Behind That Curtain · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Behind That Curtain by Earl Derr Biggers.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the book to his wife, the only critic he loves.
Chapter 2
Behind That Curtain
Sir Frederic Bruce is found murdered in Barry Kirk's bungalow, prompting an investigation led by Captain Flannery and later joined by Charlie Chan. The discovery of a blank sheet of paper in the victim's mail and the mysterious behavior of various guests, including Eve Durand and Eileen Enderby, set the stage for a complex mystery involving past secrets and hidden identities.
Chapter 3
The Man from Scotland
Bill Rankin, a reporter for the Globe, interviews Sir Frederic Bruce, the former head of Scotland Yard's C.I.D., who is visiting San Francisco. Rankin proposes bringing Sir Frederic together with Detective-Sergeant Charlie Chan of the Honolulu police for a luncheon. Sir Frederic agrees, and they consult their host, Barry Kirk, who invites them to join a luncheon he has already arranged at the St. Francis Hotel. Rankin leaves, encountering a rival reporter and a mysterious girl in a green dress who had been weeping outside Sir Frederic's office.
Chapter 4
What Happened to Eve Durand?
At a luncheon at the St. Francis Hotel, Sir Frederic Bruce, Barry Kirk, Bill Rankin, and Charlie Chan gather. June Morrow, revealed to be the deputy district attorney J. V. Morrow, joins them. The conversation turns to crime detection methods, with Chan and Sir Frederic agreeing on the primacy of human psychology over scientific devices. Sir Frederic then recounts the unsolved mystery of Eve Durand, a young woman who vanished during a game of hide-and-seek in Peshawar fifteen years ago, a case that has haunted him ever since.
Chapter 5
III: The Bungalow in the Sky
Barry Kirk hosts a dinner party at his penthouse bungalow. Guests include June Morrow, Charlie Chan, Sir Frederic Bruce, Mrs. Dawson Kirk, Colonel John Beetham, Mrs. Tupper-Brock, Eileen Enderby, and Gloria Garland. Sir Frederic shows a pair of mandarin slippers from a past case. The conversation touches on fear of the dark, exploration, and Sir Frederic's search for Eve Durand. Gloria Garland makes a dramatic entrance after her pearl necklace breaks.
Chapter 6
IV: The Reckoning of Heaven
Barry Kirk and Charlie Chan discover Sir Frederic Bruce's body in Kirk's office. Chan notes the open safe and a Cosmopolitan Club yearbook near the body, suggesting a clue. June Morrow arrives and calls Captain Flannery. Flannery investigates, questioning the butler Paradise, night-watchman Mr. Cuttle, cleaning woman Mrs. Dyke, accountant Samuel Smith, and elevator operator Grace Lane. Chan hints at the importance of the yearbook but announces his departure for Honolulu, citing a cable about his newborn son. After Chan leaves, Kirk and Morrow find a pearl from Gloria Garland's necklace under the desk.
Chapter 7
The Voice in the Next Room
Charlie Chan prepares to depart for Honolulu, eager to return to his newborn son. Despite the murder of Sir Frederic Bruce, Chan insists he is not involved in the case. Bill Rankin shares his theory that the murder is connected to the disappearance of Eve Durand and the murder of Hilary Galt. June Morrow and Barry Kirk try to persuade Chan to stay, but he remains resolute. However, after Morrow accuses him of losing face by running away, Chan overhears a conversation in the next stateroom between Colonel John Beetham and Li Gung, prompting him to reconsider his departure.
Chapter 8
The Guest Detective
Charlie Chan returns from the Maui unexpectedly, revealing that Li Gung was sent away by Colonel Beetham. He is invited by Barry Kirk to stay at the Kirk Building and is appointed as a 'guest detective' by the district attorney's office, much to Captain Flannery's chagrin. June Morrow takes charge of questioning the women involved, and they interview Miss Lila Barr, who was working late on the night of the murder.
Chapter 9
Muddy Water
Miss Morrow discovers a blank sheet of paper in Sir Frederic's mail, which Chan suspects may contain fingerprints. Chan secures the paper and notes evidence of steam-opening. The group discusses the possibility that Carrick Enderby, employed at Thomas Cook, may be involved. Miss Morrow turns her attention to Gloria Garland and the pearl found under the desk. Captain Flannery arrives, challenges Chan, and interviews Lila Barr. Chan reflects on his family and his son Barry. Gloria Garland arrives and initially denies knowing Sir Frederic, but under pressure admits she broke her necklace in the office during a private talk with him.
Chapter 10
Willie Li's Good Turn
Charlie Chan examines Sir Frederic's luggage and discovers a collection of books all authored by Colonel Beetham, sparking suspicion. Mrs. Dawson Kirk visits and reveals she saw Sir Frederic in a serious conversation with Mrs. Enderby at the dinner party. Chan then visits Henry Li's apartment under the pretense of a fall, seeking information about Li Gung.
Chapter 11
IX: The Port of Missing Women
Thursday morning, Chan discovers that the butler Paradise steamed open a letter from Scotland Yard. He and Barry Kirk decide to keep silent and watch him. Chan summons reporter Bill Rankin, and they join Captain Flannery and June Morrow at the Globe office to interview Eileen Enderby. Enderby reveals that Sir Frederic questioned her about Jennie Jerome, a model who vanished seven years ago in New York. After the interview, Enderby returns with her husband and admits she omitted a key detail, adding to the puzzle of missing women connected to the Kirk Building.
Chapter 12
The Letter from London
Captain Flannery interrogates Eileen Enderby about recognizing Jennie Jerome in the elevator. Chan finds the hidden Scotland Yard letter in Paradise's shoe, revealing that Sir Frederic linked Hilary Galt's murder with Eve Durand's disappearance. Flannery decides to let Paradise remain free to gather more evidence, while Chan advises patience.
Chapter 13
The Muddy Water Clears
Chan delays the investigation until Monday, hoping to confirm a hunch involving Gloria Garland and the elevator girl. Over the weekend, Bill Rankin searches newspaper archives for information on Eve Durand, while Chan observes Chinatown and encounters Willie Li. On Monday, Chan brings Miss Garland to identify the elevator girl, revealing her as Jennie Jerome and Marie Lantelme, and deducing she is Eve Durand. Captain Flannery receives word that Inspector Duff is arriving with Major Eric Durand to confirm her identity.
Chapter 14
A Misty Evening
Chan and Kirk discuss Chan's impending departure on Wednesday, despite the unsolved murder. Bill Rankin shares a newspaper clipping about Eve Durand's 1913 disappearance. Chan and Kirk lunch at the Cosmopolitan Club, where they encounter Colonel Beetham, who discusses his Gobi Desert expedition. Later, at the bungalow, June Morrow arrives excitedly as Major Durand is expected to identify the elevator woman. Captain Flannery and Inspector Duff arrive, but Major Durand is delayed.
Chapter 15
Old Friends Meet Again
Eve Durand escapes via the fire-escape, prompting a police search. Paradise, the butler, is revealed to have been tried for poisoning his wife and to have tampered with Sir Frederic's mail. Inspector Duff confronts him, but Paradise explains his actions as a misguided attempt to protect his position. Barry Kirk decides to keep him on, despite concerns.
Chapter 16
Dinner for Two
June Morrow and Barry Kirk discuss the murder case over dinner at Marchetti's. June expresses doubts about the identity of Eve Durand and lists multiple suspects, including Carrick Enderby, Eileen Enderby, Gloria Garland, Mrs. Tupper-Brock, Paradise, Li Gung, and Colonel John Beetham. Kirk defends Beetham's character but acknowledges his hard nature. Earlier, Inspector Duff and Charlie Chan discuss the case, noting that Colonel Beetham was present at the Peshawar picnic where Eve Durand disappeared. Chan advises against questioning Beetham prematurely. Duff suggests advertising a reward for the missing velvet slippers. The chapter ends with Kirk persuading June to dine with him, lifting her spirits.
Chapter 17
The Discreet Mr. Cuttle
On Wednesday morning, Charlie Chan, feeling heavy-hearted about his impending departure, breakfasts with Barry Kirk. Kirk reveals he saw Colonel Beetham dining with Mrs. Tupper-Brock. Chan goes to write a letter to his wife, then visits Bill Rankin, who shows him Colonel Beetham's book with a mysterious dedication. Meanwhile, Kirk takes Mrs. Tupper-Brock to see June Morrow, who questions her about Sir Frederic Bruce, Colonel Beetham, and the elevator girl. Mrs. Tupper-Brock remains cool and evasive.
Chapter 18
Long Life and Happiness
Barry Kirk reveals that his grandmother, Mrs. Dawson Kirk, recommended Grace Lane for a job in the Kirk Building. Miss Morrow interviews Mrs. Kirk, who admits that Helen Tupper-Brock introduced Grace Lane to her. Miss Morrow plans to monitor Mrs. Tupper-Brock's mail. Charlie Chan visits Captain Flannery at the Hall of Justice.
Chapter 19
XVII: The Woman from Peshawar
Captain Flannery confronts Charlie Chan and June Morrow about withholding information regarding Colonel Beetham and his servant Li Gung. Flannery interrogates Colonel Beetham, who admits to briefly leaving his motion picture show on the night of the murder to speak with Li Gung on the twentieth floor. Flannery builds a case that Beetham had motive and opportunity to kill Sir Frederic Bruce to protect a secret from a 1913 picnic near Peshawar involving Eve Durand.
Chapter 20
XVIII: Flannery's Big Scene
Captain Flannery outlines his dramatic plan to confront Colonel Beetham with Eve Durand, hoping to force a confession about Sir Frederic's murder. He stages the scene with Major Durand present, but when the woman arrives, Durand declares she is not his wife, shattering Flannery's theory.
Chapter 21
A Vigil in the Dark
Captain Flannery confronts Charlie Chan after a mistaken identification of Grace Lane as Eve Durand, leading to humiliation and a renewed determination to solve the case. Chan persuades Flannery to join him at the Cosmopolitan Club, where a patient vigil culminates in Chan's dramatic accusation that Major Eric Durand is the murderer of Sir Frederic Bruce, pointing to the recovered briefcase as evidence.
Chapter 22
XX: The Truth Arrives
Charlie Chan reveals that Major Eric Durand is the murderer of Sir Frederic Bruce, having killed him to prevent the discovery of his wife Eve Durand. Chan explains his reasoning, including the significance of the briefcase check, the velvet slippers, and the train fare to Chicago. Eve Durand is identified as Grace Lane, and Colonel Beetham confirms he escorted her through the Khyber Pass. The chapter ends with the truth fully exposed.
Chapter 23
XXI: What Happened to Eve Durand
Eve Durand confesses her past to Captain Flannery, revealing that she fled her husband, Major Eric Durand, after discovering he murdered Hilary Galt and was being blackmailed. She escaped with Colonel Beetham's help, lived under various aliases, and was pursued by Sir Frederic Bruce. Eric Durand then confesses to killing Sir Frederic and leaps to his death from the bungalow garden.
Chapter 24
Hawaii Bound
After Major Durand's suicide, the characters reconvene in the bungalow. Inspector Duff reveals Durand's dishonorable discharge and questions Colonel Beetham about his actions. Beetham confesses his love for Eve Durand and his decision not to betray her. Chan, content with the resolution, prepares to leave for Honolulu but is delayed by a five-day wait. He escapes a new case offered by Bill Rankin and secretly departs for the ship. At the pier, June Morrow and Barry Kirk see him off, exchanging gifts and a kiss, as Chan sails for Hawaii.
