Tracks in the Snow · Chapter
III explained
Callaghan accuses Trethewy of quarrelling with Peters and threatening him, but Vane-Cartwright disputes the account.
What happens
Callaghan accuses Trethewy of quarrelling with Peters and threatening him, but Vane-Cartwright disputes the account. Sergeant Speke interviews Trethewy, who provides an alibi for the night of the murder. The Superintendent arrives, criticizes Speke's handling of the scene, and discovers an unlatched window. The housemaid confirms the candle was new. Callaghan reports that Thalberg has shown indifference to Peters' death and is leaving.
Themes in this chapter
Crime and Detection
The investigation into Peters' murder progresses with interviews, evidence gathering, and the arrival of the Superintendent.
Guilt and Innocence
Trethewy is accused by Callaghan but provides an alibi, while Thalberg's indifference raises suspicion.
Memory and Perception
Callaghan's dramatic recounting of the quarrel is questioned by Vane-Cartwright, highlighting the unreliability of memory.
Characters to notice
- James Callaghan
Relates his account of Trethewy's quarrel with Peters, accuses Trethewy of murderous intent, and later reports Thalberg's indifference.
- Reuben Trethewy
Provides an alibi for the night of the murder, claiming he was at his uncle's house and returned home at 4 a.m.
- William Vane-Cartwright
Disputes Callaghan's account of Trethewy, pointing out inconsistencies and defending Trethewy's character.
- Sergeant Speke
Interviews Trethewy and the servants, but is criticized by the Superintendent for allowing the snow to be trampled and missing the unlatched window.
- Melchior Thalberg
Shows indifference to Peters' murder, shuts himself in his room, and orders a fly to leave.
- Eustace Peters
The murder victim; his habits regarding candles and bedtime are described by the housemaid.
Key passages
“Callaghan indicated (truly, I have some reason to think) the spot in the drive where such altercation as did happen took place, but he added that Peters stood watching Trethewy with his hand upon a young tree. Now Peters had planted that tree with Trethewy several days later, just before the frost set in; and other details in the story seemed equally incredible.”
Callaghan pointed out the location of the quarrel, but his claim that Peters rested his hand on a tree was impossible because the tree was planted after the alleged event.
The narrator notes inconsistencies in Callaghan's account, casting doubt on its accuracy.
“He had suddenly made up his mind at dusk on the previous evening to go to his uncle’s house, where there was a gathering of friends and kinsfolk, which he had at first intended to avoid. They had made a night of it.”
Trethewy decided impulsively to visit his uncle's house, where he stayed late into the night with relatives.
Trethewy provides an alibi, explaining his absence during the murder.
“Why had the Sergeant not noticed this in the morning? Poor Sergeant Speke, already crestfallen, had no answer; at least he made none.”
The Superintendent criticized Sergeant Speke for failing to notice the unlatched window earlier.
The Sergeant's oversight highlights the shift in authority and the Superintendent's more thorough approach.