Ashton-Kirk, Investigator · Chapter
XI: Pendleton Is Vastly Enlightened explained
Ashton-Kirk demonstrates to Pendleton how the bell on Hume's showroom door produced a sound like a pistol shot, and explains that the intruder was unfamiliar with the building.
What happens
Ashton-Kirk demonstrates to Pendleton how the bell on Hume's showroom door produced a sound like a pistol shot, and explains that the intruder was unfamiliar with the building. He then reveals that the candle drippings on the stairs form a three-word sentence in German shorthand: 'Hinter Wayne's Bildnisse' ('Behind Wayne's Portrait'), indicating a hidden object. From the traces, he deduces that two men were involved, one of whom was a deaf-mute (Locke), and that the mute conveyed the hiding place to his companion via the tallow writing. Pendleton is astonished by the deductions, and they proceed to visit Spatola.
Themes in this chapter
Detective Method and Reasoning
Ashton-Kirk systematically explains his deductions from the candle drippings, dust impressions, and bell sound, illustrating his methodical approach.
Secrecy and Deception
The hidden message in tallow, the secret hiding place behind the portrait, and the deceptive nature of the bell sound all underscore themes of concealment.
Characters to notice
- Ashton Kirk
Explains the bell sound, deciphers the tallow message, and deduces the involvement of a mute and the hiding place behind Wayne's portrait.
- Pendleton
Accompanies Ashton-Kirk, is amazed by the revelations, and struggles to understand the detective's methods.
- Professor Locke
Revealed as the deaf-mute who wrote the tallow message and screamed upon seeing Hume's body.
- Antonio Spatola
Mentioned as a suspect; they plan to visit him.
- David Purtell Hume
The victim, glimpsed by Locke on the floor.
Key passages
“It’s the bell... When I examined it this morning I saw that it was screwed up too tight, and knew that it would make a sound much like a pistol shot to ears not accustomed to it.”
Ashton-Kirk explains that the gong above the door, when opened, produced a sharp sound like a gunshot because it was adjusted too tightly.
Demonstrates the detective's attention to detail and explanation of a key auditory clue.
“Hinter Wayne’s Bildnisse”
The German phrase 'Behind Wayne's Portrait' was written in shorthand using candle drippings on the stairs.
Reveals the hidden message that points to the location of a concealed object.
“It was not a cockatoo that made the sound... The outcry of a deaf-mute, if you have ever heard one, has the same squawking, senseless sound as that of a psittaceous bird like the parrot or cockatoo.”
Ashton-Kirk corrects Pendleton's assumption that the scream was from a bird, identifying it as the cry of a deaf-mute (Locke).
Highlights the detective's ability to reinterpret auditory evidence.