# XXVIII: The Tower explained — The Avenger > Chapter companion for The Avenger by Edgar Wallace. ## What happens Michael Brixan, perturbed by the closed car incident, reinstates a guard on Adele's house. He examines the butyl chloride and broken handcuff found by Adele. Inspector Lyle reports from Griff Towers that Bhag is missing, and a bloodstained derby hat from Tjandi is found. Brixan joins the film crew at Griff Tower, where a scene is shot of Reggie Connolly carrying Adele down a rope. After the shoot, they spot Bhag emerging from the tower, still wearing broken handcuffs. ## Themes in this chapter ### Deception and Appearances The film shoot involves staged rescue and romantic poses, contrasting with the real danger and mystery surrounding Bhag and the tower. ### The Macabre and Grotesque Bhag's sudden appearance from the tower, with dusty hair and broken handcuffs, adds a grotesque and eerie element to the scene. ## Character check-ins ### Mike Brixan Perturbed by the closed car incident, reinstates guard on Adele's house, examines clues, joins film shoot at Griff Tower, and spots Bhag emerging from the tower. ### Adele Leamington Participates in the film shoot at Griff Tower, descends the rope with Connolly, and is later seen by Brixan after the scene. ### Jack Knebworth Directs the film shoot at Griff Tower, examines the derby hat clue, and decides to possibly shoot a night scene. ### Reggie Connolly Plays the lover in the film, struggles with carrying Adele down the rope, and complains about the physical demands. ### Detective Inspector Lyle Watches Griff Towers, reports Bhag missing and the discovery of a bloodstained derby hat, and disagrees with Scotland Yard's view on Sir Gregory. ### Bhag Emerges from the top of Griff Tower, covered in dust, still wearing broken handcuffs, startling the film crew. ## Key lines > Michael was a little perturbed in mind. He took a more serious view of the closed car than did the girl, and the invitation to the “pretty lady” to step inside was particularly disturbing. Michael was uneasy, finding the closed car and the invitation for Adele to enter more alarming than she did. _Shows Brixan's heightened concern for Adele's safety._ > It was only when Michael threatened to call the chief on the telephone that he reluctantly drew on his reserves and put a uniformed officer to patrol the street. Only after Michael threatened to phone the chief did the officer agree to assign a patrolman to the street. _Highlights Brixan's persistence in ensuring Adele's protection._ > “I’ll keep you there tonight,” said Michael. “Tomorrow we will lift the watch. Scotland Yard is satisfied that Sir Gregory had nothing to do with Foss’s death.” A grunt from the other end of the phone expressed the inspector’s disagreement with that view. Michael told Lyle to stay overnight but planned to end the watch tomorrow, as Scotland Yard cleared Sir Gregory; Lyle grunted in disagreement. _Reveals ongoing tension between official conclusions and Lyle's suspicions._ > “If the coon wore Lawley’s hat when he arrived at Mr. Longvale’s, where, in the name of fate, did the change take place? It must have been somewhere between the Towers and the old man’s house, unless⁠—” “Unless what?” asked Michael. He had a great respect for Knebworth’s shrewd judgment. “Unless the change took place at Sir Gregory’s house.” Knebworth wondered where the hat swap occurred, suggesting it might have happened at Sir Gregory's house. _Advances the mystery of the hat and its connection to the murder._ > “It’s going to be deuced awkward getting down,” said Reggie lugubriously. “Of course, they’ve got a rope inside the sheet, so there’s no chance of it breaking. But Miss Leamington is really fearfully awfully heavy! You try and lift her yourself, old thing, and see how you like it!” Reggie complained that descending with Adele would be awkward and that she was very heavy, challenging Michael to try it himself. _Illustrates Connolly's theatrical complaints and the physical comedy of the film shoot._ > As he spoke a head came slowly into view. It was followed by a massive pair of hairy shoulders, and then a leg was thrown over the wall. It was Bhag! His tawny hair was white with dust, his face was powdered grotesquely. All these things Michael noticed. Then, as the creature put out his hand to steady himself, Michael saw that each wrist was encircled by the half of a broken pair of handcuffs! Bhag appeared atop the tower, dusty and grotesque, with broken handcuffs still on his wrists. _Climactic reveal of Bhag's presence and his connection to the earlier handcuff clue._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_avenger_se/chapters/xxviii-the-tower - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_avenger_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_avenger_se/chapters