# Mr. Blakeley — The Man in Lower Ten character guide > Mr. Blakeley in The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Blakeley, Lawrence Blakeley **First appearance:** 0004-v-the-woman-in-the-next-car ## Snapshot A lawyer who trades his own freedom for a friend's, Blakeley chases scattered threads of evidence across trains and boardinghouses while the real murderer walks free. ## Who they are Blakeley narrates the unraveling case from the uneasy position of a man who has surrendered himself and yet keeps investigating. He spars with the self-important Hotchkiss, withholds half-confidences he later regrets, and pursues Sullivan and Bronson from Cresson to Washington. His divided loyalties and lawyer's caution make him both the story's engine and its most compromised witness. ## In the story ### [I Go to Pittsburg](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/i-i-go-to-pittsburg) The narrator and protagonist; a lawyer traveling to Pittsburg on business, carrying forged notes in the Bronson case. ### [Numbers Seven and Nine](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/iv-numbers-seven-and-nine) Implied as the narrator; he is the one who woke in the wrong berth and is now caught up in the murder investigation. ### [The Girl in Blue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/vi-the-girl-in-blue) Reveals his identity as Lawrence Blakeley, an attorney from Washington, and explains he has been occupying the wrong berth after a bag switch. ### [VII: A Fine Gold Chain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/vii-a-fine-gold-chain) Blakeley is the narrator in this chapter; he is confronted with the wallet and the gold chain, and his glasses are noted missing. ### [VIII: The Second Section](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/viii-the-second-section) Narrator and protagonist; suffers a broken arm and is rescued from the burning wreck by Alison West. ### [Miss West's Request](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/x-miss-west-s-request) Narrator and protagonist; accompanies Alison West after the wreck, feels protective and confused by her behavior. ### [The Name Was Sullivan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xi-the-name-was-sullivan) Returns home injured, recounts the theft and his suspicions, and discusses the case with McKnight. ### [The Gold Bag](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xii-the-gold-bag) Mentioned as the patient from the wreck; the doctor operated on a woman from the same accident. ### [XIII: Faded Roses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xiii-faded-roses) Recovering at home with a broken arm, composing letters to Miss West, and growing increasingly anxious as the murder investigation reopens. ### [XIV: The Trapdoor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xiv-the-trapdoor) Referred to as 'Mr. Blakeley' by Johnson at the end; the narrator is addressed by this name, confirming his identity. ### [The Shadow of a Girl](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xvi-the-shadow-of-a-girl) Narrates the dinner party, is distracted by Alison West, and later reveals he still has her purse and the significance of the lost valise. ### [At the Farmhouse Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xvii-at-the-farmhouse-again) Mentioned as the possible recipient of Sullivan's telegram; his hat size and clothing details are noted by Hotchkiss. ### [A New World](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xviii-a-new-world) Stays behind to question Mrs. Carter, discovers Alison West, and confesses his impending arrest to her. ### [The Notes and a Bargain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xx-the-notes-and-a-bargain) Blakeley negotiates with Mrs. Conway, refusing her offer to suppress testimony in exchange for the notes. ### [At the Boardinghouse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xxii-at-the-boardinghouse) Returns home late, receives Hotchkiss's report, and shares his own findings about Bronson and Mrs. Conway. ### [XXVI: On to Richmond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xxvi-on-to-richmond) Narrator; prepares for arrest, clears up affairs, and endures the failed trap with weary patience. ### [The Sea, the Sand, the Stars](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xxvii-the-sea-the-sand-the-stars) Travels to the Forbes' home, searches for Alison, and shares a private moment with her on the beach. ### [XXX: Finer Details](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xxx-finer-details) Arrives at his office to face arrest; negotiates with detectives and offers cigars. ### [And Only One Arm](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xxxi-and-only-one-arm) Freed from suspicion, he prepares for a romantic evening with Alison and proposes to her. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/characters/blakeley - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/characters