James McGrath’s Long Errand

This thread follows James McGrath’s friendship with Anthony Cade, his inherited tasks, and his eventual arrival at Chimneys to complete the manuscript delivery.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

An Old Friend Found

Reunion in Bulawayo James(Jimmy)McGrath encounters Anthony Cade while Anthony Cade is escorting a tourist party. Their familiar teasing establishes an old friendship built on shared adventures and mutual trust. A Useful Substitute James(Jimmy)McGrath is preparing to leave for a gold prospecting venture and sees Anthony Cade as the right person to handle his London business. His confidence in his friend sets the whole plot in motion.

The Count’s Manuscript

An Inherited Commission James(Jimmy)McGrath recounts rescuing Count Stylptitch in Paris and receiving the memoirs with an instruction to deliver them in London. A thousand pounds awaits the courier who meets the deadline. Trust Passed Along Rather than pursue the commission himself, James(Jimmy)McGrath entrusts it to Anthony Cade. The decision reflects both his restlessness and his belief that his friend can handle political complications.

The Letters’ Guardian

A Second Inheritance James(Jimmy)McGrath explains how Dutch Pedro left him letters belonging to an unknown Englishwoman. The letters appear to record an affair and contain only the clue “Chimneys.” A Personal Obligation He refuses to destroy them because their writer may still fear blackmail. Anthony Cade agrees to deliver them, extending the friendship’s practical trust into a second, more intimate errand.

Danger Reaches Africa

A Threatening Approach James(Jimmy)McGrath’s prospecting trip fails, and men approach him seeking the manuscript. He narrowly escapes a knife attack and realizes that Anthony Cade’s assignment has drawn dangerous attention. The Friend Follows Concerned that Anthony Cade may need help, James(Jimmy)McGrath takes the next boat to England. His arrival turns the original distant friendship into direct support at the close of the crisis.

The Deadline Fulfilled

The Real Package Anthony Cade gives James(Jimmy)McGrath the genuine memoirs and directs him to deliver them to Balderson and Hodgkins. The manuscript’s apparent earlier handover had been a dummy exchange. A Friendship Repaid James(Jimmy)McGrath sets off to collect the promised thousand pounds, while Anthony Cade completes the commission without abandoning his friend. Their bond survives deception, danger, and an unexpectedly royal outcome.

Three weeks before the murder

The night of the reunion

Later in the same conversation

After the murders at Chimneys

Late on October 13