Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases
The Crowded Family Villa
The story introduces a large family household sharing a villa with relatives and a subtenant. The family structure and the recent death establish the crime story's setting.
Key Events
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The Kremp Family Villa — The large Kremp family lives together in a family villa.
Location: Family villa
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A Crowded Household — The household includes relatives and a subtenant alongside the immediate family.
Location: Family villa
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Four Adult Children — The parents have four adult children: two sons and two daughters.
Location: Family villa
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A Recent Family Death — One of the adult children has recently died.
Location: Family villa
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The Dead Son Identified — The investigation centers on the recent death of a son.
Location: Family villa
The Troubled Son
The dead son is described as the family fool, disliked by almost everyone except his mother. His mischievous tricks provide a possible background for the family's tensions.
Key Events
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The Dead Son Identified — The investigation centers on the recent death of a son.
Location: Family villa
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The Family Fool — The dead young man was regarded by the family as its fool.
Location: Family villa
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An Unpopular Son — According to the reference, only his mother liked him.
Location: Family villa
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Mischievous Tricks — He played various mischievous tricks on the people around him.
Location: Family villa
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An Apparent Accident — The death initially appears to have been an unfortunate accident.
Location: Family villa
Accident or Murder
The death initially appears to be an accident. The captain's investigation overturns that assumption and identifies the death as murder.
Key Events
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An Apparent Accident — The death initially appears to have been an unfortunate accident.
Location: Family villa
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The Investigation Begins — A captain investigates the circumstances surrounding the death.
Location: Family villa
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The Death Is Examined — The investigation focuses on whether the death was truly accidental.
Location: Family villa
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Accident Rejected — The captain determines that the death was not an unfortunate accident.
Location: Family villa
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Murder Revealed — The investigation establishes that the young man was murdered.
Location: Family villa
Suspicion at Home
Once murder is established, attention turns toward the household and the possibility of an immediate-family culprit. The investigation seeks someone with a reason to want the victim dead.
Key Events
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Murder Revealed — The investigation establishes that the young man was murdered.
Location: Family villa
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The Motive Question — The central question becomes who could have benefited from his death.
Location: Family villa
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Suspicion Enters the Household — The crowded household becomes the focus of suspicion.
Location: Family villa
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Immediate Family Suspected — The investigation asks whether the murderer came from the immediate family.
Location: Family villa
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Past Behavior Reconsidered — The dead man's troublesome behavior gains new significance during the inquiry.
Location: Family villa
The Motive Search
The inquiry narrows around the question of who benefited from the death and why. The crime's resolution depends on identifying the hidden motive.
Key Events
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Past Behavior Reconsidered — The dead man's troublesome behavior gains new significance during the inquiry.
Location: Family villa
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A Search for Motive — The captain continues looking for a reason for the murder.
Location: Family villa
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The Hidden Culprit — The inquiry narrows toward the person who had an interest in the death.
Location: Family villa
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Motive Remains Central — The crime story culminates in the search for the murderer's motive.
Location: Family villa
