The Man in the Queue · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey.

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Chapter 1
I: Murder
On a March evening, a long queue waits outside the Woffington Theatre for the final performance of 'Didn't You Know?' Amid street performers and vendors, the doors open and the crowd presses forward. A man collapses and is discovered to have been stabbed with a dagger. The police detain the nearest witnesses, including a suburban couple and a fat woman, while the body is covered and the show goes on.
Chapter 2
II: Inspector Grant
Superintendent Barker assigns Inspector Grant to investigate a murder that occurred in a theatre queue. Grant interviews witnesses, examines the weapon (a stiletto), and deduces that the killer is likely left-handed and strong. He also discovers that the revolver found on the victim does not bear the victim's fingerprints, suggesting it may belong to the murderer. Grant speculates that the crime has a Levantine character due to the subtlety and the weapon used.
Chapter 3
III: Danny Miller
Grant wakes on the third day of his investigation, the day of the inquest, with no leads. He recounts sending Williams to trace the dead man's tie through Faith Brothers, and his own fruitless search of missing persons lists. He then interviews Danny Miller, a known criminal, hoping Miller might identify the victim. Miller initially denies recognition but then recalls having talked to the man, though he cannot remember where. Grant cleverly tricks Miller into removing his gloves, revealing no scars, and lets him go. The inquest follows, with Grant observing the jury and witnesses—including the constable, James Ratcliffe, and his wife—with sardonic detachment. Later, Williams reports that Miller has remembered: he saw the dead man with a young man at a coffee stall near the Strand, and the young man had a distinctive scar on his hand.
Chapter 4
IV: Raoul Legarde
Grant receives an anonymous letter containing £25 for the burial of the queue murder victim, sparking theories about the sender's identity and motives. He dines with Williams at Laurent's, where he senses he is being watched through a screen. After a failed attempt to catch the observer, Grant interviews Raoul Legarde, a young waiter who witnessed the murder and provides a crucial description of the left-handed killer. Grant issues an all-stations alert for the suspect.
Chapter 5
V: Danny Again
Inspector Grant travels to Nottingham to trace the dead man's tie, learning from a shop assistant that it was sold on February 2nd, the day of a large musical festival. He interviews Mr. Yeudall, a solicitor and festival chairman, who may know the buyer. Meanwhile, Danny Miller suddenly panics and rushes out of his Pimlico flat, leaving his girlfriend bewildered.

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I: Murder

II: Inspector Grant

III: Danny Miller

IV: Raoul Legarde

V: Danny Again