The Clue of the Twisted Candle · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Clue of the Twisted Candle by Edgar Wallace.
Chapter 1
I
John Lexman hosts Remington Kara for dinner at Beston Priory. Kara discusses his admiration for Lexman's mystery novels and his own ability to solve them. Lexman mentions his friend T. X. Meredith of the CID. After dinner, Lexman reveals his financial troubles with the moneylender Vassalaro, who has threatened him. Kara advises Lexman to use a revolver to intimidate Vassalaro. Grace Lexman, who had a prior unsettling encounter with Kara in Salonika, expresses her fear of him to John.
Chapter 2
II
T. X. Meredith, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, is in his Whitehall office berating Inspector Mansus for failing to find information about the wealthy Greek Remington Kara. The Chief Commissioner, Sir George Haley, arrives and discusses Kara's unusual request for a private police phone line due to fear of a blood feud. T. X. reveals he has already investigated Kara's house, which is fortified like a safe. The conversation shifts to John Lexman's financial troubles, and then a phone call from Lexman himself reveals he has shot and killed a man, prompting T. X. to rush to his aid.
Chapter 3
III
In the early hours after the shooting, John Lexman recounts the events to T. X. Meredith at Beston Priory. Lexman describes meeting Vassalaro, the confrontation, and the accidental shooting. T. X. notes the missing revolver and the suspicious burning of the threatening letter, realizing the evidence against Lexman is mounting. He interviews Grace Lexman, who reveals Kara's past proposal and her fear of him. T. X. and Mansus search the crime scene, finding only a cartridge. The chapter ends with Lexman being charged with murder.
Chapter 4
IV
T. X. Meredith interrogates Kara about his involvement in the events leading to Vassalaro's murder. Kara claims ignorance of the threatening letter and his whereabouts, but T. X. reveals detailed knowledge of Kara's movements, including a secret meeting with Vassalaro. The confrontation ends with Kara departing in anger.
Chapter 5
V
Six months after John Lexman's conviction, T. X. Meredith continues his investigation, searching for the missing revolver that could exonerate Lexman. He and Superintendent Mansus discover a second set of lodgings belonging to the murdered man Vassalaro, where they find a hidden packet wrapped in tin foil. Meanwhile, T. X. has maintained a strained friendship with Kara, who attempted to have him fired but was appeased by an apology. T. X. reflects on the case and the lack of evidence that led to Lexman's fifteen-year sentence.
Chapter 6
The Escape from Dartmoor
John Lexman, now a convict at Dartmoor, is assigned to paint a cottage. There, he meets a fellow prisoner and learns of his impending release. A warder unexpectedly orchestrates his escape, instructing him to jump into a grey car. The car takes him to a remote moor where Kara awaits in a monoplane. Kara flies Lexman to a steam yacht, revealing that Grace Lexman is waiting for him.
Chapter 7
The Escape
T. X. Meredith secures a release order for John Lexman after discovering key evidence, but upon arriving at Dartmoor prison, he learns that Lexman has already escaped via an aeroplane. The chapter also reveals Kara's suspicious activities and Mrs. Lexman's sudden departure.
Chapter 8
Chapter VIII
Two years after John Lexman's escape, T. X. Meredith reads about Kara in the newspaper and reflects on the unsolved mystery. He visits Kara's house, where he tricks Kara into opening his safe, then reveals a hidden vitriol weapon. T. X. confiscates the weapon and leaves, deepening his suspicion of Kara's criminal nature.
Chapter 9
Chapter IX
Kara instructs his valet Fisher to detain the one-armed Gathercole if he arrives. After Kara leaves, Fisher searches the study and bedroom, discovering that the Greek withdrew £6,000 in cash. Miss Holland, the secretary, sends Fisher out with a letter to T. X. Meredith, then uses duplicate keys to open Kara's safe. She finds a red morocco case she has been seeking for three months, but is caught by Kara as she exclaims triumphantly.
Chapter 10
The Cellar Prison
Miss Holland is caught stealing a snuffbox from Kara's safe. Kara confronts her, kisses her against her will, and locks her in his steel-sheeted wine cellar. After recovering, she discovers a trap door leading to a lower cellar where she finds a hidden study and a mysterious, horrifying scene.
Chapter 11
Chapter XI
T. X. receives a letter from John Lexman, who has returned to London and plans to surrender to Superintendent Mansus. Lexman reports that his wife Grace has died abroad. T. X. later encounters Mrs. Cassley, who reports that her maid Belinda Mary Bartholomew has stolen a snuffbox from Kara's house. T. X. investigates, interviews Kara, and dismisses Belinda. He then receives Lexman's letter and prepares for his arrival.
Chapter 12
XII
Kara reflects on a past assassination attempt in Durazzo on Candlemas day, recalling his rescue by Turkish Gendarmes and the execution of his would-be killers. His reverie is interrupted by the arrival of Mr. Gathercole, his eccentric agent. Kara instructs his valet Fisher to leave after eleven o'clock. Gathercole confronts Kara about his service, then departs after a cryptic conversation. Fisher notes the sound of Kara's steel latch, indicating he is not to be disturbed until eleven.
Chapter 13
The Return of John Lexman
John Lexman returns to Scotland Yard to surrender himself, meeting T. X. Meredith and the Chief Commissioner. They discuss his pardon and future plans. Meanwhile, a mysterious phone call from Kara's residence leads T. X., Mansus, and a detective to break into Kara's room, where they find him murdered.
Chapter 14
The Cellar Discovery
T. X. and Mansus investigate Kara's bedroom, finding a second candle, an overturned telephone, and books. T. X. discovers a bloodstained pair of scissors with a handkerchief monogrammed 'B. M. B.' in the cellar. Fisher, the valet, receives a mysterious note and flees. T. X. searches the cellar further, finding a luxurious underground apartment with a dead dog behind a screen, leading him to question whether Belinda Mary killed Kara or the dog.
Chapter 15
XV
T. X. Meredith reports to the Chief Commissioner on the Kara murder investigation, noting the disappearance of Gathercole and the secretary. He meets John Lexman for lunch, where Lexman expresses intense hatred for Kara, revealing that Kara tortured and killed his wife. They discuss possible escape methods from Kara's room and the significance of candles found at the scene. T. X. receives a note from Sir William Bartholomew about his daughter's mysterious activities. The inquest returns a verdict of murder by person or persons unknown, and Lexman announces his departure for the United States.
Chapter 16
XVI
T. X. Meredith confronts Belinda Mary Bartholomew about her involvement in Kara's murder, showing her the bloody scissors and handkerchief found at the scene. She admits to killing a dog in self-defense but denies knowledge of Kara's death. After securing her promise to meet him when summoned, he lets her go. Later, Belinda Mary returns to her father's house to retrieve her mother's snuffbox, only to find T. X. waiting for her there.
Chapter 17
The Twisted Candle
T. X. Meredith investigates Kara's murder by reconstructing the crime scene and consulting experts. He discusses the case with John Lexman, revealing that Gathercole may have died in a shipwreck. T. X. interrogates Fred Fisher, who confesses to planning a robbery of Kara but denies involvement in the murder. Fisher describes a visitor with an artificial left arm and reveals he received a warning note referencing his convict number. Meanwhile, T. X. has a playful but tense interaction with Belinda Mary Bartholomew, who mistakenly believes he is married.
Chapter 18
T. X. and Belinda Mary's Mysterious Secret
T. X. is deep in thought when Belinda Mary Bartholomew arrives, radiant and eager. She hints at having a wonderful secret but refuses to reveal it. T. X. then mentions John Lexman's planned lecture before his departure for America, and Belinda Mary's suppressed excitement suggests she knows more than she lets on. They agree to discuss it over lunch.
Chapter 19
The Clue of the Twisted Candle
T. X. Meredith arranges for John Lexman to deliver a lecture titled 'The Clue of the Twisted Candle' at Belinda Mary Bartholomew's rented house in Blackheath, where Lexman promises to reveal the murderer of Remington Kara. Meanwhile, T. X. investigates a knife found in a sewer, tracing it to Hussein Effendi, a Turkish merchant from Durazzo. The Turk confirms the knife is his but refuses to speak about the murder, citing fatalistic wisdom. T. X. also receives a telegram from the Foreign Office confirming Hussein Effendi's identity and movements.
Chapter 20
The Gathering of Experts
Belinda Mary Bartholomew observes a room full of crime experts gathered to hear John Lexman's theory about the twisted candles. T. X. Meredith introduces her to the assembled guests, and John Lexman arrives, looking tired but cheerful, and begins his presentation with notes.
Chapter 21
The Narrative of John Lexman
John Lexman recounts his imprisonment by Kara, his escape from Dartmoor, and the psychological torment inflicted on him and his wife Grace. He reveals Kara's elaborate plot to frame him for murder and describes his eventual reunion with Grace aboard Kara's yacht.
Chapter 22
XXII
John Lexman continues his narrative, describing his imprisonment under the brutal Salvolio, his rescue by a Turkish merchant and his daughter, and his eventual confrontation with Kara. He details how he killed Kara in his bedroom, set up an alibi using candles and a paper-knife, and narrowly avoided detection.
Chapter 23
XXIII
In the final chapter, the police and international detectives gather to hear John Lexman's full account of the murder of Remington Kara. Belinda Mary Bartholomew reveals that Grace Lexman is alive, having been hidden by Kara in his cellar. The detectives, considering the political and moral implications, decide not to prosecute Lexman, effectively pardoning him. The chapter concludes with Lexman and his wife reunited, and the Chief Commissioner humorously advises Lexman against writing a story titled 'The Clue of the Twisted Candle.'
