A Strange Disappearance · Chapter
A Confab explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Gryce and the narrator debate the likely hiding place of the Schoenmakers and the abducted Mrs. Blake, concluding that the gang is probably lying low near Mr. Blake's house in preparation for a blackmail scheme, while a search of the German quarter and other districts is also ordered.
Themes in this chapter
Detection and Truth
The entire chapter is a strategic discussion between detectives on how to locate the Schoenmakers and uncover the truth of Mrs. Blake's abduction.
Obsession and Guilt
The narrator's impatience and horror at Mrs. Blake's plight reveal an obsessive focus on rescuing her, while the Schoenmakers' fixation on Mr. Blake drives their criminal planning.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Gryce
Consults with the narrator about the Schoenmakers' whereabouts and proposes a strategy of searching near Mr. Blake's house.
- Mr. Blake
Discussed as the intended target of the Schoenmakers' blackmail scheme; his house is considered the focal point of the gang's plans.
- Mrs. Blake
Referenced as the young wife abducted by the Schoenmakers, whose safety is a pressing concern.
- The Schoenmakers
The gang of kidnappers being sought; their motives and likely hiding strategy are analyzed.
Key passages
“I don’t believe that they will hide among their own people. You must remember they are not alone, but have with them a young woman of a somewhat distinguished appearance, whose presence in a crowded district, like that, would be sure to awaken gossip; something which above all else they must want to avoid.”
The narrator argues that the Schoenmakers would not hide in the German quarter because the abducted woman's refined appearance would attract gossip, which they need to avoid.
Highlights the strategic reasoning behind the search plan.
“When a company of men have made up their minds to rob a bank, what is the first thing they do? They hire, if possible, a house next to the especial building they intend to enter... And so will these Schoenmakers do in the somewhat different robbery which they plan sooner or later to effect.”
Mr. Gryce compares the Schoenmakers' blackmail plot to a bank robbery, suggesting they will position themselves near Mr. Blake's house before striking.
Illustrates Gryce's deductive method and the perceived inevitability of the criminals' approach.