The Door with Seven Locks · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Door with Seven Locks by Edgar Wallace.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the book to H. B. Lawford, Esq., acknowledging him as a just man and Worshipful Master of the Drapers Company for 1925–1926.
Chapter 2
The Door with Seven Locks
Dick Martin and Sybil Lansdown discover a hidden door secured by seven locks in the Selford manor, leading to a secret passage that reveals the truth behind the inheritance and the crimes.
Chapter 3
I
Dick Martin, a talented detective from Scotland Yard, is on the verge of retiring after inheriting money. On his last official day, he arrests Lew Pheeney for a bank robbery, but Lew provides an alibi and hints at a secret, unsettling job involving picking locks for a mysterious client. Martin also meets with the third commissioner, who suggests he visit lawyer Havelock for a potential private investigation.
Chapter 4
II
Dick Martin visits the Bellingham Library to investigate the theft of a book by Haeckel. He meets Sybil Lansdown, the librarian, who is sharp-witted and unimpressed by his detective status. She reveals that a Dr. Antonio Stalletti, known to the police for vivisection offenses, was a visitor. Dick fails to learn her name but is intrigued by her. Later, he interviews another female assistant at the library, who also mentions Stalletti and engages in a playful, combative exchange with him.
Chapter 5
III
Dick Martin visits Dr. Stalletti's cottage to retrieve a borrowed book and unexpectedly encounters Tommy Cawler, a reformed car thief now employed by Bertram Cody. After a tense exchange, Dick returns to London and is later approached by Lew Pheeney, who confesses he was hired to open a dead man's tomb and fears being trailed.
Chapter 6
IV
Mr. Havelock hires Dick Martin to find the missing Lord Selford (who travels as John Pierce), revealing the troubled history of the Selford family. Dick later visits Sybil Lansdown at the library, where she deduces his mission and reveals her own distant relation to Selford. Returning home, Dick discovers the body of Lew Pheeney in his bureau.
Chapter 7
V
Dick Martin's flat becomes a crime scene when Lew Pheeney's body is discovered. The police investigate the mysterious circumstances of the murder, and Dick is allowed to leave England after the inquest to pursue a dangerous mission.
Chapter 8
VI
Dick Martin travels from England to Cape Town and then to Madeira, pursuing the elusive Lord Selford. On the voyage, he unexpectedly meets Sybil Lansdown, the grey-eyed woman from the Bellingham Library. She reveals she was summoned to Madeira by a mysterious benefactor to retrieve a key left by a dying Portuguese gardener named Silva, a former servant of Lord Selford. After her bag is snatched, Dick recovers it and later, on the train to London, they discuss the strange events. At Waterloo Station, a coordinated bag-snatching attempt is foiled by Dick, who also skillfully picks the pocket of a confidence man, acquiring a gold cigarette case.
Chapter 9
VII
Dick Martin reports to Mr. Havelock about his failed pursuit of John Pierce (Lord Selford) across the globe. Havelock reveals Pierce's identity and his aversion to his title. Later, at home, Dick discovers a blotting-paper impression linking Pierce to Bertram Cody, and practices a card trick before driving south.
Chapter 10
VIII
Dick Martin, posing as John Rendle, visits Bertram Cody under the pretense of discussing gold on a neighboring property. During the conversation, Cody reveals his knowledge of the gold discovery and inadvertently exposes his own vulnerabilities. After Martin leaves, Cody discovers that his notebook and key have been stolen, realizing his visitor was a detective and an expert thief.
Chapter 11
IX
Dick Martin drives through a storm to visit Bertram Cody, where he discovers a key similar to Sybil Lansdown's. On his return journey, he is waylaid by a staged road closure and attacked by a naked, bestial figure at the home of Dr. Stalletti, whom he had earlier encountered for petrol.
Chapter 12
Chapter X
Mr. Cody visits Dr. Stalletti at Gallows Cottage late at night, fearing the police and discussing the failed attempt to eliminate a pursuer. Stalletti reveals he sent someone after the man but failed, and the two men exchange veiled threats about Lew Pheeney's death. After a mysterious listener is detected outside, Cody returns to his car, driven by the surly Tom Cawler.
Chapter 13
XI
Dick Martin visits Mr. Havelock to confess he withheld information about a blotting-paper found in Buenos Aires, revealing a connection between Lord Selford and Bertram Cody. He shows Havelock a pocketbook containing a key and a detailed log of Selford's movements, which he took from Dr. Stalletti. Havelock recalls that Stalletti leased Gallows Cottage on Cody's recommendation shortly after Cody bought Australian property. Dick decides to go into hiding, sending his housekeeper on holiday and instructing his mail be sent to Scotland Yard, keeping his plans secret.
Chapter 14
XII
Dick Martin visits Mrs. Lansdown and Sybil in their modest flat, revealing that he has secretly kept the key from Sybil's box and now works as a private detective. He warns them to be ready to leave London at a moment's notice, and learns that Sybil and her mother are Lord Selford's only living relatives. The chapter also provides background on the Lansdown family's fall from wealth and Sybil's growing interest in Dick.
Chapter 15
XIII
Dick Martin visits Inspector Sneed at Scotland Yard to share his findings and suspicions. Sneed identifies the nearly naked attacker as Dr. Stalletti, who has a history of bizarre experiments aimed at reverting humans to a primitive state. Sneed arranges surveillance and a raid on Gallows Cottage. Later, Dick returns to his flat and is attacked in the night by a monstrous hand, but he escapes and the assailant flees via a rope ladder. Dick deduces this is the same murderer who killed Lew Pheeney.
Chapter 16
XIV
Dick Martin is awakened by a phone call from Sybil Lansdown, who wants to consult him. She reveals she has spoken to Mr. Havelock about the key incident and proposes a trip to Selford Hall and the Selford tombs. They pick up Havelock and drive to the estate, where Havelock shows them the sealed tomb with seven locks. During their inspection, a violent thunderstorm traps them inside as the iron grille is shut and footprints of naked feet are seen outside.
Chapter 17
XV
Dick Martin, Sybil Lansdown, and Mr. Havelock return to the Selford tombs, where Dick fires at a mysterious half-naked figure and discovers cylinders of chlorine gas. He later examines the door with seven locks, finding that two keys are insufficient to open it. After returning to London, Dick meets with Inspector Sneed to discuss the day's events and the ongoing investigation, including the planned raid on Stalletti.
Chapter 18
XVI
Inspector Sneed and Dick Martin lead a police raid on Gallows Cottage, where they confront Dr. Stalletti. Despite a thorough search, they find no evidence of his secret experiments or the creatures he keeps hidden. After the police leave, Stalletti reveals his hidden laboratory and feeds his monstrous creations.
Chapter 19
XVII
Dick Martin meets with Mr. Havelock to discuss a troubling letter from 'Pierce' (Lord Selford) requesting £25,000. Havelock reveals the immense wealth of the Selford estate and his growing unease about managing it. Meanwhile, Sybil Lansdown is visited by Mrs. Bertram Cody, who cryptically warns her of enemies and invites her to tea to learn something about her father. Sybil is intrigued despite her reservations.
Chapter 20
XVIII
Sybil Lansdown is lured to Weald House by Mrs. Cody under false pretenses. There, she meets the seemingly jovial Mr. Cody, who reveals his knowledge of her father and a secret. Suspicious of his lies about contacting her mother, Sybil attempts to leave but is drugged and collapses. Mr. Cody locks her in the library, revealing his sinister intentions.
Chapter 21
XIX
Sybil Lansdown is imprisoned in a locked room by Mr. Cody after refusing to sign a document. She attempts escape but is trapped. Later, she is moved to a spare bedroom where she recovers from a drugged state. Tom Cawler confronts Cody about Sybil's detention and hints at dark family secrets.
Chapter 22
XX
Dick Martin's growing obsession with Sybil Lansdown leads him to the library, where he learns she left with a mysterious woman in a Rolls-Royce. His unease deepens when Mrs. Lansdown reveals Sybil's friend is not wealthy. That night, he receives a terrifying phone call from a man being murdered in Sussex. Martin and Inspector Sneed rush to Weald House, break in, and discover the body of a woman leaning over the banisters, her face frozen in horror.
Chapter 23
XXI
Dick Martin and Inspector Sneed discover the body of Mrs. Cody on the landing, dead from fright, clutching a key identical to the one in Dick's possession. They find bloody bare footprints leading from a locked room. Forcing entry to the library, they find Bertram Cody murdered with a poker, the telephone receiver in his hand, and all desk drawers emptied. The phone line is cut as they call for backup. Dick searches the house and finds a trail of blood and a discarded bandage, leading him to an attic room where he discovers Sybil Lansdown's bloodstained handkerchief.
Chapter 24
XXII
Dick Martin and Inspector Sneed investigate a room with bloodstains and fingerprints, discovering a ladder leading to a kitchen garden. They are ambushed by an unseen assailant with automatic pistols, engaging in a fierce gunfight. Dick crawls forward to confront the shooter, who fires at him point-blank.
Chapter 25
XXIII
Dick Martin narrowly escapes an assassination attempt involving a bullet and a trip wire in the dark. Returning to the house, he and Inspector Sneed discover that the power and telephone lines were cut. They search Mrs. Cody's belongings and find letters connecting Cody, Mrs. Cody, Stalletti, and the late Lord Selford, along with a marriage certificate witnessed by Stalletti and a mysterious William Brown. Determined to investigate Selford Manor, Dick finds his car tires slashed, forcing him to proceed on foot.
Chapter 26
XXIV
Sybil is rescued from the locked room by Cawler, who pulls her through a skylight onto the roof. They flee across the grounds, with Cawler revealing his criminal past and his connection to Mrs. Cody. Separated from Cawler during a fight with the giant man, Sybil runs blindly and eventually takes refuge in the Selford tombs, locking herself inside. As she stands in the dark, a hand reaches out from the tomb and grips hers.
Chapter 27
XXV
Sybil Lansdown, fleeing a terrifying pursuer, stumbles upon Dr. Stalletti in the Selford tombs, where he is attempting to open the door with seven locks. Under his hypnotic influence, she nearly swallows two red pellets but breaks free and escapes. She finds a dog for companionship and later sees a strange, lion-headed man in Selford Manor. Finally, she is relieved to encounter Dick Martin.
Chapter 28
XXVI
After Sybil's harrowing night, the group decides to stay at Selford Manor for safety. Havelock goes to fetch Mrs. Lansdown, while Dick investigates the grounds for signs of Tom Cawler. A mysterious intruder is spotted in the house, and a walking stick is found in the chimney, hinting at secret passages. Havelock insists they remain for twenty-four hours due to a warning in Lord Selford's letter, citing a history of violent deaths among the Selford title holders.
Chapter 29
XXVII
Dick Martin and Inspector Sneed investigate the disappearance of Dr. Stalletti and the mysterious involvement of Lord Selford. Sneed learns of Stalletti's criminal past with Cody, while Havelock reveals his doubts about Lord Selford's identity. The chapter ends with a survey of Weald House and the arrival of Mrs. Lansdown.
Chapter 30
XXVIII
Dick Martin and Sybil Lansdown share a personal moment, revealing his deep concern for her safety. Mr. Havelock fears Stalletti and believes Lord Selford is under his influence. Dick discovers that Sybil is the heiress-at-law if Lord Selford dies. He inspects the state room and cellars, finding beer barrels filled with white flakes, suggesting a hidden substance. Sneed reveals that Cody was Lord Selford's tutor and Mrs. Cody was his nurse, linking the characters to the mystery.
Chapter 31
XXIX
Dick Martin and Inspector Sneed stake out a room where Sybil saw an apparition. They witness two monstrous, half-naked men emerge from a secret passage beneath the hearthstone, retrieve a child's toy locomotive from a hidden panel, and then flee when Sneed inadvertently rattles the door. Dick pursues them through the grounds to the wood near the Selford Tombs, where he finds the two giants and Tom Cawler performing a bizarre, childlike ritual around the open tomb. Dr. Stalletti arrives with a whip, commands the giants to follow him, and Dick gives chase. The chapter ends with Stalletti's car crashing into a quarry pool after one of the giants climbs onto the vehicle.
Chapter 32
The Arrest and the Fire
Dick Martin confronts Mr. Havelock, revealing that the chase for Lord Selford was a ruse orchestrated by Havelock and Cody. Martin exposes Havelock's role in handing Selford over to Dr. Stalletti for experiments and in the murder of Cody. Meanwhile, a car accident in the lake kills three men, including Tom Cawler's brother, who had killed Cody under Stalletti's orders. Selford Manor is set ablaze, but Dick had already sent Mrs. Lansdown and Sybil to safety. Havelock is arrested by Inspector Sneed, and around his neck are found two keys of peculiar design.
Chapter 33
XXXI
Dick Martin and Inspector Sneed retrieve the seven keys, open the tomb, and discover a steel box containing Cody's written confession, while the ruins of Selford Manor still smoke and Havelock is taken to Horsham.
Chapter 34
XXXII
Bertram Cody's written confession details the conspiracy among Havelock, Stalletti, Mrs. Cawler, Silva, and himself to conceal Lord Selford's deathbed accusation and exploit his estate. It describes the plan to hide the young Lord Selford, Stalletti's experimental hypnotic identity destruction, and the creation of a signed statement stored in the tomb with seven locks.
Chapter 35
XXXIII
Dick reveals that Havelock forged the letters from Cairo, and discusses Cawler's discovery of his brother. He visits Sybil to tell her she is now the heiress to the Selford fortune, and they share a private moment.
