IX explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Sanity and Madness

  Lord Peter's nervous turn and nightmares, linked to his war service, highlight the fragility of sanity and the impact of trauma.

• Crime and Detection

  The investigation advances through Parker's police work and Bunter's undercover cultivation of Cummings, revealing clues about Sir Julian Freke's activities.

• Identity and Disguise

  Bunter's role-playing as a convivial companion to Cummings exemplifies the use of disguise and deception in detection.

Characters to notice

• Lord Peter Wimsey

  Suffering from nerves and nightmares, he is taken to Denver by his mother. Before leaving, he gives Parker instructions to circulate a description of the corpse and to investigate St. Luke's Hospital.

• Mr. Parker

  Summoned to 110 Piccadilly, he receives instructions from Lord Peter to circulate the corpse description and to investigate St. Luke's Hospital.

• Bunter

  Sent to cultivate Cummings, Sir Julian Freke's servant, and reports back on Freke's late-night activities, including a visitor and a bath at 3 a.m.

• Dowager Duchess of Denver

  Arrives at Piccadilly to take Peter to Denver for the weekend, expressing concern about his nerves and nightmares.

• Sir Julian Freke

  Discussed in Bunter's report: he had a late visitor on Monday evening, was active in and out of the private door all night, and took a bath at 3 a.m.

• Mr. Cummings

  Sir Julian Freke's servant, cultivated by Bunter. He provides information about Freke's late-night habits, including a visitor and a bath at 3 a.m.

Key passages

• “I am going to take this silly boy down to Denver for the weekend... He's been doing too much—running about to Salisbury and places and up till all hours of the night—you really shouldn't encourage him, Mr. Parker, it's very naughty of you—waking poor Bunter up in the middle of the night with scares about Germans, as if that wasn't all over years ago, and he hasn't had an attack for ages, but there! Nerves are such funny things, and Peter always did have nightmares when he was quite a little boy—though very often of course it was only a little pill he wanted; but he was so dreadfully bad in 1918, you know, and I suppose we can't expect to forget all about a great war in a year or two, and, really, I ought to be very thankful with both my boys safe.”

  The Dowager Duchess explains to Parker that she is taking Peter to Denver for rest, citing his overwork, nightmares about Germans, and lingering trauma from the war in 1918.

  Reveals Peter's fragile mental state and the lasting effects of his war service.

• “Charles, I am going away for a couple of days because I can be no use to you in London. What has got to be done for the moment can be much better done by you than by me. I want you to take this—to Scotland Yard immediately and get it sent out to all the workhouses, infirmaries, police stations, Y.M.C.A.'s and so on in London. It is a description of Thipps's corpse as he was before he was shaved and cleaned up.”

  Lord Peter instructs Parker to circulate a description of the unshaven corpse to various London institutions to identify the dead man.

  Key investigative step: using the original appearance of the corpse to trace his identity.

• “When the replies to this paper come in, you will search for any mention of St. Luke's Hospital, or of any person connected with St. Luke's Hospital, and you will send for me at once.”

  Peter tells Parker to look for any reference to St. Luke's Hospital in the responses and to summon him immediately if found.

  Directs suspicion toward St. Luke's Hospital, linking it to the case.

• “You will see Sir Andrew Mackenzie personally, and get the paper sent out at once, by his authority; you will tell him that you have solved the problems of the Levy murder and the Battersea mystery—and you will ask him to have men in readiness with a warrant to arrest a very dangerous and important criminal at any moment on your information.”

  Peter instructs Parker to inform Sir Andrew Mackenzie that both mysteries are solved and to prepare for an arrest.

  Indicates Peter believes he has identified the murderer and is ready to act.

• “D'you mean you've got to the bottom of this thing? asked Parker. Yes. I may be wrong. I hope I am, but I know I'm not.”

  Parker asks if Peter has solved the case; Peter confirms he has, though he hopes he is mistaken.

  Shows Peter's certainty and his moral discomfort with the conclusion.

• “You talked of the Levy murder. Is Levy dead? God—yes! said Peter, with a strong shudder.”

  Parker asks if Levy is dead; Peter emphatically confirms it, shuddering.

  Confirms Sir Reuben Levy's death and Peter's emotional reaction.