# Richey McKnight — The Man in Lower Ten character guide > Richey McKnight in The Man in Lower Ten by Mary Roberts Rinehart. **Role:** major **Also known as:** McKnight, Richey, Downstairs McKnight **First appearance:** 0000-i-i-go-to-pittsburg ## Snapshot The narrator's blond, cigarette-smoking friend and fellow lawyer, whose easy charm with women masks a sharp investigative mind. ## Who they are McKnight turns the arrest of the harmless clerk Stuart into a comedy of errors, laughing over nightshirts and scarf pins while the case against the real culprit slips further away. Women have always loved him, perhaps because he always loved them, and the narrator watches him with a mixture of affection and quiet envy. His dry humor and willingness to chase theories into Baltimore keep the investigation moving when the police have stalled. ## In the story ### [I Go to Pittsburg](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/i-i-go-to-pittsburg) Blakeley's law partner; he begs off the trip, citing car sickness, and later brings the forged notes to Blakeley's home. ### [A Torn Telegram](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/ii-a-torn-telegram) Mentioned as visiting a lady in Richmond; the narrator recalls McKnight's warning about queer things coming and his vision at the window of the empty house. ### [VIII: The Second Section](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/viii-the-second-section) Mentioned in the narrator's reflections on hysteria and honor; not present in the chapter's action. ### [IX: The Halcyon Breakfast](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/ix-the-halcyon-breakfast) Mentioned as the man Alison West is traveling to meet; the narrator's loyalty to him creates internal conflict. ### [Miss West's Request](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/x-miss-west-s-request) Referenced by Alison West; she asks Blakeley not to tell Richey about having met her. ### [The Name Was Sullivan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xi-the-name-was-sullivan) Visits Blakeley, expresses concern, and theorizes about the murder and the stolen notes. ### [The Gold Bag](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xii-the-gold-bag) Visits the narrator, discusses his romantic interest in Alison West, and makes a phone call to the hospital about the injured woman. ### [XIII: Faded Roses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xiii-faded-roses) Visits daily, reports on the woman in Baltimore, plays double solitaire, and reveals that Johnson is watching Blakeley. ### [The Cinematograph](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xv-the-cinematograph) Accompanies the narrator, teases him about the mysterious woman, and helps evade Johnson. ### [The Shadow of a Girl](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xvi-the-shadow-of-a-girl) Attends the dinner, teases Blakeley about his infatuation, and later witnesses the purse exchange, leading to a strained silence between them. ### [At the Farmhouse Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xvii-at-the-farmhouse-again) Accompanies the narrator to M—; questions the station agent and later slaps Hotchkiss on the back in approval. ### [A New World](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xviii-a-new-world) Comments on the irony of the case and examines the gateposts at the farmhouse. ### [At the Table Next](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xix-at-the-table-next) Dines with the narrator, observes Bronson and the woman, and warns the narrator to 'jolly her a little.' ### [XXV: At the Station](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xxv-at-the-station) Seen at the station with Alison, talking earnestly; the narrator leaves them together. ### [XXVI: On to Richmond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xxvi-on-to-richmond) Arranges the interview with Sullivan; shows loyalty and concern for Blakeley; recalls past romantic rivalry over Dorothy Browne. ### [In the Dining-Room](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xxix-in-the-dining-room) Calls the narrator with news of progress, plans the confrontation at Mrs. Conway's apartment, and arms himself for the encounter. ### [XXX: Finer Details](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/chapters/xxx-finer-details) Restrains Hotchkiss and later arrives with a bottle to toast the detectives. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_lower_ten_se/characters/richey_mcknight - 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