Arnold

Karen marries Arnold's corpse because the unusual will stipulates she must remain in the mansion with his unburied body to inherit his vast estate. She is already having an affair with Robert, Arnold's brother, so her motivations combine financial greed with romantic entanglements. The bizarre condition forces her to stay literally bound to the corpse, creating an eerie dynamic throughout the story.

The arrangement is introduced immediately at the wedding, establishing the absurd premise that drives all subsequent events.

Arnold pre-planned elaborate death traps tailored to each greedy heir long before his death, suggesting a calculated desire for revenge beyond the grave. The traps target those who would try to break his will or search for hidden cash on the estate. This reveals Arnold anticipated exactly who would pursue his fortune and designed personalized devices to eliminate them, showing he understood his relatives' greedy natures completely.

The story notes the traps feel personal and cunning, hinting Arnold knew his victims intimately.

Hester, Arnold's sister, appears to genuinely enjoy the power dynamics and mystery surrounding the estate. Unlike the other relatives who see Karen's position as an obstacle to their own inheritance, Hester seems to appreciate the bizarre situation itself. Her attitude provides a stark contrast to the resentful Robert, Lady Jocelyn, and Douglas, making her the only character who doesn't actively plot against Karen.

From the beginning, Hester's unusual pleasure in the arrangement signals she understands more than she lets on.

Robert, Arnold's wastrel younger brother, resents the marriage because the will's conditions prevent him from accessing his expected inheritance. He has also been secretly having an affair with Karen, which makes the situation doubly infuriating, he loses both money and his lover to a corpse. His greed and jealousy drive much of the conflict among the relatives.

Robert's secret affair with Karen is revealed early, establishing his personal stake beyond mere finances.

The relatives scramble to break Arnold's will partly to uncover a rumored large cash stash hidden somewhere on the estate grounds. This hidden treasure represents the ultimate prize driving the greed and conflict among the claimants. The exact location becomes the focus of desperate searches and accusations as each relative tries to outmaneuver the others.

The rumor of hidden cash is introduced early, motivating many of the subsequent dangerous actions.

Constable Bernard Fox investigates the string of deaths but his methods are slow and ineffective. He questions family members and staff while the traps continue claiming victims. Bureaucratic missteps and the escalating oddities of the mansion hamper his progress. Despite his efforts, the case remains unresolved as he struggles to keep pace with Arnold's elaborate design.

The constable's slow investigation is mentioned from the start, creating tension about whether justice will arrive in time.

Lady Jocelyn Dwellyn, Arnold's widow, and Douglas Whitehead, his solicitor cousin, are unsettled by the unusual will terms because they see potential openings to claim the fortune themselves. Both appear motivated by greed and resentment at being excluded from the inheritance. Their opposition creates additional conflict in the household as they work to challenge the will's conditions.

Their opposition is noted early, establishing them as potential antagonists alongside Robert.

Arnold's posthumous arrangement serves multiple purposes: it ensures Karen inherits if she stays loyal, it tests the greedy relatives' intentions, and it sets in motion his pre-planned elimination of those who pursue the fortune. The entire scheme reveals Arnold as a manipulative figure who wanted control even after death, using the bizarre will conditions as both a trap and a test.

The revelation that Arnold orchestrated the traps long before his death fundamentally reframes the entire setup.

Arnold's death traps are tailored specifically to each potential heir's vulnerabilities, suggesting he studied each relative carefully. The devices begin claiming victims one by one as the greedy claimants pursue the inheritance. Each trap feels personal and cunning, demonstrating Arnold understood exactly which weaknesses would draw each person into danger.

The traps begin targeting those who actively plot against the will, showing selective precision.

The ending remains ambiguous according to the film's conclusion. Karen stays bound to Arnold's corpse in the mansion, but whether she successfully inherits, becomes another victim of the traps, or faces some other fate is left unresolved. The unresolved ending leaves questions about whether her greed ultimately pays off or proves fatal.

The constable's investigation continues through the final stages without clear resolution.