The whole fortune would then pass to her son.’

‘And her object was to murder Mrs Renauld?’ When she discovered her error, she tried to kill Mrs Renauld too, so that Jack would inherit the estate: Therefore Marthe had believed (wrongly) that she could become rich by killing Renauld and marrying Jack. ‘What motive! Money! Renauld was a millionaire several times over, and at his death (or so she and Jack believed) half that vast fortune would pass to his son.’ ‘But what possible motive could Marthe have for murdering Mr Renauld?’ I argued. ‘I knew that he had left half his fortune to me, the other half in trust for my mother, to come to me at her death.’Īnd since Jack did not know this, neither did Marthe Daubreuil: ‘You were aware, then, of the terms of your father’s will?’ Jack indicates, when questioned, that he was unaware that his father had made a new will: ‘Perhaps,’ began Bex, ‘you did not notice-’

Nothing so very unusual about that.’ He handed it back. Witnessed by the two servants, Denise and Françoise. ‘And everything else left unconditionally to his beloved wife, Eloise. He remained in England, but was over here once or twice for a weekend.’ A legacy of a thousand pounds to Mr Stonor-who is he, by the way?’ The only thing at all out of the ordinary was his will.

The new will therefore left everything to his wife unconditionally: It is essential that she should have control of the money, so he alters his will.’ He must appear to die, in reality escaping to another country where he will start again under an assumed name and where Madame Renauld, having played the widow’s part for a while, can join him. ‘Renauld sees only one way of escape-death. Project Gutenberg.īut Renauld’s plan to fake his death and escape to another country required him to change his will, as he did not want to let Jack in on the plan, and it would be inconvenient if his money were encumbered by a trust: I rather think he left me a thousand.’Īgatha Christie (1923). Half in trust to his wife for her lifetime, the other half to his son. I can give you the name of his solicitors if you want to see it. ‘I know all about it-took it to the lawyers for him after he’d drawn it out. ‘Did Monsieur Renauld take you into his confidence at all as to the dispositions of his will?’ ‘Ah, that reminds me of another point,’ said M. Previously Renauld’s will had divided his fortune between his wife Eloise (under a trust) and his son Jack:

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