The Circular Staircase · Character

Jack Bailey

Gertrude's fiancé and the bank cashier whose unexplained absence and business ties to Paul Armstrong make him the obvious suspect in the murder.

supporting

Also known as Jack, Mr. Bailey, Bailey, Mr. Jack Bailey, John Bailey, Mr. John Bailey, III Mr. John Bailey Appears

First appearance: III: Mr. John Bailey Appears

As a supporting figure in The Circular Staircase, Jack Bailey is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Introduced as a guest; his bed is also unoccupied; initially feared dead.

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Jack Bailey is the man Rachel means to judge without faith, a lover whose disappearance from the bank on Monday and shared railroad speculations with the dead president have made him the papers' favorite culprit. His surrender at the point of departure reads to Rachel as the calculation of a clever rascal, though Gertrude's loyalty never wavers. Around him the detective's evidence tightens, and the question of his guilt or innocence becomes the engine of the middle chapters.

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Character Web

21 connections

A slice of how Jack Bailey sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Central mystery characters
Peripheral witnesses and relatives
Protagonist

+16 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this excerpt, the emotional and psychological peak occurs when the narrator, for the first time in twenty y…

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Relationships

Gertrude Innes
romantic · positive
Gertrude is secretly engaged to Jack Bailey, and their relationship is a central romantic… How this plays out →
Halsey Innes
friendship · ambivalent
Halsey Innes
friendship · ambivalent
Gertrude Innes
romantic · positive
Gertrude is secretly engaged to Jack Bailey, and their relationship is a central romantic… How this plays out →

Gertrude Innes
Gertrude is secretly engaged to Jack Bailey, and their relationship is a central romantic subplot, strained by suspicion and secrecy.
Halsey Innes
Halsey and Jack are friends, though Halsey becomes conflicted when Jack is implicated in the crimes.
Halsey Innes
Halsey and Jack are friends, though Halsey becomes conflicted when Jack is implicated in the crimes.
Gertrude Innes
Gertrude is secretly engaged to Jack Bailey, and their relationship is a central romantic subplot, strained by suspicion and secrecy.

Relationship notes

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In the story

Jack Bailey appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

III: Mr. John Bailey Appears
Introduced as a guest; his bed is also unoccupied; initially feared dead.
V: Gertrude's Engagement
Gertrude's fiancé; left with Halsey before the murder, but his involvement is questioned by Jamieson.
VIII: The Other Half of the Line
Implicated by the cufflink evidence and Jamieson's reconstruction of the murder; described as having a motive due to past enmity with Armstrong.
IX: Just Like a Girl
Mentioned as having taken an empty revolver and as the recipient of the telegram from Arnold Armstrong; his whereabouts are unknown.
X: The Traders’ Bank
Jack Bailey is under arrest for embezzlement, having surrendered to the police after the bank's failure.
XIX: Concerning Thomas
Absent from the inquest due to illness; Mr. Jamieson suspects he knew about the bank crash earlier than he claims.
The Odds and Ends
Revealed as the ghost; he dug the hole in the trunk-room wall, startled Rachel by the clothes chute, and helped carry her to Louise's room.

Chapter companion notes

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