Student Question
In chapter 8 of And Then There Were None, where did the three men search for Mr. Owen?
Quick answer:
Captain Lombard, Mr. Blore, and Dr. Armstrong searched the entirety of the island for Mr. Unknown Owen, and then they searched throughout the house as well as all of the outbuildings. They even lowered Capt. Lombard down the side of the sheer cliff that fell straight into the sea to look into the caves in the cliff, but they found no one who wasn't already known to them on the island.
In chapter 7 of Agatha Christie classic mystery novel And Then There Were None, Captain Philip Lombard remarks that if Mr. Owen—Ulick Norman Owen, Mr. Unknown Owen—was still on the island, it would be easy to find him:
This island’s more or less a bare rock. We shall make short work of searching it. We’ll soon ferret out U.N. Owen, Esq. (Chap. 7, III)
Capt. Lombard assumes that Dr. Armstrong will join him in the search. Dr. Armstrong says that Mr. Owen might be dangerous, which prompts Lombard to "rope" Mr. Blore into the search effort.
As chapter 8 opens, Capt. Lombard, Dr. Armstrong, and Mr. Blore are getting organized for their search, and discussing the murders that have already occurred. Mr. Blore asks, offhandedly, "Nobody's got a revolver, by any chance? I suppose that's too much to hope for." (Chap. 8, I)
Lombard said: "I've got one." (Chap....
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8, I)
Mr. Blore seems a little taken aback that Capt. Lombard has a gun on his person, but the moment passes and soon they're all off on their search for Mr. Unknown Owen.
"The three men started on their tour of the island," (Chap. 8, II) which proves to be unexpectedly simple. On the northwest side of the island, the sheer cliffs fall straight into the sea. The rest of the island is bare of trees or any other sort of cover or hiding place:
The three men worked carefully and methodically, beating up and down from the highest point to the water’s edge, narrowly scanning the least irregularity in the rock which might point to the entrance to a cave. But there were no caves. (Chap. 8, II)
They came upon General Macarthur sitting upright, looking out to sea. The General makes some cryptic, enigmatic remarks to the three men about there being "so little time," then tells them to go away.
The search is almost done, but Mr. Blore is still studying the cliffs:
There might be a hole in the cliff. (Chap. 8, III)
Mr. Blore sets off back to the house to get a rope so the others can lower him down the cliff to take a look. When he returns to the cliff, Capt. Lombard has gone off on his own for a moment, and when he returns, it's Capt. Lombard who lowers himself down the cliff on the rope.
Capt. Lombard finds nothing, and climbs back up the rope, and the three men return to the house:
The house was easily searched. (Chap. 8, VI)
First the outbuildings were searched, then the entirety of the house itself. As they searched the bedroom floor, they hear a sound coming from above them, in the room where Mrs. Rogers's body was lying on the bed. They find Mr. Rogers in the room, with his arms full of clothes.
I’m sorry, gentlemen. I was just moving my things. (Chap. 8, VII)
The three men regroup and make their way to the uppermost floor:
Five minutes later three men stood on an upper landing and looked at each other. They were dirty and festooned with cobwebs and their faces were grim.
There was no one on the island but their eight selves. (Chap. 8, VII)
The search was over.
The three men were unable to find Unlick Norman Owen because, for one thing, he didn't exist, and for another thing, he was hiding in plain sight:
On the main terrace, Mr. Justice Wargrave sat huddled in a porter’s chair. His head was poked down well into his neck. (Chap. 8, IV)