The Man Who Knew · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Man Who Knew by Edgar Wallace.

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Chapter 1
The Man in the Laboratory
John Minute discusses his mining shares and his ward May Nuttall with his secretary Jasper Cole, revealing his distrust of Sergeant Smith and his premonition of a violent death. Jasper secretly receives and burns a letter from a private investigator, hinting at a hidden search.
Chapter 2
The Girl Who Cried
A young girl arrives at King's Cross station, bewildered and burdened with parcels, and is met by a harsh, irritable man who berates her for her perceived stupidity. He takes her to a house in Camden Town, where she is treated coldly. Later, a motorcyclist surveils the house, and a man named Crawley visits the girl's husband, discussing blackmail, a dangerous secret, and a plan involving John Minute's relative. The husband, revealed to be a drug user, prepares a hypodermic syringe while the girl weeps alone.
Chapter 3
III: Four Important Characters
The narrator introduces the unusual story of 'The Man Who Knew', reconstructed from trial reports, confidential material from Saul Arthur Mann's bureau, and May Nuttall's diary. The narrative cuts into the lives of characters on July 17, 19—, beginning with a dead man lying on the sidewalk in Gray Square, Bloomsbury. A constable and a visiting Sussex constable, Wiseman, attend the body. Meanwhile, Frank Merrill and May Nuttall observe a peculiar little man watching the scene. Frank expresses jealousy over Jasper Cole's influence on his uncle, John Minute. May, who is supported by John Minute, works as a nurse in the East End. That night, while making her rounds in Silvertown, she is astonished to see Jasper Cole in a dark courtyard.
Chapter 4
The Accountant at the Bank
Frank Merrill reads a perplexing letter from May Nuttall about Jasper Cole's mysterious visits to a room in Silvers Rents. At the bank, Frank discusses Rex Holland's large floating balance with the manager, Mr. Brandon, and learns that Jasper Cole has been appointed a director of the bank. Frank agrees to visit Rex Holland to suggest a deposit. Later, Jasper Cole arrives at the bank for an audit, and after the bank closes, he works late, eventually taking a taxi to Charing Cross and then another to Victoria Dock Road.
Chapter 5
John Minute's Legacy
May Nuttall reflects on her feelings for Frank Merrill and Jasper Cole, torn between affection and unease. John Minute reveals to May that she is an heiress to £200,000 and asks her to delay any marriage decision for a fortnight. He also visits the police commissioner about threats and learns of Saul Arthur Mann, 'The Man Who Knows.' The chapter explores May's internal conflict and John Minute's controversial past.

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The Man in the Laboratory

The Girl Who Cried

III: Four Important Characters

The Accountant at the Bank

John Minute's Legacy