The Lazy Detective · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Lazy Detective by George Dilnot.
Chapter 1
I
Divisional Detective Inspector Harry Labar is warned by Chief Constable Winter that crime in his division must be cleaned up or he will face consequences. Labar, known for his laziness, is preoccupied with the elusive crime organizer Larry Hughes, whom he knows to be behind much of the professional crime in the West End but cannot prove. After a meeting with his colleague Moreland, Labar is handed a hundred-pound note by a girl in a speeding car—an obvious but clumsy bribe. Later, at his office, Sergeant Malone reports a major jewel robbery at Streetly House, worth a quarter of a million pounds, which Labar immediately suspects is the work of Larry Hughes.
Chapter 2
Chapter II
The discovery of the Streetly House jewel robbery is investigated by Detective Inspector Labar. Despite the flawless execution of the crime, Labar suspects Larry Hughes but lacks evidence. He faces pressure from the victim, Mr. Solly Gertstein, and anxiety about his career standing with his superiors. The Assistant Commissioner and Chief Constable arrive, and Labar is left to manage the investigation.
Chapter 3
III
Labar interviews all the household members about the robbery, focusing on Penelope Noelson. He suspects her of involvement and confronts her about a hundred-pound note she allegedly gave him earlier, causing her to faint.
Chapter 4
IV
Labar hesitates to fully disclose his suspicions to Solly Gertstein, who trusts Penelope Noelson implicitly. Despite Gertstein's faith, Labar remains unconvinced and places Penelope under surveillance. He confirms with Scotland Yard that he will continue leading the investigation. Reports come in, including a forged cheque linked to the case. Late that night, after parting from Malone, Labar is attacked near the police station by a woman who attempts to rob him, but she escapes. Labar suspects the attack is connected to the cheque.
Chapter 5
V
Detective Inspector Labar visits Larry Hughes at his Hampstead home to investigate the Streetly House jewel robbery. During the interview, Labar reveals he has a photograph of Penelope Noelson taken from Larry's mantelpiece, exposing Larry's initial denial of knowing her. Larry admits knowing Penelope but insists she is innocent. Labar threatens to detain Penelope, causing Larry to lose his composure. Larry then pulls an automatic on Labar, retrieves and destroys the photograph, and orders Labar to leave. After Labar's departure, Larry decides to disregard the danger and take immediate action.
Chapter 6
VI
Labar returns to his office, convinced Penelope Noelson is key to the mystery. He reviews reports, including a suspicious personal ad from The Times and a report on Gold Dust Teddy's recent behavior. Penelope visits Labar and admits her involvement but refuses to name the person she is protecting, claiming she is 'almost innocent.' Labar, moved by her distress, lets her go. Shortly after, he learns she has been abducted outside Streetly House by a man in a Rolls-Royce—likely Larry Hughes.
Chapter 7
VII
Penelope Noelson, feeling victimized and trapped after her interview with Labar, is confronted on the street by Larry Hughes. Despite her resistance, he forcibly abducts her into his car. During the ride, he attempts to persuade her that he is her friend and that Labar has lied about her, but Penelope deduces that Hughes is the blackmailer tormenting Adèle Gertstein. When he proposes marriage, she refuses in horror, and he threatens her. The car takes her to a remote marshland location.
Chapter 8
Chapter VIII
Labar orchestrates a massive manhunt for Larry Hughes and Penelope Noelson after the abduction, while also interrogating Gold Dust Teddy about his involvement in the Streetly House robbery. Using a mix of bluff and psychological pressure, Labar attempts to break Teddy's loyalty to Larry, but Teddy remains defiant, fearing Larry's long reach and reputation for vengeance. Labar also considers the possibility that Larry might force Penelope into marriage to prevent her testimony.
Chapter 9
IX
Labar marks time in the investigation, fending off journalists and grappling with Gertstein's criticism. He discusses the case with Moreland, who warns him about Larry's cunning. An anonymous letter hints at Mrs. Gertstein's gambling debts, leading Labar to visit a bookmakers' club where 'Dickie' confirms she owes money.
Chapter 10
Chapter X
Larry Hughes brings Penelope Noelson to a remote marshland house, where she is introduced to Sophie Lengholm, who is to guard her. Penelope attempts to bribe Sophie to post a letter but fails. Later, Penelope tries to escape by stealing Larry's pistol, but he disarms her and recovers the weapon.
Chapter 11
XI
Adèle Gertstein, desperate for £5,000 to pay a blackmailer, writes to Larry Hughes for a loan. She attends Goodwood races, betting heavily on Bonnie Chevalier in the Stewards' Cup, but loses. After the loss, she resolves to wire Larry and, if necessary, visit him.
Chapter 12
XII
Labar investigates the forged cheque, linking it to Mrs. Gertstein through ink analysis and a copied letter. He secures Superintendent Marlow's non-interference, then confronts Mrs. Gertstein at Maid's Retreat. During the interrogation, she attacks him with a dagger; he subdues her and sustains a superficial wound.
Chapter 13
XIII
Labar interrogates Adèle Gertstein about her relationship with Larry Hughes and her involvement in blackmail and forgery. She confesses to being blackmailed by Hughes, forging her husband's cheque, and attempting to bribe Labar. The chapter ends with Larry Hughes interrupting their conversation, armed with an automatic.
Chapter 14
XIV
Larry Hughes interrupts Labar's interrogation of Adèle Gertstein, revealing he intercepted a letter and followed Labar. A tense standoff ensues as Larry offers Labar a bribe of fifteen thousand pounds to drop the case, but Labar stalls for time, knowing Malone is captured and he is outnumbered. The confrontation escalates into a violent struggle, with Labar wounded but managing to knock Larry unconscious and escape through the French windows.
Chapter 15
XV
Labar and Dr. Ware pursue Larry Hughes's Rolls Royce in a high-speed chase through country lanes, but lose the trail when the car turns off unexpectedly. Labar then finds himself at a house where he is pursued by Billy Bungey and two other men. He escapes into a wood, wounds one pursuer with a lucky shot, and hides in a tree. After the gang gives up the search, Labar enlists Dr. Ware's help to follow the Rolls Royce from a distance, planning to track the gang to their hideout.
Chapter 16
XVI
Labar and Malone realize they have been outwitted by Larry Hughes, who has escaped with his gang after a raid on 'Maid's Retreat.' Labar receives a threatening letter from Larry, hinting that Penelope Noelson is a hostage. Despite his unease, Labar resolves to continue the pursuit, planning to watch the ports and avoid premature publicity. He discovers that Mrs. Gertstein has fled, likely with Larry, and works to control the narrative of the raid.
Chapter 17
XVII
Labar informs Solly Gertstein of his wife Adèle's affair with Larry Hughes and her criminal actions. Gertstein, initially cold and indifferent, attempts to bribe Labar and later suggests allowing Adèle to commit suicide to avoid scandal. Labar refuses. Gertstein then obstructs Labar's investigation by forbidding his servants from cooperating. Labar, exhausted, falls asleep at his desk and is awakened by Moreland. They pursue a suspect through a dark building, eventually capturing him.
Chapter 18
XVIII
Labar interrogates Stebbins after his arrest, using psychological tactics to extract a confession about the Streetly House robbery. Stebbins reveals that Billy Bungey recruited him for the job, provided references, and instructed him to gather information on the house's security. Stebbins admits to being a drug user and a minor crook, and Labar uncovers a hidden warning message from 'Panjandrum' urging Stebbins to flee.
Chapter 19
XIX
Penelope Noelson, held captive in a walled garden, attempts to escape by threatening Sophie Lengholm with a poker but is thwarted by the Alsatian dog. Sophie advises her to marry Larry Hughes for her own safety. Later, Larry returns with a wounded man and Adèle Gertstein, who arrives distraught, deepening Penelope's anxiety about her fate.
Chapter 20
XX
Penelope Noelson confronts Adèle Gertstein about her involvement in attempted murder and forgery, urging her to surrender to the police. Adèle, frightened and under Larry Hughes' control, refuses. Larry later manipulates Adèle, asserting dominance over both women and revealing plans to flee. Penelope grapples with her loyalty to Adèle and her own precarious position.
Chapter 21
XXI
Labar receives advice from Chief Constable Winter to focus solely on capturing Larry Hughes, delegates divisional duties to Myson, and begins a methodical search in the Romney Marshes area, disguising himself as a naturalist to locate Larry's hideout.
Chapter 22
XXII
Labar, alone in a foggy marsh, disguises himself as a tramp to avoid detection while tracking Larry Hughes. He discovers a house guarded by an Alsatian dog, evades capture by wading through a dyke, and unexpectedly finds Penelope Noelson, who has escaped from captivity. Together they flee into the fog, becoming lost.
Chapter 23
XXIII
Labar and Penelope, stranded on the Romney Marshes in the fog, share a romantic moment and discuss their future. Penelope recounts her harrowing ordeal with Adèle Gertstein and Larry Hughes, including threats and an attempted knife attack. Labar proposes marriage, and Penelope agrees, but their conversation turns to the case: Penelope reveals Adèle's treachery, freeing her from any obligation, and Labar offers to resign rather than force her to testify. They reconcile their love with the demands of justice.
Chapter 24
XXIV
Labar secures Penelope with a retired constable's wife, then prepares to hunt Larry Hughes. He briefs Sergeant Malone on a plan to seal escape routes and raid the marsh. After scouting Mope's Bottom alone, he finds the house seemingly abandoned, breaks in, and discovers a secret panel—only to be confronted by Larry Hughes and Billy Bungey with pistols.
Chapter 25
XXV
Harry Labar is captured by Larry Hughes and his gang in a smugglers' tunnel. Larry interrogates him about police plans, but Labar warns that the area is surrounded by armed men and a destroyer. Tensions rise among the gang as some, like Sophie Lengholm, argue against murder, but Larry reasserts control and leaves to test the escape route.
Chapter 26
XXVI
Labar, tied up in an underground chamber with the gang, is given a penknife by Sophie Lengholm. He cuts his bonds and, after creating doubt about Larry's loyalty, attacks and disarms a gang member. He forces the gang to surrender and march back to Mope's Bottom, where he is met by Bill Malone and Detective Inspector Moreland.
Chapter 27
XXVII
Labar and the police round up the gang at Mope's Bottom, but Larry Hughes escapes through the tunnel. The police pursue, encounter locked doors, and eventually corner Tom and two others in the tunnel, though Larry remains at large.
Chapter 28
XXVIII
Labar coordinates the aftermath of the raid on Mope's Bottom, interrogating prisoners and searching for Larry Hughes. He learns of a suspicious yacht linked to Hughes, receives a promotion to Chief Inspector, and interviews Sophie Lengholm, who reveals her true identity as the wife of Dave Cummings and her history with Larry.
Chapter 29
Chapter XXIX
Labar and his superiors investigate a tip about Larry and Billy Bungey at a farm, only to find Billy dead and Larry escaped. Labar then learns that Penelope has been lured to the train station by a fake note, and he races to intercept the train.
Chapter 30
The Final Reckoning
Labar captures Larry Hughes and oversees the cleanup of his criminal network. As the case concludes, Labar reflects on his career and personal life, including his engagement to Penelope Noelson, who inherits money from Solly Gertstein's will. The chapter ends with preparations for the trial and Labar's plea for leniency for Sophie Lengholm.
