The Cheyne Mystery · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Cheyne Mystery by Freeman Wills Crofts.
Chapter 1
The Episode in the Plymouth Hotel
Maxwell Cheyne, a young man of leisure, travels to Plymouth on errands and meets a stranger, Mr. Hubert Parkes, who claims to have known his father. Parkes invites Cheyne to lunch, during which he proposes a literary collaboration. Cheyne suddenly falls into a deep sleep and wakes hours later to find he has been drugged, though nothing is stolen. The hotel manager urges him to keep the matter quiet and offers to hire a private detective instead of involving the police.
Chapter 2
II: Burglary!
Cheyne learns that his home, Warren Lodge, has been burgled while he was drugged in Plymouth. His mother and sister were tricked into leaving by a fake telegram, and the maids were tied up and gagged. Despite the safe being opened, nothing appears stolen. Cheyne decides to investigate personally, keeping the Plymouth incident secret.
Chapter 3
III: The Launch Enid
After the attempted burglary, Cheyne returns to Plymouth and hires private detective Mr. Speedwell, who investigates the drugging and burglary but finds few leads. The analyst's report shows no trace of drugs in Cheyne's food, deepening the mystery. Speedwell suggests the gang is after a paper Cheyne possesses, but Cheyne cannot identify it. Later, Cheyne is kidnapped aboard the launch Enid and held captive by Lamson, who demands Arnold Price's sealed letter. Cheyne refuses, enraged at the betrayal of his friend's trust, and is left locked in the dark cabin.
Chapter 4
Concerning a Peerage
Maxwell Cheyne, imprisoned on the launch Enid, deduces that his earlier drugging, burglary, and kidnapping are all part of a scheme to obtain a letter from Arnold Price. After a harrowing night of thirst and despair, his captor, who reveals himself as Price (not Lamson), explains the conspiracy: it involves a claim to the barony of Hull, based on documents left by St. John Price, who died in a ship collision. Cheyne is released in a dinghy but resolves to turn the tables on the gang.
Chapter 5
V: An Amateur Sleuth
Cheyne decides to pursue the gang himself rather than go to the police, hoping to recover the documents for Arnold Price's claim to the barony of Hull. He races to intercept the launch Enid, but misses it. He then follows Price and Lewisham by train from Kingswear to Exeter and finally to London, where he hires a taxi to tail them, only to lose them in traffic.
Chapter 6
VI: The House in Hopefield Avenue
Cheyne spies on the gang through a window and discovers that Susan, the maid at Warren Lodge, is a mole who provided inside information. He learns the true identities of the conspirators: Blessington, James Dangle, and Sime. They photograph a mysterious document, and Cheyne seizes an opportunity to enter the room and examine it, finding a cryptic sheet with circles and the phrase 'England expects every man to do his duty.'
Chapter 7
VII: Miss Joan Merrill
Maxwell Cheyne regains consciousness in a half-built house after being attacked and left for dead. He crawls to the road and is rescued by a young woman, Joan Merrill, who takes him to the hospital. After his release, he visits her studio to thank her and, after some hesitation, tells her the full story of his adventures—from the Plymouth hotel incident to the burglary at Warren Lodge, the pursuit of the gang, and the theft of the tracing. Joan is thrilled and believes the tracing is a cipher for buried treasure. Cheyne proposes they join forces, and she agrees, forming the partnership of Cheyne and Merrill.
Chapter 8
A Council of War
Cheyne, recovering his enthusiasm after his illness and failure, visits Joan Merrill and learns about her background. He confirms with an Admiralty contact that the Hull barony story is a fabrication and that the real Arnold Price has disappeared. Cheyne struggles to trace the Dangles and other gang members, and Joan suggests hiring the private detective from Plymouth. They debate the risks of breaking into the house again, with Joan warning of the dangers and legal consequences, while Cheyne remains determined.
Chapter 9
Mr. Speedwell Plays His Hand
Cheyne visits Speedwell at the detective agency, where Speedwell reveals he knows about the burglary at Laurel Lodge and offers to sell his knowledge for £200. Cheyne angrily refuses, but later discovers Speedwell is the actual head of the firm. After calming down, Cheyne pays Speedwell for the information he has already gathered, but decides to continue investigating on his own. He then meets Joan Merrill, who expresses doubts about Speedwell's trustworthiness, but they agree to go to Wembley together.
Chapter 10
X: The New Firm Gets Busy
Cheyne and Joan Merrill execute their plan to break into Earlswood, the house of Blessington, in search of a tracing. Cheyne forces entry, searches the desk and escritoire, and discovers a secret drawer containing the tracing. He is interrupted by the arrival of Dangle and another man, leading to a chase. Cheyne escapes with the tracing, but upon returning to London, finds that Joan has not returned, causing him great anxiety.
Chapter 11
XI: Otto Schulz's Secret
Cheyne, anxious about Joan Merrill's disappearance, is confronted by James Dangle, who reveals Joan has twisted her ankle and is safe. Dangle proposes that Cheyne join their gang, explaining that the secret involves a cipher and a valuable invention. He reveals that the gang has moved Joan to a new location as a precaution, and threatens that if Cheyne refuses, Joan will be killed. Dangle then tells the true story of Arnold Price and their connection during the war, leading to the revelation of Otto Schulz's secret.
Chapter 12
XII: In the Enemy's Lair
Cheyne narrowly escapes an explosion in a train station refreshment room, realizing the gang's purse was a bomb. He confronts Dangle, who threatens Joan Merrill's safety, forcing Cheyne to swear an oath and join the gang. At Earlswood, Blessington reveals how he drugged Cheyne earlier, and Dangle shows the mysterious cipher tracing. Cheyne agrees to work on the cipher with Joan, though he remains wary of the gang's intentions.
Chapter 13
XIII: Inspector French Takes Charge
Cheyne meets Inspector French, who takes charge of the case. French listens to Cheyne's full story and immediately prioritizes finding Joan Merrill. They raid Earlswood but find the gang has fled. French then visits Speedwell, who reveals he was not truly employed by the gang but used a business expedient to extract money from Cheyne. Speedwell agrees to share his information. The search continues to Sime's address in Putney, where they find signs of a recent hasty departure.
Chapter 14
XIV: The Clue of the Clay-Marked Shoe
Speedwell reveals his investigation into Susan Dangle's role in the burglary and Cheyne's drugging, detailing how he traced her to her brother James Dangle and observed Cheyne's own break-in at Laurel Lodge. Later, French and Cheyne examine Joan Merrill's room, finding her shoes with clay marks that confirm she climbed the bank at Wembley, raising questions about her disappearance.
Chapter 15
XV: The Torn Hotel Bill
Inspector French conducts thorough searches of Blessington's and Sime's houses, finding a torn hotel bill with a puzzling list of items in Dangle's waistcoat. He also interviews residents at Horne Terrace, learning that Joan Merrill was seen leaving with two men in a yellow car on the night of her disappearance. French deduces that Blessington swapped cars at a garage near Waterloo Station to avoid detection, and suspects the gang is preparing for an extended absence.
Chapter 16
A Tale of Two Cities
Inspector French, having deduced that a torn hotel bill fragment points to the Grand Hôtel du Sablon in Bruges, travels to Belgium to investigate. Upon arrival, the hotel manager informs him that no such person as James Dangle has stayed there and that the bill is not theirs. Disheartened but determined, French reconsiders his deduction and, while examining train timetables, realizes that 'Anvers' (Antwerp) fits the criteria. The stationmaster suggests the Grand Hôtel du Carillon, reigniting French's hope as he sets off for Antwerp.
Chapter 17
XVII: On the Flood Tide
Inspector French investigates the departure of vessels from Antwerp on the previous Thursday, focusing on a tramp steamer, the L'Escaut, which sailed for Casablanca. He discovers that Blessington and Dangle were rowed out to the ship, but not Sime. French confronts M. Lowenthal, who claims ignorance of the criminal nature of Blessington, Sime, and Dangle, but later flees to Holland, prompting French to involve the Belgian police.
Chapter 18
XVIII: A Visitor from India
Inspector French, while analyzing the tracing, suddenly recalls that Joan Merrill had a camera and may have photographed the document before her abduction. He retrieves her camera from her flat and develops the film, finding three exposures of the tracing. However, comparing the photographs to the original tracing reveals they are nearly identical, leading to disappointment. Later, French meets Cheyne at Victoria station, who reports that Arnold Price has written from Bombay, explaining his disappearance due to an accident. French shares news that Joan Merrill is alive and aboard a tramp steamer, the L'Escaut. The group then discusses the cipher, with Dangle's story of hard copper being debunked as a fabrication. French realizes the tracing is a map of England, with Nelson's phrase as a title and blind, and they prepare to decode it.
Chapter 19
XIX: The Message of the Tracing
Inspector French, Cheyne, and Price examine the photograph of the tracing, debating whether it is a map of England and what the numbers and circles signify. French theorizes that the cipher relates to a sunken treasure from the Silurian, a ship sunk by a U-boat commanded by Schulz. Cheyne reconstructs the sequence of events: Schulz's secret, Dangle's theft of the cipher, and the gang's plot. They deduce that Joan Merrill is being held on Merkel's boat north of the Azores. French contacts Lloyd's and Inspector Barnes for nautical expertise, confirming the Silurian's sinking with gold bullion. The Admiralty organizes a fast salvage boat, and French, Cheyne, and Price join the expedition.
Chapter 20
XX: The Goal of the L'Escaut
Inspector French, Cheyne, and Price sail on an Admiralty boat to intercept the L'Escaut. After a stormy passage, they sight the Belgian vessel flying a distress flag under the British red ensign. The L'Escaut appears deserted, raising suspicions of a trap. Meanwhile, Joan Merrill recounts her ordeal: drugged, taken aboard, and held captive while the crew recovers gold from a wreck. The men mutiny over the division of spoils, and the situation remains tense as the climax approaches.
Chapter 21
List of Illustrations
This chapter presents a series of illustrations including diagrams of a divided flask, a torn bill fragment, and a circular arrangement of numbered and lettered circles with the phrase 'England expects every man to do his duty' woven among them.
