Case 7
You might have heard of her. A woman ahead of her time. One of
the greatest mystery writers the world has ever seen. But did you know that
there’s a mystery behind the Queen of Mystery herself?
In December 1926, the 36 year old Agatha disappeared from an
English estate. Her car was later found not far from the estate. Inside the car
were many of her belongings. Despite leaving a note saying she’d be taking a
holiday, the circumstances seem odd. Due to the suddenness of it all and the state
of the car, the police feared the worst. A manhunt was quickly commenced. And despite
its size of nearly 16,000 people and it having divers and pilots alike involved,
there was no sign of Agatha.
Much the same way the theory of murder spread, so too did
the list of suspects. The top suspect? Agatha’s husband, Archie. Archie was
known to be unfaithful and often fought with his wife. To most, he seemed like
the logical suspect. That is, until a week and a half later, when Agatha was
found in a swanky hotel in Harrogate. Agatha was spotted by a fan, and it was
discovered she had checked in under a false name.
What was the fallout? Well, people were big mad. Many suspected
it was all for attention. But was there a scarier answer? Many people speculate
that Agatha might have been having mental health issues at the time. Not much
has been said by Agatha herself, other than to say that she was in a “dream
like” state the whole time. Some people suggest that she might have been trying
to frame her husband for murder.
Agatha was dead set against not speaking of the incident. She
didn’t mention it, and when asked, she didn’t answer. She even left it out of
her autobiography.
So, my question to you is: what do you think happened? Personally,
I’m torn on this one. On the one hand, Agatha knew her husband was having an
affair. Lord knows he didn’t hide it. And that’s enough to make anyone want
revenge. But if that was her plan, why not leave England? She certainly had the
time and resources. And if it was all for publicity, why not make a bigger
spectacle of herself when she was “found”? I don’t think that it was a mental
break, personally. A depressive episode? Possibly. But when in the hotel, she
checked in under a false name, the surname of which was the surname of Archie’s
lover, and she also created an elaborate backstory. Agatha is quoted as saying
that she enjoyed being someone else from somewhere else for a while. Did the
pressure get to be too much for her? Did she need a break? All valid questions.
Sadly, all the questions in this case will remain unanswered. She never told
anyone what happened, and no one else knows. So, this is one mystery that will
remain unsolved.
Sources:
The Lineup
CrimeReads
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