The Man Who Knew · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for The Man Who Knew by Edgar Wallace.
Chapter 1
The Man in the Laboratory
John Minute discusses his mining shares and his ward May Nuttall with his secretary Jasper Cole, revealing his distrust of Sergeant Smith and his premonition of a violent death. Jasper secretly receives and burns a letter from a private investigator, hinting at a hidden search.
Chapter 2
The Girl Who Cried
A young girl arrives at King's Cross station, bewildered and burdened with parcels, and is met by a harsh, irritable man who berates her for her perceived stupidity. He takes her to a house in Camden Town, where she is treated coldly. Later, a motorcyclist surveils the house, and a man named Crawley visits the girl's husband, discussing blackmail, a dangerous secret, and a plan involving John Minute's relative. The husband, revealed to be a drug user, prepares a hypodermic syringe while the girl weeps alone.
Chapter 3
III: Four Important Characters
The narrator introduces the unusual story of 'The Man Who Knew', reconstructed from trial reports, confidential material from Saul Arthur Mann's bureau, and May Nuttall's diary. The narrative cuts into the lives of characters on July 17, 19—, beginning with a dead man lying on the sidewalk in Gray Square, Bloomsbury. A constable and a visiting Sussex constable, Wiseman, attend the body. Meanwhile, Frank Merrill and May Nuttall observe a peculiar little man watching the scene. Frank expresses jealousy over Jasper Cole's influence on his uncle, John Minute. May, who is supported by John Minute, works as a nurse in the East End. That night, while making her rounds in Silvertown, she is astonished to see Jasper Cole in a dark courtyard.
Chapter 4
The Accountant at the Bank
Frank Merrill reads a perplexing letter from May Nuttall about Jasper Cole's mysterious visits to a room in Silvers Rents. At the bank, Frank discusses Rex Holland's large floating balance with the manager, Mr. Brandon, and learns that Jasper Cole has been appointed a director of the bank. Frank agrees to visit Rex Holland to suggest a deposit. Later, Jasper Cole arrives at the bank for an audit, and after the bank closes, he works late, eventually taking a taxi to Charing Cross and then another to Victoria Dock Road.
Chapter 5
John Minute's Legacy
May Nuttall reflects on her feelings for Frank Merrill and Jasper Cole, torn between affection and unease. John Minute reveals to May that she is an heiress to £200,000 and asks her to delay any marriage decision for a fortnight. He also visits the police commissioner about threats and learns of Saul Arthur Mann, 'The Man Who Knows.' The chapter explores May's internal conflict and John Minute's controversial past.
Chapter 6
The Man Who Knew
John Minute visits Saul Arthur Mann, a mysterious information broker whose vast network of global intelligence and criminal records has made him invaluable to the police. Mann reveals he possesses a secret dossier on Minute, including details about a person designated 'X,' but refuses to sell the information or disclose 'X's identity, leaving Minute unsettled.
Chapter 7
Introducing Mr. Rex Holland
Frank Merrill, under the alias Rex Holland, forges checks from John Minute's checkbooks, then returns to London. He visits May Nuttall, revealing his strained financial dependence on his uncle and his urgent need to marry before his twenty-fourth birthday to gain independence. Meanwhile, the bank manager, Mr. Brandon, becomes suspicious of the large checks signed by John Minute and made payable to Rex Holland, and Frank deflects by noting John Minute's departure for Paris.
Chapter 8
Sergeant Smith Calls
The chapter opens with the girl overhearing Jasper Cole accuse Frank Merrill of fraud, leading to a confrontation. Later, Sergeant Smith (Crawley) visits John Minute at Weald Lodge, threatening him with exposure of their shared criminal past in Matabeleland. The sergeant's visit is marked by tension and blackmail, revealing deep secrets between the two men.
Chapter 9
IX: Frank Merrill at the Altar
Frank Merrill obtains a special license and prepares to marry May Nuttall, who has suddenly agreed to the wedding. However, Jasper Cole intercepts May at her hotel, reveals he holds John Minute's power of attorney, and threatens to forbid the marriage. May sends a telegram canceling the wedding, leaving Frank waiting at the church. Meanwhile, Rex Holland discusses a suspicious commission with his chauffeur, Feltham, who fears he is implicated in a bank forgery. Frank returns to the bank to find John Minute waiting for him.
Chapter 10
X: A Murder
Constable Wiseman, a self-important town policeman, enjoys domestic life and hints at trouble involving John Minute and his nephew Frank Merrill. Later, while on duty, he encounters Sergeant Smith, who is about to visit Minute. Wiseman hears shots from Minute's house and discovers Frank Merrill near the body. He arrests Frank, then finds Jasper Cole locked in an upstairs room, dazed from a blow. Cole accuses Frank of the murder.
Chapter 11
XI: The Case Against Frank Merrill
Saul Arthur Mann meets with May Nuttall to discuss the case against Frank Merrill, who is accused of murdering John Minute. Mann expresses his belief in Merrill's innocence and shares his suspicions about Jasper Cole and Sergeant Crawley. Inspector Nash arrives and outlines the evidence against Merrill, including the forged books and motive. Later, at the reading of John Minute's will, it is revealed that Jasper Cole is the primary beneficiary of the estate, providing a new motive for the murder.
Chapter 12
The Trial of Frank Merrill
Frank Merrill is tried for the murder of John Minute. The prosecution presents a theory involving an accomplice, Rex Holland, and suggests Jasper Cole may be that accomplice. The defense challenges the evidence, and after a sixteen-day trial, the jury returns a verdict of 'Not guilty.'
Chapter 13
The Man Who Came to Montreux
Two months after the trial, Frank Merrill meets May Nuttall and Saul Arthur Mann in Montreux. May has grown more mature and wealthy, while Frank has been traveling. They discuss Jasper Cole's mysterious activities and his continued contact with May. Frank leaves for London, and later that day, Rex Holland arrives at the Palace Hotel in Montreux.
Chapter 14
XIV: The Man Who Looked Like Frank
Saul Arthur Mann continues his investigation into John Minute's murder, uncovering more mysteries. He learns from Constable Wiseman about Sergeant Smith's daughter, a pretty dark girl who lived with him briefly. Mann also discovers that Rex Holland, a man who inquired after Frank Merrill at Montreux, is a distinct figure. Frank expresses despair over losing May Nuttall to Jasper Cole's influence, hinting at secrets he cannot reveal. Later, Mann witnesses a shocking scene in Flowerton Road: a man who is the exact double of Frank Merrill strikes a girl and flees, deepening the enigma.
Chapter 15
A Letter in the Grate
Saul Arthur Mann visits Frank Merrill at Grimm's Hotel, relieved to find him there after mistaking a look-alike in Camden Town. The next morning, Mann receives a photograph from Constable Wiseman identifying the girl seen at 69 Flowerton Road as Sergeant Smith's daughter. Mann and Frank go to the house, but the girl has fled. In the grate, Mann finds a torn letter instructing her to leave London, written in Jasper Cole's handwriting.
Chapter 16
The Coming of Sergeant Smith
Jasper Cole visits May Nuttall in Chamonix, where they become engaged. May returns to England and is met by Saul Arthur Mann, who is troubled by the engagement. Frank Merrill and Mann discuss their suspicions about Cole and plan to intervene. May is later lured to a mission and kidnapped by a man in a car.
Chapter 17
The Man Called "Merrill"
Saul Arthur Mann confronts Jasper Cole, accusing him of orchestrating May's abduction and of being already married. Jasper reveals he is John Minute's son and recounts his family history. Meanwhile, a frightened girl claims she is married to Frank Merrill, but Frank denies it, suggesting an impostor has been using his name.
