| “ | She's afraid of me, you see. Poor, beautiful Claire. Been afraid of me for a long time. That's why she sent for your uncle, that famous helper of - what is it Violet calls them? 'Loonies'? Well, he won't be helping them any more. Look at it, Dermot. Did you ever see such a beautiful knife? She always knows when I'm thinking of it. I'm saving it for her. | „ |
| ~ Trent in the TV adaptation. |
Jack Trent is the main antagonist of Agatha Christie's short story "The Red Signal". He is initially introduced as the protagonist Dermot's friend, but is eventually revealed as the murderer of Sir Alington West.
He was portrayed by Christopher Cazenove in the TV adaptation.
Overview
Original short story
As mentioned above, Trent is initially introduced as the best friend of Dermot West, who attends a séance with him and several other friends. The medium warns an unspecified guest not to go home, but everybody ignores it. Soon after, Dermot's uncle Sir Alington West (a renowned psychiatrist who was one of the séance guests) is found dead in his drawing-room, and Dermot is framed for the killing. Shortly before his death, Sir Alington implied that Jack's wife Claire is insane and possibly homicidal.
After escaping the police, Dermot takes refuge at Trent's house, with Jack appearing to believe his innocence. However, Trent soon reveals that he killed Sir Alington, as he is in fact the homicidal lunatic that Dermot's uncle was there to observe. Trent begins to gloat to Dermot that he'll be hanged for the crime because the police found the murder weapon in his flat, leaving Trent free to murder Claire. Dermot, however, breaks the news that he should have listened to the medium; "You'd have done better, Trent, not to come home." The police were standing just outside the room the whole time, and have heard everything. Trent kills himself before they can arrest him.
The Agatha Christie Hour
In the TV adaptation, Trent's role is mostly the same except that he is implied to have been behind a murder attempt against Dermot when the two served together in Mesopotamia. His fate is also slightly different; instead of killing himself when he realises he's been exposed, he grabs a knife and tries to kill Claire, only for Dermot to intervene and stab him in the heart.
 Villains(Non-Poirot & Non-Marple) | |
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Tommy and Tuppence Beresford And Then There Were None Other Mystery Stories Adaptational, Homage & Non-Canonical | |