Secrecy and Deception

Where it surfaces

• Ashton-Kirk, Investigator

  The circumstances surrounding Hume's death involve hidden motives and concealed truths.

• Miss Edyth Vale States Her Case

  Miss Vale conceals her true motives when visiting Hume's shop and later deceives Allan Morris about the idol's origin.

• III: The Portraits of General Wayne

  Miss Vale hides her true emotions and asks Ashton-Kirk to forget her confession; Pendleton's search for her is kept quiet.

• Stillman Asks Questions

  Pendleton's suspicions about Edyth Vale's disappearance and Allan Morris's connection to Hume hint at hidden truths and deceptive appearances.

• VI: Ashton-Kirk Looks About

  Berg initially hesitates to share information; Sams calculates risks before revealing what he saw; the woman's identity and actions remain mysterious.

• VII: The Schwartz-Michael Bayonet

  Allan Morris's secret visits to Hume and Edyth Vale's midnight actions highlight hidden motives and deception.

• IX: Miss Vale Tells What She Knows

  Miss Vale initially deceives Ashton-Kirk out of fear, then reveals the truth, highlighting the tension between hiding and revealing.

• X: Ashton-Kirk Asks Questions

  The bayonet sale is shrouded in incomplete records and a buyer who avoided giving a full address, suggesting deliberate concealment.

• XI: Pendleton Is Vastly Enlightened

  The hidden message in tallow, the secret hiding place behind the portrait, and the deceptive nature of the bell sound all underscore themes of concealment.

• XII: Antonio Spatola Appears

  Spatola's angry denial of knowing shorthand suggests he is hiding something.

• A New Light on Allan Morris

  Allan Morris conceals his identity by using the alias Crawford, visiting Spatola in secret and hiding his true profession.

• Miss Vale Unexpectedly Appears

  Ashton-Kirk deliberately extinguishes the lantern to observe Locke and Miss Vale without being seen, highlighting the theme of hidden motives and covert observation.

• Miss Vale Departs Suddenly

  Miss Vale's secret meeting with Locke, her flight, and the use of shorthand and burned notes highlight layers of concealment.

• Steel Against Steel

  Ashton-Kirk probes Miss Vale's hidden activities and Allan Morris's concealment, while she attempts to maintain a facade of innocence.

• XVII: What Happened on the Road

  Miss Vale's feigned mechanical trouble and Spatola's disguise as a laborer highlight layers of deception and hidden motives.

• XVIII: Ashton-Kirk Tells Why

  Miss Vale's secret visits to Locke and Morris, the coded message in the gloves, and Ashton-Kirk's disguise and surveillance all highlight layers of concealment.

• XIX: The Two Reports

  Hume's past as a smuggler and his use of aliases (D. Purtell) highlight the theme of hidden identities and criminal deception.

• XX: One of the Old Sort

  Allan Morris's disappearance and Tobin's cautious responses underscore the theme of hidden truths and deception.

• Ashton-Kirk Begins to Plan

  Ashton-Kirk withholds his full reasoning from Pendleton and uses the newspaper announcement to lure the criminals.

• XXII: Ashton-Kirk Is Annoyed

  Miss Vale continues to deceive Ashton-Kirk about her knowledge of Allan Morris and her visit to Locke, while Ashton-Kirk reveals he has seen through her acts.

• The Second Night

  The chapter is steeped in hidden identities, concealed motives, and secret actions—both the vigil and Sagon's theft of the papers underscore layers of deception.

• XXV: Approaching the Finish

  Locke's secretive lurking, Hume's denial of the plans, and Morris's hidden financial troubles all involve deception.

• The Finish

  Locke's hidden bomb and his deceptive calm mask his true intentions, while the earlier deceptions of Morris and Spatola are unraveled.