Behind That Curtain

# Behind That Curtain by Earl Derr Biggers (1928)

This serialized mystery novel follows Bill Rankin, a reporter for the San Francisco Globe, as he rushes to interview Sir Frederic Bruce, the recently retired former Deputy-Commissioner of Scotland Yard's Criminal Investigation Department. While composing his interview piece, Rankin realizes that Bruce's philosophy on crime detection—emphasizing intelligence, hard work, and luck over scientific apparatus—mirrors opinions he recently heard from Detective-Sergeant Charlie Chan of the Honolulu police. Intrigued by this coincidence, Rankin seeks out Sir Frederic at Barry Kirk's building. Before entering Kirk's office, he glimpses a weeping blonde woman exiting. Meeting with the stern detective, Rankin proposes a feature story exploring these parallel detective methodologies, mentioning Chan's humility and Eastern patience while questioning whether modesty serves detectives well.