The Attempted Killing of Bobby

The effort to remove Bobby escalates from an enticing job offer to morphia poisoning and finally a forged message that brings him into captivity.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Witness Without Suspicions

A Witness Without Suspicions An accidental observer Bobby is left alone with the dying Alan Carstairs and hears the words about Evans. He does not think he saw a murder, but the conspirators cannot know what he noticed. Risk created by memory Bobby’s ordinary presence near the body becomes dangerous because he remembers a potentially revealing phrase. His innocence does not protect him from people who imagine that he knows more.

The South American Offer

The South American Offer A tempting removal An unfamiliar firm offers Bobby a large salary abroad and demands an immediate answer. Frankie sees the offer as an attempt to remove him from England. Bobby refuses to disappear Bobby turns it down because he has promised to work with Badger. The refusal defeats the quiet method of getting him away and leaves the conspirators with a more dangerous alternative.

Morphia in the Bottle

Morphia in the Bottle A direct attack Someone tampers with Bobby’s beer while he sleeps at a picnic. The morphia leaves him unconscious, and he survives only after prompt medical care. A conspiracy confirmed The poison establishes that Bobby is not imagining the threat. Frankie connects the attack to his presence at the cliff and persuades him to help identify the people behind it.

A Second Disguise

A Second Disguise Protection through anonymity Bobby adopts the chauffeur’s identity of Hawkins and later changes into a motorcyclist’s clothes to approach The Grange. He believes the conspirators do not know who he is. The disguise fails to guarantee safety He is struck from behind while trying to re-enter the grounds and disappears into Roger’s custody. A false identity can delay recognition, but it cannot prevent an attacker who has observed him.

A Forged Summons

A Forged Summons A message designed for trust Roger writes a letter in Bobby’s hand, directing Frankie to Tudor Cottage and emphasizing secrecy. Frankie follows it because it appears to come from her trusted partner. The attack reaches its peak Frankie is chloroformed, and both investigators are tied in the attic for a planned staged crash. The threat now targets the pair together rather than merely seeking to remove Bobby quietly.

Immediately after the cliff death

Several days after Bobby writes to Leo Cayman

The following Saturday

During the investigation at The Grange

After Roger captures Bobby