Terror Keep · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Terror Keep by Edgar Wallace.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The book is dedicated to Leslie Faber, an actor known for his role in 'The Ringer.'
Chapter 2
Terror Keep
Margaret Belman arrives at Larmes Keep, a remote and foreboding estate, to begin her new position. She is met by Mr. Daver, the caretaker, who provides unsettling instructions about the house's rules. The atmosphere is thick with tension and mystery, hinting at hidden dangers and the presence of a secretive figure named Ravini.
Chapter 3
I
Margaret Belman travels to Larmes Keep for a job interview as secretary to Mr. Daver, reflecting on her strained relationship with Mr. Reeder and a persistent Italian pursuer. She meets the eccentric Mr. Daver, who hires her despite her lack of experience, and encounters the housekeeper Mrs. Burton and several boarders, including the beautiful Olga Crewe.
Chapter 4
II
Margaret Belman returns from Larmes Keep and is confronted at Waterloo Station by the persistent and well-dressed criminal George Ravini, who attempts to ingratiate himself with her. Mr. J. G. Reeder intervenes, warning Ravini off with a veiled threat about his safe deposit box, and escorts Margaret away. The chapter also provides a detailed portrait of Ravini's rise from poverty to wealth and power as a London gang leader.
Chapter 5
III
Margaret Belman settles into her new role at Larmes Keep, managing correspondence and exploring the grounds, while Mr. Reeder reveals the danger posed by the escaped criminal John Flack, who holds a grudge against Reeder and may target Margaret.
Chapter 6
IV
In the early hours of a chilly morning, Police Officer Dyer encounters a terrified woman, Mrs. Granville Fornese, who claims to have heard an intruder in her house. Dyer seeks help from Mr. J. G. Reeder, who lives opposite. Reeder, suspicious of the situation, uses lock-picking tools to enter the house and discovers a spring gun rigged to fire at anyone ascending the stairs. He deduces that the woman was a decoy to lure him into a trap, and that she has escaped through the back. Reeder survives the attempt on his life and instructs Dyer to report the incident to Inspector Simpson.
Chapter 7
V
Mr. Reeder discusses a recent attack with Inspector Simpson, linking it to the escaped John Flack. Meanwhile, George Ravini, having shaken off a tail, travels to Larmes Keep and secures a room despite Margaret Belman's objections. Margaret writes but tears up a letter to Reeder, who examines a spring gun meant for him.
Chapter 8
VI
Margaret observes Ravini's growing closeness with Olga Crewe, confronts Olga about Ravini's criminal nature, and later experiences a tense nighttime encounter when Ravini frantically begs at her door. The next morning, she discovers Ravini has vanished, leaving behind torn pink silk pajamas that match a scrap caught on her door.
Chapter 9
VII
John Flack escapes from Broadmoor, killing a guard in the process, and a police conference at Scotland Yard discusses his likely next moves. Mr. Reeder suspects Flack will attempt a bullion robbery, specifically targeting a shipment of 120,000 sovereigns. After the meeting, Reeder writes a letter to Margaret Belman but is interrupted when he discovers his tea has been poisoned with strychnine, confirming Flack's gang is active and targeting him.
Chapter 10
The Hunt for John Flack
London reacts with fear and indignation to the news of John Flack's escape from Broadmoor. Mr. Reeder reflects on his history with the Flack gang, having previously dismantled their operations by arresting key members like O. Sweizer and Adolphe Victoire. He receives a threatening phone call from Flack himself, who vows revenge. Reeder coordinates with Scotland Yard, learning that a gold shipment is delayed. Lew Steyne is brought in for questioning about Giorgio Ravini's disappearance, revealing that Ravini was pursuing Margaret Belman. Reeder calls Larmes Keep and speaks to Mr. Daver, who confirms Ravini left without paying his bill.
Chapter 11
IX
Mr. Daver reveals his interest in criminology and his belief that John Flack once stayed at Larmes Keep. He shows Margaret a newspaper portrait of Flack and announces that Mr. Reeder is arriving. Reeder arrives, changes into casual clothes, and later prepares for a night of observation, locking his door and sleeping until two in the morning before making tea and conducting his own inspection.
Chapter 12
The Nightmare in the Corridor
Mr. Reeder encounters Olga Crewe in the corridor after a struggle, suspecting she witnessed the attack. He retrieves his truncheon and returns to his room, but later hears voices downstairs. Margaret Belman, frightened, reports hearing someone in the vestibule. Mr. Daver appears, claiming he heard a burglar, but Reeder notices he is still wearing a collar and tie, suggesting he was not truly in bed. Reeder reassures Margaret and returns to his room.
Chapter 13
Chapter XI
Mr. Reeder investigates the grounds of Larmes Keep, examining the well, the bathing pool, and the surrounding area. He interacts with Olga Crewe and Margaret Belman, revealing his suspicions about the well's depth and the pool's hidden features. He overhears a heated argument between Mr. Daver and a female employee, and later explores the underwater cave beneath the pool.
Chapter 14
XII
Mr. Reeder prepares for the night, hides Detective Brill in a cupboard, and joins a tense bridge game with Daver's suspicious guests. After the game, he is locked in his room and attacked with an air pistol. He signals for help with a flare, leading to a police raid that finds Daver and Mrs. Burton but no trace of the missing guests or Brill. Later, news arrives that a gold lorry has vanished.
Chapter 15
XIII
Reeder investigates the disappearance of a gold convoy and reconstructs the crime, deducing that John Flack used a gas attack from a water cart to incapacitate and kill the guards before stealing the gold. He then seeks to interview Margaret Belman, only to find she has not been secured as he requested.
Chapter 16
XIV
Margaret Belman escapes from Larmes Keep in a cab with Sergeant Gray, but is tricked into a trap car by an unknown captor. She leaps from the moving vehicle, flees across common land, and falls down a cliff to a plateau. After a night of peril, she explores the beach, swims to another bay, and discovers a cave beneath Larmes Keep. Inside, she is seized from behind and rendered unconscious.
Chapter 17
XV
Mr. Reeder, in a rare display of fury, confronts Daver about Margaret Belman's disappearance and reveals Daver's connection to John Flack. After Daver flees, Reeder searches the house and finds Daver murdered in his room. He discovers a note indicating Margaret fell over a cliff near Larme.
Chapter 18
XVI
Margaret Belman regains consciousness in a cave and meets Detective Brill, who reveals that John Flack has escaped and is orchestrating criminal operations from the cave. Flack speaks with his daughter Olga about his grand plans for her future, while Brill and Margaret discuss the danger they are in and Flack's intention to dispose of Reeder.
Chapter 19
XVII
Margaret and Brill navigate the treacherous cave passages, discovering man-made cells and a hidden staircase. After Brill disappears, Margaret overhears John Flack and Olga Crewe discussing her fate and Reeder's absence. She is discovered, flees up the terrifying unrailed stairs, and locks herself in a small steel room, securing the door with a sliding bolt.
Chapter 20
XVIII
J. G. Reeder investigates Daver's death and discovers hidden passages and a torture chamber beneath Larmes Keep. He coordinates a search for Margaret Belman and John Flack, involving local police and military. Reeder overhears a conversation between Olga Crewe and Mrs. Burton, learning of Flack's plans. A confrontation in the caves leads to a shootout, and the cave entrance collapses as Flack attempts to escape by boat.
Chapter 21
XIX
After the cave collapse, Reeder rescues Olga Crewe and learns that Margaret Belman may have escaped. He later discovers Margaret alive inside a safe at Larmes Keep, just as the house begins to collapse.
Chapter 22
The Truth Unveiled
Olga Crewe reveals to Mr. Reeder the truth about her past with Ravini and her father's plot to kill him. Ravini is killed and disposed of through the safe. Meanwhile, the Keep collapses in a landslide, and Margaret Belman is rescued. Olga's official story differs from her confession to Reeder.
Chapter 23
XXI
Margaret Belman writes to Mr. Reeder proposing a holiday in London or New York for safety and sanity. Reeder cancels his appointments and takes her to Richmond Park, where he awkwardly attempts to propose marriage. Margaret gently helps him articulate his feelings, and they share a tender moment.
