Disappearance of Dr. Armstrong

In the middle of the night, Blore hears footsteps and sees a figure leaving the house. He wakes Lombard, and they discover that Dr. Armstrong is missing from his room. The two men search the island but find no trace of him. The china figures on the table have decreased to three, suggesting Armstrong is dead. The disappearance corresponds to the eighth line of the rhyme: 'A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.' The guests are now down to three: Lombard, Blore, and Vera. The mystery deepens as Armstrong's body is not found.