# XX explained — The Door with Seven Locks

> Chapter companion for The Door with Seven Locks by Edgar Wallace.

## What happens

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.

## Themes in this chapter

### Secrecy and Deception

Sybil's unexplained departure with a stranger and the mysterious phone call highlight layers of hidden truths.

### Crime and Detection

Martin's police instincts and the break-in at Weald House drive the investigation of a suspected murder.

### Madness and Control

The frantic murder call and the frozen, horrified face of the victim suggest a loss of control and terror.

## Character check-ins

### Dick Martin

Driven by personal feelings for Sybil, he investigates her disappearance and receives a murder call, leading him to Weald House.

### Sybil Lansdown

She is absent from home, having left the library with an unknown woman in a Rolls-Royce, causing Martin concern.

### Mrs. Lansdown

She dines with Martin and provides information about Sybil's friend, but is unaware of the mysterious car.

### Inspector Sneed

Accompanies Martin to Weald House, skeptical at first, but witnesses the grim discovery.

### Bertram Cody

The owner of Weald House, whose narrow window is forced by Martin; his home is the scene of a murder.

## Key lines

> It was more than accident that took Dick Martin to the library that previous afternoon. He had come to feel that a day without a glimpse of this tantalizing girl was a day wasted.

Dick Martin's visit to the library was deliberate; he was infatuated with Sybil and couldn't bear to miss seeing her.

_Reveals Martin's personal motivation and growing attachment to Sybil._

> Murder. … I'm being murdered. … Oh, God! They are here … the boys … murder!

A terrified voice on the phone cries out that he is being killed, mentioning attackers.

_The pivotal phone call that sets the investigation in motion._

> There's murder here. Can you smell blood?

Martin senses death in the air, detecting the scent of blood before seeing any body.

_Highlights Martin's acute senses and the grim atmosphere of Weald House._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_door_with_seven_locks_se/chapters/xx
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_door_with_seven_locks_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_door_with_seven_locks_se/chapters