# V: 10:17 p.m.—Living or Dead? explained — Murder by the Clock

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

## What happens

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 help, and her discovery of the note. Valcour probes her about a tea appointment with a man she refuses to name, and about Marge Myles, a woman with a scandalous past who may have killed her husband. Mrs. Endicott deflects and hints at her husband's animalistic behavior. The chapter ends with Cassidy's alarming news that they are preparing to revive the corpse.

## Themes in this chapter

### Marriage and Deception

The conversation reveals a marriage filled with emotional distance and deception, from Herbert's mocking goodbye to Mrs. Endicott's secret tea appointment and her veiled accusations.

### Appearance vs. Reality

Mrs. Endicott presents a composed front while hinting at a darker reality. The discussion of Marge Myles also highlights how public perception can mask a person's true nature.

## Character check-ins

### Lieutenant Valcour

Interrogates Mrs. Endicott, probing her story and her knowledge of Marge Myles. He is perceptive and persistent, though he accepts her refusal to name her tea companion.

### Mrs. Endicott

Provides a detailed account of the evening, revealing her strained marriage and her suspicions about Marge Myles. She is defiant and evasive when questioned about her own activities.

### Marge Myles

Discussed at length as a woman with a dubious past, suspected of killing her husband. Mrs. Endicott suggests she may be involved in Herbert's disappearance.

### Cassidy

Appears at the door, visibly shaken, to report that preparations are being made to revive the corpse.

## Key lines

> He had a habit of dividing suicides into two classes—those who talked about killing themselves, and those who did so.

Valcour categorizes potential suicides by whether they verbalize their intentions or simply act.

_Shows Valcour's analytical approach to understanding human behavior._

> I doubt whether you’ve ever experienced, Lieutenant, the rather perfect torture of a, well, an abstract kiss.

Mrs. Endicott suggests that a kiss devoid of feeling is a uniquely painful experience, one she implies men cannot understand.

_Reveals the emotional emptiness in her marriage._

> They’re almost a motive in themselves,

Valcour jokes that Herbert's mocking goodbye could itself be a reason for murder.

_Highlights the strained and bitter dynamic between the Endicotts._

> So you decided to fight fire with fire,

Valcour suggests Mrs. Endicott's tea with another man was a deliberate act of retaliation against her husband.

_Indicates Valcour's interpretation of her actions as a form of marital warfare._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters/v-10-17-p-m-living-or-dead
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/murder_by_the_clock_se/chapters