A listener note.

This episode contains references to suicidal thoughts.

It may not be suitable for all audiences.

It's the evening of April 13, 1958, at the Savoy Hotel in London.

68-year-old Agatha Christie exits an elevator wearing a dark satin ball gown, white gloves, and three strands of pearls.

She walks toward the hotel's luxurious ballroom, brimming with anticipation for tonight's invitation-only gala dinner to celebrate one of her favorite pieces of writing.

Last night, one of Agatha's plays, The Mousetrap,

had its 2,237th performance at the Ambassador Theater.

That makes it the longest-running theatrical production

in London's West End.

And tonight, Agatha is the guest of honor at this

celebration to mark the record-breaking run. Agatha approaches the ballroom door and sees a group of

press photographers inside, checking their equipment as they wait to take shots of her before the dinner

begins. Near them, technicians stand by with television cameras, here to interview her for tomorrow's news.

Agatha is about to walk in,

when a member of the hotel's staff swiftly shuts the ballroom door in her face.

Agatha politely knocks.

The door opens again, and the staff member looks sternly at her.

Before Agatha can say a word, he gruffly announces that the dinner will not begin for another half hour.

And then he shuts the door again.

Agatha sighs. She retraces her steps back to the elevator and returns to the hotel's lounge bar.

Seconds later, she sits down next to her husband and picks up a gin and tonic.

...