George agrees with Coote’s accusation, and Coote feels emboldened enough to blame Battle and his men even more forcefully. Battle is taken aback but agrees, insisting that the case has been “puzzling him.” He excuses himself from the room, and Bundle asks to speak with Jimmy alone.

Bundle tells Jimmy who the Countess is. He argues that she was supposed to be the one to catch the papers from Bauer, but she got stuck in the library. However, Bundle counters that they still don’t know who “No. 7” is. She believes that this person was involved, and she calls Bauer the “scapegoat.” They speculate on who else could be involved, but Bundle is only certain that No. 7 is not Battle. Bundle also expresses her annoyance that Bill knows everything, as he has become infatuated with the Countess.

Before Bundle leaves to go home, George corners her. Because Aunt Marcia told him about Bundle’s desire to go to the political party, he lectures her about the importance of politics. He insists that she, as a young woman, will do a lot for “the Party,” and he will serve as her “political mentor” (160). Despite her annoyance, she humors him, then finds an excuse to leave and talk to Bill. She and Bill spot Battle nearby, looking over a set of golf clubs in the closet.

After lunch, Jimmy goes into the gardens for a walk. He is happy when he runs into Loraine. Impressed by her actions the night before, he proposes to her, insisting that he is in love with her; she laughs in response. She argues that they should worry about figuring things out with the Seven Dials before considering marriage. They then discuss this matter, wondering who No. 7 is and what role the Countess will play. To Jimmy’s surprise, Loraine speculates that Bill is not actually infatuated with her but is doing his own form of reconnaissance.

Jimmy goes to find Lady Coote, hoping to get more information from her. They discuss their time at Chimneys, then talk about Sir Coote’s next home, which he is renting. Lady Coote expresses her discontentment with Sir Coote’s constant need to gain more money and a bigger home. In the end, Jimmy intentionally gets invited over the next weekend.

Bundle and Loraine spend the week at Chimneys. As Bundle watches her father golf, they discuss Coote’s golf game. However, Tredwell arrives and tells Bundle that Jimmy is on the phone for her.

Jimmy tells Bundle that tomorrow, he is going to Letherbury, the home that Sir Coote is now renting. Jimmy’s butler, Stevens, is looking into getting him a skeleton key to use on the estate. Jimmy suggests that Bundle and Loraine should drive out and pretend to have a car problem so that Jimmy can invite them to stay for lunch. He hopes that they can get information from Bateman and O’Rourke and keep them distracted while he investigates.

Jimmy spends the day with Sir Coote, Lady Coote, and Socks, mostly playing bridge. That night, he sneaks from his room. He takes out a wire that Stevens prepared for him and uses it to unlock all the drawers in Sir Coote’s study. He is hoping to find something tying Sir Coote to the Seven Dials, but after a couple of hours, he finds nothing.

On the way back to his room, Jimmy hears someone behind him, and Bateman suddenly comes out of the shadows to say that he heard Jimmy downstairs and thought he was a burglar. Jimmy notes the bulge in Bateman’s pocket, surmising that he has a gun. Jimmy lies and says he went downstairs for food, pulling biscuits from his pocket. When Bateman tells him that there is a tin of biscuits in his room, Jimmy shows him that it’s empty. (He had already removed them in preparation for a conversation like this one.) As Jimmy sits down to eat the biscuits in order to keep up the lie, he worries about Bateman’s nosiness.

At noon the next day, Bundle and Loraine arrive, pretending that their car has broken down. They spend the day with O’Rourke and Bateman, then eat lunch with everyone. Afterward, Jimmy offers to give them a ride home. They discuss the events from the night before, and Jimmy reveals what he found that morning: a vial of white powder. They guess that it could be used to keep someone unconscious.

Bundle has a sudden realization: When Battle put the glove on Jimmy’s hand, it was a left-handed glove. They speculate that the thief was left-handed and that Battle was checking the golf clubs to see if any were left-handed. Jimmy then points out that when Sir Coote plays bridge, he deals with his left hand. They are all shocked to consider that Sir Coote could be No. 7. When Jimmy asks why they would go through the effort of staging a theft if Sir Coote could just take the formula at any time, Loraine speculates that he did it to ensure that people would suspect others instead of him. Bundle then remembers Battle removing ivy from Sir Coote’s shoulder and wonders if Battle has suspected Sir Coote all along.

George visits Lord Caterham at Chimneys. He requests to speak with Bundle, adamant that he is going to propose to her because of her newfound interest in politics. Despite their vast age difference, George assures Caterham that the marriage will be good for both of them; she will marry someone in her social class and learn from him, and her presence in his life will help to advance his career. George is perplexed when Caterham refuses to give him permission to marry her and insists that his daughter can make such a decision herself.

Tredwell calls for Bundle, and George goes to the drawing room to wait for her. Just then, Bill appears and asks for Bundle, but Caterham explains that she is speaking with George about marriage. Shocked, Bill leaves and goes to speak with Jimmy about his discovery. At Jimmy’s home, Bill explains that he got a letter from Ronny’s estate, as there were strict instructions that this missive was to be given to Bill two weeks after Ronny’s death.

After George leaves, Bundle tells Loraine about his proposal. Bundle refused George’s offer and feels bad because she was so surprised by the proposal that she handled the matter rudely. When the women speak to Bundle’s father, he reveals a letter that George left for her, in which George insists that Bundle was simply surprised and confused and resolves to convince her to marry him. The three laugh about how wrong George is.

Jimmy calls and insists that Bundle and Loraine meet him at the Seven Dials club. He suggests that Bundle tell her father that she is taking Loraine home. When the women get to the club, Bundle tells Alfred, who is the only one there, that he needs to leave because the police are coming for him. Once he is gone, Jimmy comes in while Bill waits in the car. Jimmy urges Bundle to show him the secret room and the cupboard. He inspects everything and returns to the car, where he discovers Bill unconscious in the front seat. They manage to bring him inside and get him seated on the sofa, but he is still nonresponsive. Jimmy leaves to get a doctor, insisting that Bundle keep his gun and refuse to let anyone else into the building.

After Jimmy leaves, Bundle and Loraine discuss what to do. Loraine tells Bundle that she has brandy and smelling salts in her bag but that she left it upstairs. When Bundle goes to retrieve it, a man sneaks up behind her and strikes her on the head, knocking her unconscious.

When Bundle awakens, Bill is standing over her, repeatedly professing his love to her and agonizing over her unconscious state. She urges him to stop, and he apologizes, admitting that he has been in love with her for a long time. Bundle admits that she reciprocates his feelings, surprising Bill. He insists that she should marry someone wealthier and more prominent than he, but Bundle assures him that she will one day marry him.

Bundle looks around the room and realizes that they are trapped in the Seven Dials’ secret room. Mosgorovsky arrives and unlocks the door, and Bill demands to speak with him privately. After considering this, Mosgorovsky agrees and escorts Bundle from the room. He leaves her in Alfred’s bedroom and goes back to speak with Bill.

An hour later, Mosgorovsky returns to get Bundle. He tells her that the Seven Dials would like to speak with her and escorts her back to the secret room. The other members of the club are all seated, including the mysterious No. 7.

Mosgorovsky informs Bundle that the secret society would like her to join their group and replace No. 2. Bundle adamantly refuses, believing that the club is “murderous.” However, No. 7 then speaks, informing her that the society is nothing like what she imagines it to be. He then removes his mask, revealing that he is Superintendent Battle.

Bundle is shocked by the revelation. Battle explains that the group members are not international criminals, as those only exist in books. Instead, the Seven Dials are amateurs who help him with his investigative work. He then introduces them: Mosgorovsky is an Anti-Bolshevist secret agent; No. 5 is Count Andras, a diplomat from Hungary; and No. 4 is Hayward Phelps, a journalist. Battle reveals that Bill is No. 3 and Ronny was No. 2. No. 1 used to be Gerry Wade before his death, but now, the alleged “Countess Radzky” has taken on the title. She is actually Baby St. Maur, Ronny’s fiancée.

Bundle expresses her amazement. Battle insists that the group has done excellent work in areas that his team of police could not. The group was started by Gerry Wade. Battle admits that the group’s goal—seeking the international thief who had stolen two invention plans before this one—was a dangerous task, but the group remained determined to solve the case. In the end, Bill was the one who figured out that Jimmy is the thief.

Battle explains how they figured out that Jimmy is the culprit. They surmised that before the party at Chimneys, Gerry had likely figured out that Jimmy was the thief, so he tried to get word to the group. However, Jimmy killed him in the night. When Ronny found Gerry’s body, he rearranged the clocks, hoping to scare the murderer into thinking that the Seven Dials were going to find him; his goal was to detect a nervous reaction from someone at the house. Ronny then continued to investigate, eventually coming to the conclusion that Jimmy was guilty. Battle then reveals that Loraine was the essential connection. She was not Gerry’s sister but his love interest; however, she was actually devoted to Jimmy. She gave information to Jimmy about both Gerry and Ronny, warning him when they grew close to uncovering his identity. She also facilitated their deaths.

Battle then recounts the night at George’s political party. Baby was on watch in the library when she heard Jimmy come in. He shut off the lights and locked the door, then pretended to wait in the room, but in reality, he likely climbed up the ivy to get the package of invention papers. He then tossed the package down into the lawn to Loraine. She pretended that she caught it by coincidence, but because of the timing, Battle realized that she was likely the person Jimmy meant to throw it to. Jimmy then faked a struggle, shooting himself in the arm and using his teeth to pull off his left glove, which he then burned.

Tonight, Jimmy tried to drug Bill as he had done with Gerry and Ronny back at his house. Bill saw him use the drug and dumped the drink out, then pretended to be affected by it. As Jimmy drove to the club, he confessed everything to Bill, sure that he would be able to kill him. He had suggested that Bundle pretend she was taking Loraine home so that Loraine would have an alibi. Instead of leaving to get a doctor for Bill, Jimmy went into the room, attacking Bundle when Loraine sent her up there. Bill continued to pretend to be unconscious and let Jimmy and Loraine carry him into the room with Bundle; they likely thought that he and Bundle were both dead. Now, both Battle and Bill adamantly apologize to Bundle, insisting that they never meant to put her in danger. They had been watching the club and arrived right afterward, apprehending Jimmy and Loraine. Bundle assures them it is all right.

Finally, Battle admits that the only person he ever suspected was Pongo, as the man was intelligent, omnipresent, and left-handed. Battle praises Bundle for her help in solving the case, acknowledging her prowess and bravery when she infiltrated the club’s meeting. In the end, Bundle commits to joining the Seven Dials.

When Bundle returns home, she discusses the events with her father. He jokes about the number of criminals he has met, noting that he has hired someone to write his biography. Bundle then reveals that she is marrying Bill. Lord Caterham is excited by the prospect of having someone to golf with.