Agatha Christie's Vanishing: Revenge Against Her Husband?

Agatha Christie, the Queen of Mystery, the creator of the famous Hercule Poirot, vanished herself in 1926.

This is no silly rumor like I thought. Oh no, it is very much true. And quite badass if you ask me! I'll tell you why later on.

No one knew where the famous author (36 y.o.) was for over one week.

On December 6, 1926, her car was found abandoned on the side of the road.

• “The novelist’s car was found abandoned near Guildford on the edge of a chalk pit, the front wheels actually overhanging the edge”.

-- The New York Times

A couple of days later, Christie's brother-in-law received a letter from her stating she went to a spa "for rest and treatment". But police were not buying this story. Detectives thought she committed suicide. They searched the Silent Pool, near where her car was abandoned, believing her body was close by.

Christie's husband, Colonel Christie, aided in the search and brought his wife's favorite dog with him to help. Police found a glove in Christie's abandoned car and gave it to the dog to smell to catch the scent of Agatha. Well...that didn't work. Why not? Because the glove wasn't Agathas. It belonged to her husband's mistress! Can you say awkward?

• "Mrs. Christie's husband, Colonel Christie, joined in the search and brought along his wife's favorite terrier. One of his mistress' gloves found in the deserted car was given to him to put the dog on the scent. 'He whined pitifully and went about with his nose to the ground.'"

-- New York Times

After a few hours with no luck, they gave up.

A week after Agatha Christie's disappearance, police were baffled. No one had seen her that entire time. But then the police became aware of three letters Christie wrote before she left.

• "The first was to her secretary. The police thought it had been destroyed, but it has been found and handed to them. Its most significant passage was: "I must get away. I cannot stay here in Sunningdale much longer."
• "The second letter was to Mrs. Christie's brother-in-law at Woolwich. This letter has been destroyed."
• "The third letter was addressed to Colonel Christie himself and was unposted. Colonel Christie refused to reveal its contents, stating it was a personal note written, evidently before his wife decided to "go away"."

-- The New York Times

She couldn't stay in Sunningdale much longer? Her husband refused to show the letter he received to the police? Interesting, wouldn't you say?

A friend said Christie was scared of her house.

The house was "...getting on her nerves". It stands on a lonely lane unlit at night, which has a reputation of being haunted. The lane has been the scene of the murder of a woman and the suicide of a man and its tragic associations were felt by Mrs. Christie."

-- The New York Times

Hmm...is she really "scared" of the house because it's haunted? It sounds more like she couldn't stand staying in that house with her cheating husband anymore.

...

Detectives and police became so desperate they even invited amateur sleuths to help in the search for Agatha Christie. One of those people was said to be Arthur Conan Doyle, author of Sherlock Holmes. Max of 15,000 people participated in the search.

After much speculation and theories, including Christie committing suicide, disappearing as a publicity stunt, and off to help with a murder case, the author was finally found on December 15 at a Yorkshire spa.

It was reported that the reason for her disappearance was due to memory loss. Her husband said, "She doesn't know who she is...she has suffered from the most complete loss of memory." Sounds fishy to me.

It sounds fishy and unlikely that Agatha Christie had amnesia because she checked into the spa using the name Mrs. Tessa Neele. That's not just any random name! Years later, it's revealed that that is the name of her husband's mistress. At the time, Colonel Christie said he didn't recognize that name nor the meaning behind it, and neither did his wife. Meanwhile, when arriving at the spa to take Agatha home, he is welcomed with a "stony stare" from his wife. Oh yeah, amnesia my ass!

I believe Agatha Christie, famous detective novelist, and genius, knew exactly what she was doing when she "disappeared".

There are multiple theories about what really happened when Agatha Christie went missing. The first, told by her husband, is that she had amnesia. One includes depression. Another theory is that it was just a publicity stunt, though that was adamantly denied by the author's secretary and manager. Another crazy theory is that she was off helping solve a murder case. This may be possible, although there is no proof because after the whole incident Agatha refused to talk about what happened. The last theory, which is the one I believe, is that it was revenge.

I don't believe Christie went away because her house was haunted. (Haunted with promiscuous and negative energy from her husband, maybe.) She clearly knew about her husband's affair with a younger woman. It could have been going on for a long time, who knows, and she could no longer take it.

She said herself:

• "The house is getting on my nerves." Interpretation: The energy in the house because of her husband's wandering eye.
• "I cannot stay here much longer." Interpretation: She was upset and couldn't stand being there with her husband anymore.
• "If I do not leave Sunningdale soon, Sunningdale will be the end of me." Interpretation: Being stuck in the house with her unfaithful husband would be the end of her.

It sounds like she wanted to not just get away from the house but from her husband. She wasn't exactly happy to see him when he arrived at the spa to take her home, giving him a "stony stare", was she?

Agatha Christie, a famous author, and brilliant woman, "vanished" as an act of revenge against her husband. She wanted to cause her cheating husband some inconvenience and embarrassment. Using his mistress' name to check into the spa gives that away. It was also a message to him. Agatha was telling him she wasn't stupid and she knew what was going on. That clever act, as a cherry on top of the whole revenge plan, was telling him that she wasn't going to accept his affair.

Oh, and the evidence for this theory gets better! A little after a year after the author's disappearance, she sued her husband for a divorce. Happily, she got remarried. But so did he. His new wife? The one and only Tessa Neele!

• Colonel Christie didn't recognize the name Tessa Neele back when his wife used it to check into a spa when she "vanished"? Liar.
• His wife didn't recognize the name either? Liar.
• His wife was suffering from amnesia? Liar.

The famous detective novelist disappeared as an act of resourceful revenge. She wanted to cause trouble and embarrassment for her unfaithful and lying husband. She knew what she was doing. She knew the name Tessa Neele. Her husband undoubtedly knew the name Tessa Neele. He cried amnesia to hide that fact. Therefore, the amnesia explanation is bull.

And that's why I think Agatha Christie's disappearance was badass! She vanished and used her husbands' mistress' name to send a message to him, a husband who probably saw her as naive and unknowing of his promiscuous acts. Well, she wasn't so unknowing was she? Checking into the spa to get away from her husband committing adultery using his young mistress' name...Ha! A smart, savvy woman.

Agatha Christie was not just a brilliant and clever murder mystery writer. She was also a brilliant and clever woman. I applaud her.