Trade Winds (1938) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Kay Kerrigan is accused of murder

Kay Kerrigan is accused of fatally shooting Bruhme II after a confrontation. She blames him for her sister's suicide, but when he dismissively throws her a gun, she shoots him in the stomach in a moment of anger. The murder sets off a tense police investigation that frames Kay as the prime suspect.

Bruhme's body found and handbag identified

Detectives Ben 'Homer' Blodget and George Faulkner discover Bruhme's body and note a gunshot to the back of the head as the fatal shot. The scene also reveals Kay's handbag, tying her to the crime and launching a city-wide manhunt. The investigation quickly narrows on Kay as the primary suspect.

Kay fakes a car accident to flee

With police closing in, Kay fakes a car accident and drives into the San Francisco Bay to stage her disappearance. The ruse buys her time as investigators search for her in the wake of Bruhme's murder. The act marks her first obvious attempt to disappear from the case.

Where

San Francisco Bay

Plan to flee to Hawaii

Kay arranges to travel to Hawaii, hoping to outrun the pursuit and establish a new life far from the crime scene. The plan underscores her desire to avoid capture and reclaim her innocence. The Hawaii scheme sets the stage for her next identity and journey.

Jewelry pawn reveals Kay is alive; Sam Wye assigned

Kay pawns a unique piece of jewelry, alerting authorities that she may still be alive. Police Commissioner Blackton concludes Kay is in fact alive and assigns former detective Sam Wye to the case. The pursuit shifts from a generic suspect to a targeted search for Kay.

Kay travels under a new identity

Kay goes incognito, dyes her hair brown, and travels under the British passport as Mary Holden. She boards a ship bound for the South Seas, beginning a new and hidden chapter of her life. The new identity helps her blend into the voyage and evade capture.

Where

Boarding ship to the South Seas

Sam and Jean chase Kay for the reward

Sam Wye, with his secretary Jean Livingstone—an old flame who also wants the offered reward—tail Kay as she heads toward the South Seas. Their pursuit intensifies as they try to track her movements and debrief witnesses. The pursuit adds personal stakes to the investigation.

Pursuit continues on the voyage

Kay travels aboard a ship heading for the South Seas while Sam and Jean close in on her trail. The journey becomes a cat-and-mouse chase as Kay tries to maintain her freedom. The voyage wraps multiple character dynamics into a single, tense pursuit.

Where

On board a ship

Sam meets Kay and falls in love

On a boat bound for Singapore, Sam Wye meets Kay and immediately falls in love with her. Their instant connection complicates the investigation as feelings arise over the danger surrounding Kay. The romance becomes a key turning point in the story.

Where

Boat to Singapore

Homer and Jean also fall for Kay

Along the way, Homer Blodget and Jean Livingstone also fall in love with Kay, creating a triangular tension among the pursuers and the pursued. This development deepens the emotional stakes of the pursuit. The shifting affections influence the investigators' objectivity.

Where

On the voyage

The killer is revealed

Sam uncovers the killer's identity, revealing that John Johnson—an already jealous husband whose wife was having an affair with Bruhme—committed the murder. The discovery shifts the case from a wrongly targeted suspect to the actual culprit. The revelation clears Kay of guilt and reframes the motive.

Kay is cleared and ready to marry Sam

With the truth exposed, Kay is cleared of the murder charges and is free to marry Sam Wye. The lovers' reunion marks the resolution of both the personal and criminal arcs. The story ends with Kay's vindication and a future with Sam.