The Crime at Black Dudley · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The book is dedicated to 'The Gang'.
Chapter 2
The Crime at Black Dudley
A house party at Black Dudley Abbey is disrupted by the discovery of Colonel Coombe's murder. Dr. George Abbershaw and Albert Campion find themselves entangled in a web of deception, ritual, and organized crime as they attempt to uncover the truth behind the killing and the mysterious dagger ritual.
Chapter 3
Candlelight
Dr. George Abbershaw arrives at the gloomy Black Dudley mansion for a weekend party hosted by Wyatt Petrie and his uncle, Colonel Gordon Coombe. Abbershaw, a pathologist and minor celebrity, is secretly in love with Meggie Oliphant, who is also present. The chapter introduces the setting and several guests, including Albert Campion, Chris Kennedy, Michael Prenderby, and Anne Edgeware, as Abbershaw observes the eerie atmosphere and the Colonel's disfigured face.
Chapter 4
II: The Ritual of the Dagger
After dinner, the guests gather in the great hall, dominated by the sinister Black Dudley Dagger. Anne Edgeware draws attention to it, and Wyatt Petrie recounts the legend of the dagger and the ritual game that grew from it—a hide-and-seek in the dark where the person left holding the dagger loses. Despite Abbershaw's unease and Colonel Coombe's hesitation, the party enthusiastically decides to play the ritual, with Gideon and the expressionless man voicing support.
Chapter 5
In the Garage
Dr. George Abbershaw, uneasy in the dark and foreboding Black Dudley, slips out to the garage to check his car. There he discovers that Colonel Coombe's antique brougham is actually fitted with a modern Rolls-Royce engine, a puzzling anomaly. Albert Campion joins him, feigning idiocy, and they return to the house to find chaos: Colonel Coombe has suffered a suspected heart attack during the ritual game. Meggie Oliphant, terrified, reveals to Abbershaw that someone handed her the ritual dagger in the dark and that its blade was covered in fresh blood before a hand silently took it away. She gives him a blood-stained handkerchief as proof.
Chapter 6
IV: Murder
After the unsettling events of the evening, the guests retire early. Dr. Abbershaw is visited by Michael Prenderby, who reveals that Colonel Coombe is dead and that he was pressured to sign a cremation certificate. Abbershaw is then approached by Dr. Whitby to sign the same certificate. He agrees, but insists on seeing the body, uncovering a tense confrontation with Whitby, Gideon, and Dawlish. Abbershaw signs under duress, but leaves convinced that Colonel Coombe did not die of natural causes.
Chapter 7
The Mask
Abbershaw visits Wyatt's room to offer condolences on his uncle's death, but hesitates to share his suspicions. He later confides in Prenderby that he was forced to sign a death certificate despite clear evidence of murder, and reveals the shocking discovery that the dead man's face was whole beneath a mask.
Chapter 8
VI: Mr. Campion Brings the House Down
In the early morning, Dr. Abbershaw is awakened by a violent commotion from the floor above. Investigating, he finds the drunken butler attacking Mr. Campion in a gallery. Chris Kennedy joins the fray and subdues the butler. Campion claims he was merely leaving his room for an early walk when attacked. Abbershaw notices Campion is fully dressed and suspiciously awake at 4 AM. Later, Abbershaw asks Meggie to arrange a meeting with Anne Edgeware in the garden to question her about Campion's arrival.
Chapter 9
Five O'Clock in the Morning
George Abbershaw, after destroying incriminating papers and disguising a wallet, meets Meggie Oliphant and Anne Edgeware in the garden. He reveals Colonel Coombe's death, officially pronounced heart failure, and questions Anne about Albert Campion's arrival. Anne explains she gave Campion a lift and that Wyatt did not invite him. Abbershaw and Meggie realize Campion was not invited by anyone. They then witness Gideon, Dawlish, and Dr. Whitby secretly loading a heavy bundle—Coombe's body—into a car and driving away, destroying key evidence.
Chapter 10
VIII: Open Warfare
At breakfast, Wyatt Petrie announces his uncle's death, and the guests plan to leave. Benjamin Dawlish and Jesse Gideon enter and demand the return of a stolen item, threatening to keep everyone trapped in the house. Campion defuses the tension by offering a breakfast egg wrapped in a napkin, causing laughter. Dawlish reveals a revolver and reiterates his threat before leaving. The group discusses the situation, and Abbershaw notices the Black Dudley Dagger has been returned to its place.
Chapter 11
IX: Chris Kennedy Scores a Try Only
Abbershaw comforts Meggie after discovering the mask has been replaced. The group realizes they are trapped by Dawlish and Gideon, who demand the return of a mysterious small object. Chris Kennedy returns from checking the cars, finding them disabled. After Kennedy is shot in the wrist, a note from Gideon reiterates that no one may leave until they get what they want. Anne Edgeware suddenly screams that Albert Campion has vanished from beside her.
Chapter 12
X: The Impetuous Mr. Abbershaw
Abbershaw discovers Meggie crying, impulsively kisses her and proposes marriage, which she accepts. Meanwhile, the household is in turmoil after Campion's disappearance and the search of their rooms by Dawlish's men. Abbershaw undergoes a mental transformation, resolving to become more decisive and resourceful.
Chapter 13
XI: One Explanation
Abbershaw and Prenderby discover Campion locked in a wardrobe, having been beaten and interrogated by Dawlish and von Faber. Campion reveals he was hired to retrieve a package from Colonel Coombe and identifies von Faber as a notorious international criminal. Abbershaw learns the true danger of their situation.
Chapter 14
XII: “Furthermore…" Said Mr. Campion
In the aftermath of Abbershaw's revelation, Campion explains his attempt to steal a mysterious wallet from Dawlish during the ritual, his failed escape, and the loss of the wallet in a fight. He learns of Colonel Coombe's murder and expresses horror. The group discusses Dawlish's methods and fears he will interrogate them one by one, with Meggie Oliphant identified as the next target.
Chapter 15
XIII: Abbershaw Sees Red
Abbershaw learns that Meggie has been taken by Dawlish and his gang. In a fury, he attempts to confront Dawlish but is physically repelled by a thug. He then uses a hidden passage discovered earlier by Campion to infiltrate Dawlish's interrogation room, where he hears Meggie being tortured and bursts in to rescue her.
Chapter 16
XIV: Abbershaw Gets His Interview
Abbershaw is thrown into a study where Dawlish, Gideon, and a stranger interrogate him and Meggie. He confronts von Faber, revealing he destroyed the hidden papers from the wallet. Von Faber dismisses his confession, and Abbershaw is locked away with Meggie to await Whitby's return.
Chapter 17
Doctor Abbershaw's Deductions
Abbershaw and Meggie are locked in a room above Colonel Coombe's study. Abbershaw explains his deduction that Colonel Coombe was the mastermind behind the Simister gang's crimes, designing elaborate heists while living as an invalid. He confesses to destroying the coded plans, which has put them in grave danger. Meggie falls asleep in his arms as dawn breaks, and they hear a strange hymn from an adjacent room.
Chapter 18
XVI: The Militant Mrs. Meade
Meggie and Abbershaw are awakened by a noise and discover Mrs. Meade, a fanatical local woman who has barricaded herself in an adjoining room. She reveals she witnessed a secret meeting between Von Faber, Gideon, and Dr. Whitby on the night of Colonel Coombe's death, and heard them discussing murder. Her testimony clears Dawlish, Gideon, and Whitby of the actual killing, leaving Abbershaw and Meggie to realize the murderer must be among their own party.
Chapter 19
XVII: In the Evening
Meggie and Abbershaw, trapped in a locked room, learn from Mrs. Meade that the gang may not have murdered Colonel Coombe, casting suspicion on their own party. Their hope of escape via the simple-minded servant Lizzie Tiddy is dashed when a guard with a revolver delivers their food. After a long, tense day, Campion unexpectedly arrives through the chimney, offering a new escape route.
Chapter 20
Mr. Kennedy's Council
The group assembles in a bedroom after Campion rescues Abbershaw and Meggie. Chris Kennedy proposes a plan to overpower the servants at dinner, disarm them, and escape the house. Campion offers humorous objections but ultimately agrees. The plan involves a signal of broken glass, with Abbershaw, Prenderby, and Campion dining with the women while Kennedy, Wyatt, and Martin wait outside to ambush the servants. Abbershaw reveals he burned the secret papers, and Campion muses on the value of what was destroyed.
Chapter 21
XIX: Mr. Campion’s Conjuring Trick
The six young people descend to dinner with trepidation. Campion entertains with a napkin-and-saltcellar trick, then deliberately breaks a glass to create a diversion. Under cover of the noise, Kennedy's party subdues the servants, while Campion trips and gags a manservant. On the landing, Gideon and a thug confront the group; Campion draws a Webley and disarms them. The girls are locked in a room, and Campion and Abbershaw tie up Gideon and knock out the thug, stuffing him in a cupboard.
Chapter 22
XX: The Roundup
Abbershaw and Campion navigate the darkened house, discovering the unconscious Kennedy on the stairs. They descend to the kitchen, free bound servants, and enter the brewhouse where a fierce fight is underway. Wyatt Petrie, wielding a well-scoop, holds off three men while Martin Watt and Michael Prenderby are engaged. Campion fires a warning shot to end the confrontation. The group then prepares to escape, but as they exit through the side door, they are blinded by the headlights of a large car.
Chapter 23
XXI: The Point of View of Benjamin Dawlish
After a failed escape attempt, the group is herded into a locked, windowless top-floor room by Dawlish and his men. Dawlish reveals that Colonel Coombe was murdered with the dagger and that he concealed the crime to avoid interference. He demands the return of a packet of papers worth over half a million pounds, threatening to burn the house with everyone inside if he does not have them by eleven the next morning. Abbershaw insists he burned the papers, but Dawlish refuses to believe him and leaves the prisoners to their fate.
Chapter 24
XXII: The Darkest Hour
As the clock ticks toward midnight, the trapped house party faces their final hour before von Faber's threat to burn down Black Dudley. Campion attempts to keep spirits up with dark humor, while Abbershaw grapples with guilt over burning the papers. The group's despair deepens as Dawlish is seen carrying petrol cans. Just as hope seems lost, the sound of a hunting horn signals the arrival of the hunt, and the prisoners shout for help.
Chapter 25
XXIII: An Error in Taste
The hunt arrives at Black Dudley, creating chaos. Von Faber shoots a hound and flees toward the garage. Guffy Randall and other horsemen pursue, causing the car to crash. The prisoners are freed, and they discover the house is soaked in paraffin, set for destruction. Campion suspects Dawlish is acting alone.
Chapter 26
The Last of Black Dudley
Inspector Pillow concludes his inquiry at Black Dudley, accepting Abbershaw's evasive explanation about Dawlish's accusations. Abbershaw and Campion discuss the murder, with Abbershaw revealing his belief that Colonel Coombe was murdered but not by Dawlish or his gang. Campion deflects Abbershaw's question about his identity with a jest. The chapter ends with the characters preparing to leave Black Dudley.
Chapter 27
Mr. Watt Explains
A week after the events at Black Dudley, Dr. Abbershaw holds a private consultation in his Adelphi rooms with Meggie Oliphant and Martin Watt to discuss the unresolved murder of Colonel Coombe. Martin presents his theory that Dr. Whitby, acting under von Faber's pressure, killed Coombe and then rejoined the game to pass the dagger. Michael Prenderby arrives with news of having spotted Whitby's distinctive car, adding a new lead.
Chapter 28
XXVI: Cherchez la Femme
Abbershaw, Prenderby, and Martin Watt stake out a garage called The Ritz in Lea Bridge Road, where Prenderby has spotted Colonel Coombe's disguised Rolls-Royce. They plan to follow the car's owners, hoping to catch Whitby and his associates. Mr. Haywhistle, the garage owner, reluctantly cooperates after learning the car is a stolen Rolls. The trio waits in the yard as Whitby and a burly figure arrive, then pursue them toward Wanstead.
Chapter 29
XXVII: A Journey by Night
Abbershaw, Prenderby, and Martin pursue the disguised Rolls-Royce through the night, navigating traffic and then open roads. The chase becomes dangerous when a shot is fired at them, but they persist, following the car through Chelmsford and into narrow lanes until dawn. The Rolls stops on desolate saltings near the sea, and after an exchange of gunfire, Whitby signals surrender with a white handkerchief.
Chapter 30
XXVIII: Should a Doctor Tell?
Abbershaw, Martin, and Prenderby confront Dr. Whitby on a saltmarsh at dawn. Whitby reveals that Colonel Coombe was cremated and that the stolen papers contained plans for a massive robbery of the Repository of the Bullion for the Repayment of the American Debt. He insists Coombe was murdered by a member of the Simister gang, but Abbershaw counters that the Simister man has an alibi. The conversation is interrupted by a Fokker monoplane, which lands and picks up Whitby and his confederate, who is armed with a machine gun.
Chapter 31
XXIX: The Last Chapter
Six weeks after the events at Black Dudley, Abbershaw prepares for his wedding to Meggie but remains haunted by the murder of Colonel Coombe. His suspicions lead him to confront Wyatt Petrie, who confesses to stabbing his uncle, driven by a twisted sense of justice after a girl he loved was ruined by Coombe. Wyatt reveals the flaws in his 'perfect murder' plan, and Abbershaw, torn between law and morality, lets him escape to a monastery in Spain. The chapter ends with Abbershaw receiving a parking ticket from a policeman, which he cheerfully accepts as a sign of order.
