Peril at End House - Plot

Plot

Poirot is staying at the Majestic Hotel at Cornish resort of St Loo. They meet the young Magdala 'Nick' Buckley, who lives in End House, a slightly ramshackle house on a point in the bay. A conversation with her makes Poirot believe that someone is out to kill her. This is confirmed when Poirot finds a bullet that Nick had thought to be a wasp shooting past her head. Poirot explains his concern to Nick, who does not believe him until the bullet is revealed to be from Nick’s gun, which has gone missing. Poirot suspects someone in Nick's inner circle and starts shortlisting various suspects.

Nick’s nearest living relative is a lawyer cousin, Charles Vyse, who arranged the re-mortgaging on End House for her to supply desperately needed funds. Her housekeeper is named Ellen, and the lodge near End House is being leased by Mr. and Mrs. Croft, an Australian couple. Then there is George Challenger, who has soft spot for Nick. Nick’s two closest friends are Freddie Rice, an abused wife, and Jim Lazarus, an art dealer in love with Freddie. It is revealed that Nick was to undergo an appendix surgery six months before, upon which the Crofts suggested her to make a will.

Poirot doesn't understand why somebody would want Nick dead: Charles would inherit the End House and Freddie would get rest of the estate, nothing of which was worth killing for. Poirot advises Nick to call some relative to stay with her for few weeks. Nick decides to call her distant cousin Maggie. Nick decides to host a little party the day Maggie arrives. Everyone except George comes to the party. Meanwhile, a renowned pilot named Michael Seton has gone missing, which sparks a debate amongst rest of the people about his fate. Here, Nick receives a call while rest of the people are enjoying the party.

Later, Maggie is found dead, wearing Nick's shawl. Nick and Maggie had gone to freshen up, after which Maggie took Nick's shawl. George, who has finally arrived at End House, is relieved to see Nick alive. Realizing that Maggie was killed by mistake under his own nose, Poirot becomes furious and launches an investigation. He finds that Ellen was working instead of enjoying the festivities, but she claims she knows nothing. However, Ellen tells him that there is a secret compartment somewhere in the house. Nick denies knowing anything about the compartment.

To protect Nick, Poirot tells everybody that she is being sent to a hospital as she has taken the events very badly. He tells everybody to leave her alone and asks her to not to eat anything that comes from unknown place. Next day, Poirot learns through the newspapers that Michael Seton is dead and correctly deduces that Nick got the information through the call. Nick confesses to Poirot that she and Michael had secretly married. Since Michael was a sole inheritor of a vast wealth, it now becomes clear that all his wealth will go to Nick.

Poirot suspects Freddie of trying to kill Nick to usurp the money. On other hand, he also thinks that Charles may have tried to kill her, not knowing anything about the will or its contents. Additionally, Poirot is wary of the Crofts. He tells Inspector Japp to learn about the Crofts. Meanwhile, Poirot and Hastings find the love letters written by Michael, but Nick's original will is not found. Nick remembers that she had already sent it to Charles. Poirot questions Charles, who denies getting any will. On the other hand, Mr. Croft tells Poirot that he sent the will to Charles, leading Poirot to believe that either of the men is lying.

Later, after meeting Michael's attorney, Poirot confirms that Nick was indeed going to receive the money. Here, another attempt on Nick's life takes place when she eats a chocolate from a box, allegedly sent by Poirot himself. The chocolates are found to be laced with cocaine, but Nick is safe as she ate only one. The chocolates were actually supplied by Freddie, who claims that Nick phoned her to bring the chocolates. Freddie notes that she found Nick's voice a bit different. Poirot suspects Freddie, as he realizes that she is a cocaine addict and hence has an access to its supply. Later, a note demanding money is found, but neither the recipient nor the senders identity is known. Now, Poirot finds some love letters written to Michael. He lies to everybody that Nick is dead, convincing her to play dead.

Some days later, Charles tells Poirot that he has received Nick's will. The will is read in End House, according to which all her money goes to the Crofts, who she claims to have helped her father in Australia. Everybody is in disbelief, except the Crofts themselves, but Nick's "ghost" appears and it is revealed that the Crofts forged the will and sent it to Charles. Inspector Japp reveals that the Crofts are forgerers. When they learnt that Nick was dead, they sent a fraudulent will to Charles. He arrests the duo, but Poirot claims that they have no hand in the murder. Just then, somebody shoots Freddie and misses. Poirot captures the man, who is revealed to be Freddie's sick and dying husband.

Now, Poirot gives the denouement saying that there is indeed a secret panel in the mansion. He reveals that the real murderer is Nick herself and that Michael was actually married to Maggie, not Nick. Both had the same name, Magdala, but the correspondence had taken place between Michael and "Maggie". After learning of Michael's wealth and disappearance, Nick plotted to present herself as Michael's love interest to usurp his wealth. The whole setup was her own work, to get a cause to bring Maggie there and kill her, preventing anybody from knowing the truth.

Next, it is revealed that George was the one who used to supply cocaine to both Freddie and Nick. Nick used her supply to poison the chocolates. The note about money was from Freddie's husband, who was constantly asking her money. Nick is arrested, upon which she takes Freddie's cocaine box as a souvenir. Poirot tells George that he should either surrender himself or go away, leaving Freddie (who had stopped taking the drugs) alone. He also notes that the box taken by Nick contains a lethal dose of cocaine, which she will use to escape gallows. In the end, Jim and Freddie decide to get married.