Evening – Night – Morning (1920) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The Prince stages Chester's suicide to cover up his theft and assault. After knocking Chester unconscious while trying to steal the pearl necklace, he realizes Chester could identify him. By hanging Chester and typing a fake suicide note, the Prince attempts to make it appear as if Chester took his own life, which would eliminate the only witness who knew his connection to the necklace.

• prince
• fake suicide
• cover up
• theft
• chester

Brillburn saves Chester not out of compassion but because he wants the pearl necklace for himself. When he enters the house and finds Chester hanging, he sees an opportunity to become the thief rather than just an accessory to the Prince's crime. By cutting the noose, he ensures Chester survives long enough to reveal where the necklace is hidden, or to be manipulated into giving it up.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Maud mentions sending valuable jewels to her brother, establishing his greed.

• brillburn
• save chester
• necklace
• theft
• motive

Detective Ward notices two key pieces of evidence: an expensive cigarette butt left at the scene, which the Prince admits to smoking, and the suspicious lump of coal that Chester had thrown from the window. Ward deduces that the necklace was hidden inside the coal and waits for the thief to return and claim it. When confronted with these inconsistencies and the hidden evidence, the Prince's story crumbles.

• detective ward
• evidence
• cigarette
• coal
• arrest

When Brillburn unexpectedly enters the house searching for the necklace, the Prince must act quickly to prevent both of them from being caught with the stolen goods. He removes a large lump of coal and hides the pearl necklace inside it, planning to retrieve it later after the chaos subsides. This desperate improvisation becomes his undoing when the coal is later thrown out the window.

• pearl necklace
• coal
• hidden
• prince
• thief

Maud supports her brother Brillburn financially despite his dissolute lifestyle. She regularly sends cash and valuable jewels, including the prized pearl necklace, to fund his dissipated habits. This explains why she specifically requests the necklace from Chester: she intends to give it to her brother rather than keep it for herself.

Foreshadowing: The opening establishes Maud's relationship with Chester is built on financial exchange, with Chester lavish in his gifts.

• maud
• brillburn
• jewels
• brother
• financial support

After being rescued from the staged suicide, Chester is disoriented and panicked. He grabs what he believes is the object that was used to conceal his attempted murder, the lump of coal, and throws it out the window in a fit of rage and confusion. This act inadvertently strikes Brillburn unconscious outside, creating the evidence that helps the detective piece together the truth.

Foreshadowing: The Prince removed coal to hide the necklace, establishing it as the key hiding spot.

• chester
• coal
• window
• brillburn
• unconscious

The Prince inadvertently breaks a vase while searching through Chester's house for the hidden necklace. This accidental disturbance alerts Chester, who comes downstairs to investigate, leading to the confrontation where the Prince strikes him unconscious. The broken vase becomes an important piece of evidence that helps the detective reconstruct the timeline of events.

• prince
• break-in
• vase
• evidence
• disturbance

The Prince is heavily in debt from his gambling exploits. When Chester confides about purchasing the expensive pearl necklace for Maud, the Prince sees an opportunity to resolve his financial troubles through theft. The necklace's high value makes it an attractive target for someone desperate for money.

Foreshadowing: The introduction establishes the Prince as a gambler known for his heavy debts.

• prince
• debt
• gambling
• pearl necklace
• theft

When Brillburn cuts the noose to save Chester, he accidentally loses a button from his clothing in the process. This button becomes incriminating evidence that links him to the crime scene, as Detective Ward later finds it and uses it to build suspicion against Brillburn alongside the other clues.

• brillburn
• button
• evidence
• rescue
• noose