Frank Carter

In the novel One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, Frank Carter is the boyfriend of Gladys Nevill. Gladys’ employer Henry Morley believed he was not a suitable boyfriend, and tried to persuade her to break off the relationship. Thus, Frank had a weak motive for killing Morley.

Frank is described as being a "fair young man of medium height", whose appearance is "cheaply smart". He talks readily and fluently. His eyes are "set rather close together", and shift uneasily from side to side when he is embarrassed.

Frank had lost many jobs in the past, and at the time of the events of the novel he had recently lost his job as an insurance clerk, and had not been able to get another. According to Gladys, this made him moody and suspicious.

Frank was at the dental practice at 58, Queen Charlotte Street, on the day of Mr Morley's death. He had gone there to tell Gladys that he had gotten a new job, and was upset to find that she was not there. He had told Alfred Biggs that he would wait and see Mr Morley. However, Alfred did not see him in the waiting room later on.

Gladys tells Poirot that Frank's only free day is Sunday, as he is away in the country for the rest of the week, working at his new job. She also tells Poirot that she does not know exactly what the job is, but she has to send letters to Frank's London address, and they get forwarded.

When Poirot meets Frank, he finds that Frank is inclined to be "suspicious and slightly hostile". He tells Poirot that he had meant to tell Mr Morley that he had gotten a good job, and that it was time that Gladys handed in her notice, but he got tired of waiting, and left.

Poirot later goes to Alistair Blunt's estate in Exsham, and finds that Frank is employed as a gardener there. After a shot is fired near Mr Blunt, Howard Raikes catches Frank with the gun in his hands. Frank is arrested, and it is found that the pistol was a twin pistol to the one that killed Mr Morley.

Frank tells the police that he was offered a job by someone in the Secret Service, and he was to listen to the other gardeners, and "sound them as to their 'red' tendencies".

Poirot later learns from Agnes Fletcher that Frank had been standing on the stairs above Mr Morley's surgery on the day of Mr Morley's death. Agnes saw Frank go down the stairs and towards the surgery.

Frank at first denies being on the stairs, saying that Agnes is lying. However, he later tells Poirot that he did stand on the stairs, waiting for a chance to get Mr Morley alone. He saw a fat man come out of Mr Morley's room and go downstairs, followed by another man. He then went into Mr Morley's room, and found him lying there, dead. He tells Poirot that Mr Morley's hand was cold, and that there was a crust of blood around the wound. He wiped the door-handle on his way out, as he was afraid that he would be accused of killing Mr Morley. Poirot tells him that by telling the truth, he has saved himself from being hanged, and also confirmed what Poirot knew to be the truth.