Behind That Curtain · Chapter
Old Friends Meet Again explained
Eve Durand escapes via the fire-escape, prompting a police search.
What happens
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.
Themes in this chapter
Identity and Disguise
Paradise's hidden past as a man tried for poisoning his wife contrasts with his respectable butler persona, while Eve Durand's escape in uniform underscores her ability to disguise her identity.
The Past Haunting the Present
Paradise's past trial resurfaces to threaten his present position, and Sir Frederic's recognition of him sets off a chain of events.
Suspicion and Trust
Barry Kirk grapples with whether to trust Paradise after learning of his history and deceit, while Duff's suspicion of Paradise is tempered by his acquittal.
Characters to notice
- Eve Durand
Escapes from the Kirk Building via fire-escape, eluding police surveillance.
- Captain Flannery
Leads the search for Eve Durand, issuing an alarm and planning to arrest her on a pretext.
- Inspector Duff
Confronts Paradise about his past trial and his tampering with Sir Frederic's mail.
- Paradise
Revealed to have been tried for poisoning his wife; admits to opening and substituting a blank sheet in Sir Frederic's letter.
- Barry Kirk
Decides to keep Paradise in his service despite the revelations, though with reservations.
- Sergeant Charlie Chan
Observes the unfolding events and defers discussing his theories out of consideration for Major Durand.
Key passages
“Gone, and no one saw her go”
She has vanished without any witness.
Chan comments on Eve Durand's escape.
“I am not without tender feeling to my heart, and I know only too well the topic must be one of deep pain to Major Durand.”
I am sensitive to the fact that this subject will cause Major Durand great distress.
Chan hesitates to discuss his theories out of consideration for Major Durand.