# XI: Pendleton Is Vastly Enlightened explained — Ashton-Kirk, Investigator

> Chapter companion for Ashton-Kirk, Investigator by John T. McIntyre.

## 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.

## Character check-ins

### 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 lines

> 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._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters/xi-pendleton-is-vastly-enlightened
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- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/ashton_kirk_investigator_se/chapters