Who killed Sidney Bolton and Mrs. Jasher? Cockatoo directly commits both murders. He strangles Bolton to recover the emeralds for Braddock and later stabs Mrs. Jasher after she writes a confession and gives one emerald to Random.
What is Professor Braddock's responsibility? Braddock discovers Bolton's intended theft and sends Cockatoo to stop him and recover the mummy. He claims he did not order murder, but he conceals the crimes, benefits from them, and joins the attempted escape.
Why was Mrs. Jasher involved? She was secretly engaged to Bolton and knew pieces of his plan. She saw Braddock and Cockatoo go down the cinderpath to the jetty that night, and the mummy afterwards turned up in her own garden. She attempts to blackmail Random for money, and ultimately records the conspiracy in writing.
What happens at the river? Braddock is concealed inside the mummy case so Hervey's crew can carry him aboard. The pursuers expose the trick, Don Pedro's shot kills Braddock, and Cockatoo is taken into custody while Hervey escapes.
Where do the emeralds end up? One is brought to Don Pedro by Sir Frank Random the day after Mrs. Jasher's death. The other is already gone: Braddock took it to Amsterdam during his supposed London trip and sold it to an Indian rajah for three thousand pounds. The treasure is never restored whole.
How do the romances conclude? Archie and Lucy marry after Braddock's death, while Sir Frank Random marries Donna Inez. The double wedding provides a deliberately conventional release after the sensational crime plot.
Themes and What the Ending Means
Possession disguised as scholarship Braddock repeatedly treats greed as scientific dedication. His fixation on owning the mummy allows him to excuse theft, coercion, and finally complicity in murder.
Objects carrying buried histories The mummy, manuscript, and emeralds connect a decades-old colonial theft to the present crime, ensuring that no character can treat the artifact as a neutral collectible.
Evidence that can be planted or traded The manuscript and emeralds move between rooms and owners, turning physical evidence into a weapon for framing, bargaining, and blackmail.
Romance and economic dependence Nearly every proposed marriage is shaped by money. Archie buys Braddock's consent, Mrs. Jasher seeks security, and Random's pursuit of Inez becomes bound to Don Pedro's lost property.
Loyalty corrupted into servitude Cockatoo's devotion to Braddock is represented as absolute obedience, allowing the professor to distance himself from violence while continuing to benefit from it.