In Chapter 1, a man wrestles with a guard on a train until the man falls to his death on the side of the train tracks. A gentleman watches from a distance before calmly leaving the area. In Chapter 2, Edward Pierce appears to be a gentleman, but no one knows much about him or from where his wealth comes from. There is some thought that he might come from a wealthy background or that he might have had connections with the criminal underworld. In Chapter 3, Robert Agar is a screwsman, a man who makes copies of keys for the purpose of committing crimes. Agar is approached in spring of 1854 by Pierce to help him in the committing of a crime. However, Pierce is silent about the nature of the crime. In Chapter 4, at a dinner one night, Mr. Henry …show more content…
Fowler describes how the gold is placed in two Chubb safes aboard the train in its journey to France to which there are two keys each. Fowler then tells the group how two of the keys are kept at the railway station, while the president of the bank, Mr. Trent, has one and Fowler himself has the other. In Chapter 5, Pierce and Agar stake out the railway station at London Bridge for several days to try to find a way to gain access to the keys kept in the main office. The office is always occupied during the day, so Pierce and Agar agree that the break in will have to take place at night. However, after observing briefly the night time routine, they discover that a cop walks past the office every five minutes. Agar says he can do it, but he needs a snakesman to break in ahead of him and unlike both the door and the cabinet. Agar suggests Clean Willy, but Clean Willy is in prison. In Chapter 6, Pierce begins to watch Mr. Trent and speak to a few of his employees. Pierce begins to form a picture of the strict employer and decides that he more than likely does not keep the key in the office. In Chapter 7, Pierce observes Teddy Burke steal a woman's purse on the street without the woman being any the