The Clue of the New Pin · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Clue of the New Pin by Edgar Wallace.

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Chapter 1
I
The chapter introduces Yeh Ling's restaurant, which straddles the boundary between the slums of Bennet Street and the fashionable theatre district. Yeh Ling, the proprietor, maintains a secret arrangement with the reclusive and miserly Jesse Trasmere, who uses a private room (No. 6) for monthly meetings. During one such meeting, Trasmere warns Yeh Ling about the impending arrival of Wellington Brown, a troublesome former associate, and instructs Yeh Ling to find a way to keep him quiet. Yeh Ling then dispatches a servant to discreetly follow Trasmere, a routine he has performed for six years.
Chapter 2
II
Tab Holland and Rex Lander discuss Rex's miserly uncle, Jesse Trasmere, revealing his eccentric habits and wealth. Later, Tab encounters Trasmere on the street and helps translate a Chinese proclamation. That evening, Tab interviews actress Ursula Ardfern to investigate a false rumor about her impending marriage, noting her jewelry and her dismissal of the rumor.
Chapter 3
III
Jesse Trasmere's peculiar daily routine is detailed, including his nocturnal habits and the strict rules imposed on his valet Walters. Trasmere writes a document in Chinese characters, stamps it with his personal seal, and hides it. Later, Wellington Brown, an old acquaintance from China, arrives drunk and is denied entry by Walters, leading to a confrontation.
Chapter 4
IV
Tab Holland and Rex Lander are interrupted by a drunken Wellington Brown, who accuses Jesse Trasmere of robbing him. After Brown is thrown out, Tab finishes his work and is called to cover a siege. Later, at dawn, he encounters Ursula Ardfern with a car breakdown, noting her plain dress and a black case, but he omits the meeting from his conversation with Rex.
Chapter 5
V
Tab wakes with Ursula Ardfern's name on his lips. Rex Lander tells him that Wellington Brown visited, subdued but threatening to kill Jesse Trasmere unless he makes reparation. Tab dismisses the threat but later discusses it with Inspector Carver over lunch. They spot Walters, Trasmere's valet, in a cab looking haggard; Carver identifies him as Walter Felling, an incorrigible thief. They decide to walk to Trasmere's house, Mayfield. Upon arrival, Rex rushes out in terror. They find a narrow passage leading to a vault; through a ventilator, Tab sees Jesse Trasmere dead on the floor.

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