miss Marple. But I do remember him telling me a riddle once, which he said was a clue to something important."
Miss Marple: "A riddle, you say? Do you remember what it was?"
Rev. Clement: "I do. It went something like this: 'In the place where the dead lie, the answer lies hidden. Look to the past, and you will find the key to the future.'"
Miss Marple nods thoughtfully.
Miss Marple: "That's quite cryptic, isn't it? But I believe I may have an idea of what it means. Thank you for your help, Reverend."
Miss Marple stands up to leave, and the Reverend sees her out.
As the curtain falls, Miss Marple is deep in thought, pondering the riddle and what it could mean.
ACT IV
The scene opens with Miss Marple visiting the local bookstore. She enters and looks around, searching for a specific book.
The bookstore owner, Mr. Edward Robinson, approaches her.
Mr. Robinson: "Good afternoon, Miss Marple. What brings you to my humble bookstore today?"
Miss Marple: "Good afternoon, Mr. Robinson. I'm looking for a book on local history. I believe it might hold some clues to the recent murder."
Mr. Robinson nods and leads her to a section of the store dedicated to history books.
Miss Marple: "Thank you, Mr. Robinson. I'll take a look."
Miss Marple spends several minutes browsing the books, looking for any clues that might help her solve the case. As she reaches for a book on the top shelf, it slips from her grasp and falls to the ground.
Miss Marple bends down to pick it up and notices a piece of paper sticking out from between the pages. She pulls it out and sees that it's a letter from a woman named Caroline Sheppard.
Miss Marple's eyes widen in surprise.
Miss Marple: "Caroline Sheppard? That's the same name as the narrator of one of Agatha Christie's books. How curious."
Mr. Robinson looks over her shoulder.
Mr. Robinson: "Yes, she's quite well-known in these parts. She's a bit of a recluse, but her family has been in the village for generations."
Miss Marple: "I see. Well, thank you for your help, Mr. Robinson. I think I'll pay a visit to Miss Sheppard."
As Miss Marple leaves the bookstore, Mr. Robinson watches her go, a worried expression on his face.
As the curtain falls, the audience is left wondering about Mr. Robinson's reaction and what secrets Caroline Sheppard might be hiding.
ACT V
The scene opens with Miss Marple visiting Caroline Sheppard's cottage. She knocks on the door, but there is no answer. She tries the door, and to her surprise, it's unlocked.
Miss Marple enters the cottage and calls out, but there is still no response. She looks around, and everything seems to be in order until she notices a picture frame on the floor.
She picks it up and sees that it's a picture of Colonel Protheroe and Caroline Sheppard. Miss Marple turns the picture over and sees a message scribbled on the back: "I'll make you pay for what you've done."
Miss Marple's mind races. Who could have written this message, and what did it mean?
Just then, she hears a noise coming from the back of the cottage. She cautiously makes her way to the source of the noise, a storage room filled with old furniture and boxes.
As she approaches, she sees someone move behind a stack of boxes. She reaches for her walking stick and approaches, calling out to the figure.
Miss Marple: "Who's there? Show yourself!"
Suddenly, the figure emerges, and Miss Marple is shocked to see that it's Mr. Edward Robinson, the bookstore owner.
Miss Marple: "Mr. Robinson, what are you doing here?"
Mr. Robinson: "I could ask you the same question, Miss Marple. What brings you to Caroline's cottage?"
Miss Marple: "I came to ask her some questions about the murder of Colonel Protheroe. What are you doing here?"
Mr. Robinson: "I'm here to...to make sure that Caroline is safe. She's been receiving threatening letters, and I wanted to make sure she was all right."
Miss Marple eyes him suspiciously.
Miss Marple: "I see. And what about this?"
Miss Marple holds up the picture frame with the message on the back.
Mr. Robinson looks at it, his face turning pale.
Mr. Robinson: "I...I don't know anything about that. I swear."
Miss Marple nods slowly.
Miss Marple: "Very well. Let's go see Caroline together, shall we?"
As the curtain falls, the audience is left wondering what Mr. Robinson's true motives might be and what secrets Caroline Sheppard might be hiding.
ACT VI
The scene opens with Miss Marple and Mr. Robinson arriving at Caroline Sheppard's cottage. They knock on the door, but there is no response. Miss Marple tries the door, and to her surprise, it's unlocked again.
They enter the cottage and find it empty. Miss Marple notices that there is a tea kettle on the stove, and it's still warm. She also notices that Caroline's purse is on the kitchen table.
Miss Marple: "Something's not right here. Caroline wouldn't leave her purse and the tea kettle on like this. We need to find her."
Mr. Robinson nods in agreement, and they begin to search the cottage. As they search, they come across a hidden door in the wall, which leads to a small room.
Inside the room, they find Caroline, tied up and unconscious. They quickly free her and call for help.
As Caroline is being treated, Miss Marple and Mr. Robinson try to piece together what happened. They find a note near Caroline's purse that reads, "I have what I want. You'll never see me again."
Miss Marple: "This note is a false lead. Someone wants us to believe that Caroline has been kidnapped for ransom. But I suspect that there's more to this than meets the eye."
Just then, Hercule Poirot enters the cottage.
Hercule Poirot: "Miss Marple, Mr. Robinson, what a pleasure to see you both. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. I believe I may have some information that could shed some light on this matter."
Miss Marple: "What is it, Monsieur Poirot?"
Hercule Poirot: "I've been doing some digging, and I've discovered that the murder of Colonel Protheroe was not a random act. It appears that he was killed because he had discovered something that he wasn't supposed to. Something that someone was willing to kill to keep secret."
Mr. Robinson: "And what was that, Monsieur Poirot?"
Hercule Poirot: "I don't know yet, but I suspect that Caroline may have some answers. She was the last person to see the Colonel alive, and she's been receiving threatening letters. It's possible that she's a witness to something that she doesn't even realize."
Miss Marple nods in agreement.
Miss Marple: "It all seems to be coming together, doesn't it? But there's still something missing. Something that we haven't uncovered yet."
As the curtain falls, the audience is left wondering what the missing piece of the puzzle could be, and whether Miss Caroline is really the brilliant and deceptive killer that Hercule Poirot suspects she might be?.
ACT VII
The scene opens with Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Mr. Robinson, Caroline Sheppard, and the rest of the villagers gathered in the village hall. Hercule Poirot takes center stage, and the audience can feel the tension in the air.
Hercule Poirot: "Ladies and gentlemen, we have gathered here today to solve a most heinous crime. The murder of Colonel Protheroe."
The audience leans forward in their seats, eager to hear the truth behind the murder.
Hercule Poirot: "As you know, the Colonel was found dead in the vicarage. At first, we thought it was a simple case of murder. But as we dug deeper, we discovered that it was far more complex than we could have ever imagined."
Hercule Poirot begins to reveal the details of the murder, going through each suspect one by one and explaining their motives and alibis. The audience is on the edge of their seats as each piece of the puzzle falls into place.
Hercule Poirot: "But there is one person who has eluded our suspicion. One person who has been hiding in plain sight."
Miss Marple looks at Hercule Poirot, her eyes narrowing.
Hercule Poirot: "That person is none other than Miss Jane Marple."
The villagers gasp in shock, and Miss Marple stands up, her face a mask of disbelief.
Miss Marple: "Monsieur Poirot, what are you saying? I am not the killer."
Hercule Poirot: "Oh, but you are, Miss Marple. You see, I have uncovered the truth behind your carefully crafted facade."
Hercule Poirot goes on to reveal how Miss Marple has been using her position as an amateur detective to manipulate the investigation and keep suspicion away from herself. He explains how she used her knowledge of the villagers and their secrets to create an intricate web of lies and deception that ultimately led to the murder of Colonel Protheroe who knew Miss Marple's secret.
The audience is stunned, and Miss Marple looks like she might faint.
Miss Marple: "But why, Monsieur Poirot? Why would I do such a thing?"
Hercule Poirot: "For the thrill of it, Miss Marple. You enjoy the power that comes with knowing the secrets of others. And when you realized that Colonel Protheroe had discovered something that he shouldn't have, you knew that you had to act to protect yourself."
Miss Marple begins to protest, but Hercule Poirot silences her.
Hercule Poirot: "You see, Miss Marple, the truth has a way of coming out eventually. And in this case, it has revealed you for what you truly are: a brilliantly deceptive serial killer, and to my count you have murdered 43 people."
The villagers murmur amongst themselves, unsure of what to make of this revelation. Miss Marple sits down, her face pale and resigned.
As the curtain falls, the audience is left to ponder the shocking turn of events and wonder if anyone in their own community could be hiding such dark secrets.
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