Detective Sergeant Beddoes

In the novel One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, Detective Sergeant Beddoes is a Scotland Yard detective who assists Chief Inspector Japp in the investigation into the death of Henry Morley and later the disappearance of Mabelle Sainsbury Seale. From his rank and what Japp assigns him to do, it is likely that Beddoes is from the plain clothes branch. Japp sends him, for example to interview the various witnesses at King Leopold Mansions where Mabelle Sainsbury Seale was last seen. Among Beddoes's contributions, he had a hunch that something was not right. Everything he learnt about Mr Albert Chapman and his wife Sylvia seemed odd. Mabelle had come to King Leopold Mansions to visit Sylvia Chapman. But the porter did not see Mabelle leave. And then no one had seen Sylvia Chapman for almost a month after that. She had apparently gone away. Beddoes decided he needed to get into the Chapman flat. A search warrant was applied for and a pass key was obtained from the manager. After entering the flat, Beddoes discovered a dead body in a fur trunk, the body was presumed to be that of Mabelle Sainsbury Seale.

Japp described Beddoes as "a bright young fellow". According to Japp, Beddoes had a bit "too much of this high-class education but he can’t help that. It’s fashionable now."

Portrayals
In ITV's 1992 adaptation of the novel, Sergeant Beddoes is portrayed by Ben Bazell. In this case he is from the uniformed branch and is present at different aspects of the investigation. It's a different sergeant at Lichfield Court (the equivalent of King Leopold Mansions). Beddoes is the first responder at the Carlisle Hotel when the manageress there (named Mrs Harrison only in the original novel) became worried that her guest Mabelle Sainsbury Seale had disappeared. Beddoes remembered that Mabelle had been a witness at the Morley murder and decided to notify Japp. Later Beddoes also goes with Japp on a raid of the Montague Hotel where Albert Chapman and his wife had been reported as staying.