# Murder by the Clock — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for Murder by the Clock by Rufus King.

- [I: 8:37 p.m.—Spring 3100](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/i-8-37-p-m-spring-3100.md): Mrs. Endicott, worried about her husband Herbert's safety, calls the police and requests a detective. Lieutenant Valcour arrives at her home. She explains that Herbert has gone to visit Marge Myles, a woman she fears mig
- [II: 9:24 p.m.—Hallmarks of Murder](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/ii-9-24-p-m-hallmarks-of-murder.md): Lieutenant Valcour examines the scene of Herbert Endicott's death, noting the cold body in the cupboard and Mrs. Endicott's detached demeanor. He calls Dr. Worth and the police, then inspects the bathroom and balcony for
- [III: 9:45 p.m.—Guards Are Stationed at the Doors](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/iii-9-45-p-m-guards-are-stationed-at-the-doors.md): Lieutenant Valcour stations police guards at the doors of the Endicott residence, instructing them on handling reporters and visitors. Dr. Worth arrives and examines the body, confirming Endicott's death from a heart att
- [IV: 10:02 p.m.—Pale Flares the Darkness](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/iv-10-02-p-m-pale-flares-the-darkness.md): Lieutenant Valcour interviews Mrs. Endicott in her room, probing her relationship with her husband and the circumstances of his death. She reveals she often wished to kill him but never wanted him dead, and admits to mee
- [V: 10:17 p.m.—Living or Dead?](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/v-10-17-p-m-living-or-dead.md): Lieutenant Valcour interviews Mrs. Endicott in her living room, pressing her for details about the evening's events. She recounts her husband's strange goodbye through the closed door, her own dressing with Roberts's hel
- [VI: 10:32 p.m.—Pictures in Dust](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/vi-10-32-p-m-pictures-in-dust.md): Lieutenant Valcour and Cassidy discuss the possibility that Endicott may not be dead, with Dr. Worth planning to inject adrenaline into his cardiac muscles. Chief Andrews leaves the case to Valcour, who then examines the
- [VII: 11:01 p.m.—Banked Fires](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/vii-11-01-p-m-banked-fires.md): Lieutenant Valcour interviews the gaunt housekeeper, Mrs. Siddons, who expresses relief at Endicott's apparent death, revealing deep animosity. He then checks on Officer O'Brian at the door, learns the medical examiner l
- [VIII: 11:28 p.m.—Mrs. Endicott Screams](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/viii-11-28-p-m-mrs-endicott-screams.md): As Dr. Worth prepares to operate on Endicott, Lieutenant Valcour observes the tense atmosphere. Dr. Worth successfully revives Endicott with an adrenaline injection, but Mrs. Endicott, who has appeared unseen in the door
- [IX: 11:55 p.m.—Queer Deeps](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/ix-11-55-p-m-queer-deeps.md): Lieutenant Valcour interviews Roberts, seeking a friend of Mr. Endicott's to stay with him while Mrs. Endicott is under a narcotic's influence. Roberts suggests Thomas Hollander, Endicott's 'best' friend, and provides hi
- [X: 12:06 a.m.—The Stillness of a Grave](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/x-12-06-a-m-the-stillness-of-a-grave.md): Lieutenant Valcour stations Officers Hansen and Cassidy in Endicott's room to guard him, instructing them to watch everyone who enters, including Thomas Hollander, whom he plans to summon. Dr. Worth remains skeptical of 
- [XI: 12:15 a.m.—To Watch by Night](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xi-12-15-a-m-to-watch-by-night.md): Lieutenant Valcour calls Thomas Hollander, a close friend of Herbert Endicott, to request his presence at the Endicott home. He explains that Endicott has suffered a heart attack from a sudden shock and is unconscious, w
- [XII: 12:30 a.m.—Madame Velasquez Stirs Up Muck](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xii-12-30-a-m-madame-velasquez-stirs-up-muck.md): Lieutenant Valcour visits Marge Myles's apartment, where he encounters her mother, Madame Velasquez, who is waiting for Marge. Madame Velasquez reveals that Marge had a note from Herb Endicott, who failed to meet her. Va
- [XIII: 2:01 a.m.—Glittering Eyes](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xiii-2-01-a-m-glittering-eyes.md): Nurse Murrow is on night duty guarding the unconscious Herbert Endicott. Dr. Worth introduces Thomas Hollander as a friend who will sit with the patient. Hollander's behavior is evasive and his eyes glitter with a strang
- [XIV: 2:01 a.m.—An Empty Sheath](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xiv-2-01-a-m-an-empty-sheath.md): Lieutenant Valcour visits Thomas Hollander's apartment to investigate, where he encounters Mr. Smith. Valcour questions Smith about Hollander's relationship with Mrs. Endicott and discovers a leather sheath for a stilett
- [XV: 2:13 a.m.—The Thin Steel Blade](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xv-2-13-a-m-the-thin-steel-blade.md): Miss Murrow, the nurse, grows restless during her night vigil. She observes Thomas Hollander, who appears tense and pale. When she checks on Endicott, she notices signs of consciousness returning. She instructs Hollander
- [XVI: 2:13 a.m.—Time Versus Death](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xvi-2-13-a-m-time-versus-death.md): At 2:13 a.m., Officer O'Brian receives a mysterious phone call from Thomas Hollander's apartment, where Lieutenant Valcour is found bound and dazed. Valcour instructs O'Brian to warn Dr. Worth that Hollander is armed wit
- [XVII: 2:40 a.m.—The Angle of Death’s Path](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xvii-2-40-a-m-the-angle-of-death-s-path.md): At 2:40 a.m., Dr. Worth and Nurse Murrow rush to Endicott's room after the commotion, only to find Hollander wounded and Endicott dead from a bullet, not a knife. Lieutenant Valcour, despite his own injury, deduces that 
- [XVIII: 3:00 a.m.—Thin Haze of Dread](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xviii-3-00-a-m-thin-haze-of-dread.md): At 3 a.m., Lieutenant Valcour and Dr. Worth are in the Endicott bedroom, staring at the open window and the dark night beyond. Valcour feels an inexplicable dread. He asks Dr. Worth about moving Hollander, who is under a
- [XIX: 3:15 a.m.—The Properties of Horror](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xix-3-15-a-m-the-properties-of-horror.md): Lieutenant Valcour and Dr. Worth discuss the recent shooting of Endicott, narrowing suspects to those in Mrs. Endicott's room. Valcour questions Nurse Vickers, who reveals she was in the kitchen during the shooting, leav
- [XX: 3:24 a.m.—On Private Heights](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xx-3-24-a-m-on-private-heights.md): Lieutenant Valcour interrogates Miss Roberts in the presence of Endicott's body, probing her knowledge of the shooting and her relationship with the Endicotts. Roberts reveals her deep resentment of Mrs. Endicott's contr
- [XXI: 3:51 a.m.—A Woman’s Slipper](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xxi-3-51-a-m-a-woman-s-slipper.md): Lieutenant Valcour interrogates Miss Roberts, who reveals that Mrs. Endicott may have faked unconsciousness and poured out her narcotic. Roberts admits to fetching her gun and nearly killing Mrs. Endicott in a fit of rag
- [XXII: 4:14 a.m.—Tap—Tap—Tap](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xxii-4-14-a-m-tap-tap-tap.md): Lieutenant Valcour, troubled by the slipper clue, decides to test Mrs. Endicott's unconsciousness. With Dr. Worth's help, he arranges to be alone with her, then taps the slipper rhythmically, causing her to break her pre
- [XXIII: 4:29 a.m.—A Turn of the Screw](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xxiii-4-29-a-m-a-turn-of-the-screw.md): Lieutenant Valcour interrogates Mrs. Endicott, who is suspected of shooting her husband and wounding Hollander. She denies being on the balcony, claiming her slipper fell off while straddling the window sill. Valcour rev
- [XXIV: 4:41 a.m.—As the Colours of Dawn](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xxiv-4-41-a-m-as-the-colours-of-dawn.md): Lieutenant Valcour, alone in Endicott's room, reflects on Mrs. Endicott's innocence, reviews the evidence against her, and orders a search for the missing revolver. He examines Endicott's papers, finding letters from var
- [XXV: 5:01 a.m.—Lunatic Vistas](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xxv-5-01-a-m-lunatic-vistas.md): Lieutenant Valcour receives a report from Central Office revealing that the person who used Endicott's comb and brushes was a blonde, either a man or a woman with bobbed hair. This points to Mrs. Endicott or Hollander, n
- [XXVI: 5:25 a.m.—There Was a Sailor](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xxvi-5-25-a-m-there-was-a-sailor.md): Lieutenant Valcour interviews Mrs. Siddons, who reveals a past incident where Mr. Endicott attacked a servant girl, who was subsequently committed to an insane asylum. Mrs. Siddons identifies the girl's husband as a sail
- [XXVII: 5:46 a.m.—Mrs. Endicott Cannot Be Found](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xxvii-5-46-a-m-mrs-endicott-cannot-be-found.md): Lieutenant Valcour discovers Mrs. Endicott's room empty and questions Cassidy about her whereabouts. He also investigates the first shot fired at Hollander, deducing that the murderer fired first. Valcour finds a letter 
- [XXVIII: 6:00 a.m.—Mist Drifting Through Mist](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xxviii-6-00-a-m-mist-drifting-through-mist.md): Lieutenant Valcour discovers Mrs. Endicott attempting suicide in the attic, saves her, and engages in a tense conversation where she reveals her manipulations, including forging a letter to implicate Marge Myles, and her
- [XXIX: 6:30 a.m.—As Is Mirage](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xxix-6-30-a-m-as-is-mirage.md): Lieutenant Valcour confronts Mrs. Endicott with his theory that Marge Myles killed Herbert Endicott. He suggests Marge was searching for a forged letter in Endicott's room, was discovered, and that Endicott's heart attac
- [XXX: 7:11 a.m.—The Criminal and Weapon of the Crime](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xxx-7-11-a-m-the-criminal-and-weapon-of-the-crime.md): Lieutenant Valcour, having arrested Mrs. Endicott, returns to Endicott's room and reads a letter from Marge Myles that reveals her animosity toward Endicott. While contemplating the case, he senses a presence and discove
- [XXXI: 8:37 p.m.—Five Years Later](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/xxxi-8-37-p-m-five-years-later.md): Five years after the Endicott case, Mrs. Hollander (formerly Mrs. Endicott) contacts Inspector Valcour, worried about her current husband Thomas Hollander's safety. Valcour reflects on the past case, concluding that Mrs.

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