Claud Darrell

In the novel The Big Four, Claud Darrell is Number 4, also known as "The Destroyer". In the "Big Four" conspiracy to dominate the world, Claud Darrell or Number 4 was the chief executioner or "hitman". As Poirot noted, Numbers 1, 2, and 3 were powerful and well known personalities whose high up positions rendered them immune from the suspicions of the police. But for the same reason, they could not get involved in operations on the ground. This had to be left to Darrell, who "succeeds by the way of obscurity".

Darell was a master of disguise and through the course of his encounters with Poirot, he adopted a large number of personas. From these Poirot distilled certain common denominators. He was of medium height, of fair complexion, had a small nose, of a fairly young age between 30-35 and with few or any teeth of his own (because the various personas he adopted all have very different dental features). Furthermore his skill at disguise suggested a stage actor, of the type who immersed themselves in their role rather than impress their personalities on it. With the help of his friend the theatre agent Joseph Aarons, Poirot narrowed the possibilities to three people. Of these Poirot focused on Darrell. He had played at music halls and repertory plays and had been to China and America. He was aged 33, with brown hair, fair complexion, grey eyes and a height of 5 ft 10½ in. All these fitted Poirot's criteria.

Claud had a friend from his theatre days Flossie Monro. She told Poirot that Claud had an unconscious habit of using a small piece of bread to dab up bread crumbs from the table. Using this, Poirot was able to spot him on several occasions.

Claud died in the explosion at the Big Four headquarters in the Felsenlabyrinth at the end of the book. His head had been blown off and therefore his body was not conclusively identifiable.

Personas adopted by Claud Darrell

 * keeper from Hanwell lunatic asylum. He probably murdered Mayerling then called at Poirot's house in this guise to confirm that the victim was dead. (The Unexpected Guest)
 * a butcher. He murdered Jonathan Whalley. Also, earlier, as Saunders, to set Robert Grant up to take the blame. (The Adventure of the Dartmoor Bungalow)
 * hotel waiter. He came to warn Poirot and Hastings off the case, disguised as a tall man with a hooked nose, sallow complexion, an overcoat and soft hat. Later, after a scuffle where he floored Hastings, he disappeared down the hotel stairs dressed as a waiter. (The Radium Thieves)
 * James, the footman of Abe Ryland. (In the House of the Enemy)
 * Dr Quentin. He murdered Mr Paynter. (The Yellow Jasmine Mystery)
 * Dr Savaronoff. He murdered Gilmour Wilson. (The Chess Problem)
 * Unnamed son of Mr Templeton. "A shambling young man entered the room. He had a very round face and foolish-looking eyebrows raised as though in perpetual surprise." (The Terrible Catastrophe)
 * Restaurant customer/tourist at Lago di Carezza. He looked "clean-shaven and puffily fat", had a sallow complexion "with heavy pouches under the eyes and deep lines running from his nose to the corners of his mouth." His age might have been anything from thirty-five to forty-five. He later knocked out Hastings and Poirot with gas and kidnapped them. (The Crag in the Dolomites)

In addition, Darrell most likely knocked down and killed Flossie Munro and broke into her house to steal her photo of him which she was about to give to Poirot (The Adventure of the Peroxide Blonde). Poirot also believed it was Darrell who composed the letter which Hastings was forced to write to lure his friend into a trap in The Baited Trap. Darrell most likely also planted the bomb in The Terrible Catastrophe.