The Three Taps · Character

Simmonds

A young man with his foot wedged in the door of the Load of Mischief, whose late-night comings and goings make him the case's most watchable loose thread.

supporting

Also known as young Simmonds, Mr. Simmonds, the Simmonds, Poor Mr. Simmonds

First appearance: the three taps

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Simmonds has managed what no outsider should—someone inside the inn to let him in and out after hours, and a barmaid whose jumpiness suggests she knows why. The Bredons see a possible mésalliance brewing and decide he is worth a morning's interrogation at the haberdasher's. Whether he is a schemer or merely a young man in love, his access to the inn makes him central to how the crime was physically possible.

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See Simmonds in the three taps

Character Web

16 connections

A slice of how Simmonds sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Other

Character groups

Investigation participants and witnesses
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This chapter marks the dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of tension thr…

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Relationships

Mr. Leyland
professional · ambivalent
Mr. Brinkman
professional · ambivalent
Angela Bredon
professional · ambivalent
Mr. Mottram
professional · ambivalent
Mr. Leyland
professional · ambivalent
Angela Bredon
professional · ambivalent
Mr. Brinkman
professional · ambivalent
Mr. Mottram
professional · ambivalent

Mr. Leyland
Mr. Leyland and Simmonds have a professional relationship, likely as employer and employee or colleagues.
Mr. Brinkman
Mr. Brinkman and Simmonds interact in a professional capacity, likely as employer and employee or colleagues.
Angela Bredon
Angela Bredon and Simmonds have a professional relationship, possibly as part of the investigation or household staff.
Mr. Mottram
Mr. Mottram and Simmonds interact professionally, possibly as employer and employee or colleagues.
Mr. Leyland
Mr. Leyland and Simmonds have a professional relationship, likely as employer and employee or colleagues.
Angela Bredon
Angela Bredon and Simmonds have a professional relationship, possibly as part of the investigation or household staff.
Mr. Brinkman
Mr. Brinkman and Simmonds interact in a professional capacity, likely as employer and employee or colleagues.
Mr. Mottram
Mr. Mottram and Simmonds interact professionally, possibly as employer and employee or colleagues.

Relationship notes

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In the story

Simmonds appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

VII: From Leyland’s Notebook
Mottram's nephew and heir to the shop; mentioned as having quarreled with Mottram over politics, providing a possible motive.
X: The Bet Doubled
Identified as Mottram's nephew and the prime suspect; Bredon argues he murdered Mottram to inherit the half-million.
XII: The Makings of a Trap
Simmonds is seen in a lovers' lane with the barmaid, suggesting a possible accomplice; Leyland suspects him of murder.
XIII: A Morning with the Haberdasher
The haberdasher; Bredon visits his shop to observe him under the guise of buying handkerchiefs.
XIV: Bredon Is Taken for a Walk
Referred to indirectly through Emmeline's story; revealed to have known about the codicil and offered to free his fiancée from their engagement, undermining the motive for murder.
XV: A Scrap of Paper
Implied to have murdered Mottram and burned the will copy in a hurry, knowing he was cut out of the inheritance.
XXV: Bredon's Account of It All
Mentioned as the likely heir to Mottram's unsettled estate, enough for him to marry on.

Chapter companion notes

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