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Franklin Clarke is the major antagonist of The ABC Murders of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poriot novels. He is a serial killer known as the A.B.C. killer. In the TV show episode with the same name, Franklin is played by Donald Douglas.
Plot of The ABC Murders
After a meeting with the third victim's widow, Lady Clarke, Poirot realises one commonality at each of the three murders: a man selling silk stockings appeared the day of the murder. He sold a pair to Mrs. Ascher and to Mrs. Barnard, while being sent away from the Clarke home. A.B.C. sends his next letter, directing everybody to Doncaster. As the St. Leger horse race will take place that day, Poirot hopes to find him on the race course. But A. B. C. strikes in a cinema hall instead, killing George Earlsfield, instead of Roger Emmanuel Downes, a logical victim sitting only two seats away. However, Cust, about whom neither the Legion nor Poirot knows, slips out of the cinema hall unnoticed, after suffering a blackout. Cust, who has no idea of the happenings, finds the murder weapon in his pocket, blood on his sleeve, and realises the implications.
Tom Hartigan tips off Crome, while Lily tips off Cust, who tries to flee, but collapses at the Andover police station. When taken into custody, he believes he must be guilty. The search of his rooms finds silk stockings, lists of clients, the fine paper of A.B.C.'s letters to Poirot, an unopened box of ABC railway guides, and in the hall, the still-bloody knife used in the last murder. The police find that Cust was never hired by the stocking firm and the letters were typed on the typewriter he claims was given to him by the firm. Poirot meets Cust, but doubts his guilt after hearing Cust's full story; Cust has a solid alibi for the Bexhill murder and has no memory of any murder. Poirot calls a Legion meeting. He categorically proves that Cust is not the murderer. Early on, in discussing the Churston letter, Hastings remarked that the letter was meant to go astray. Poirot realises this simple solution is the correct one. The murderer wanted no chance of the police interrupting that murder. Poirot reveals that A.B.C. is in fact Franklin Clarke.
Franklin feared that after Lady Clarke's imminent death, Carmichael would marry Thora Grey. This would mean that the estate which Franklin stood to gain would go to Thora and any children she might have with Carmichael. Franklin decided to kill his brother while Lady Clarke is alive and make it look like a serial killing to throw off suspicion. Franklin met Cust in a chance encounter in a bar, thus giving him the idea of A.B.C. He planned and executed everything so that Cust would be framed, having served as his stalking horse.
Franklin laughs off Poirot's claims, but panics when Poirot states that his fingerprint was found on Cust's typewriter key, and that Franklin had been recognised by Milly Higley in the company of Betty Barnard, the second victim. Franklin tries to shoot himself using his gun, but Poirot has already had the gun emptied with help of a pickpocket. The police take him. With the case finally solved, Poirot pairs off Megan and Donald. Poirot tells Cust to demand a higher price from the press for his story and suggests that Cust's headaches may arise from his spectacles. Poirot tells Hastings that the fingerprint on the typewriter was a bluff. Poirot is pleased that he and Hastings had another experience together: "we went hunting once more".
Victims
- Alice Ascher (in Andover)
- Betty Barnard (in Bexhill)
- Sir Carmichael Clarke (in Churston)
- George Earlsfield (in Doncaster)
Attempted
- Alexander Bonaparte Cust
Trivia
- Franklin Clarke, Lefranco Cassetti and Stephen Norton are the three only villains in Hercule Poirot novels who are highly considered as Complete Monsters.
