# By Which Train? explained — The Viaduct Murder

> Chapter companion for The Viaduct Murder by Ronald A. Knox.

## What happens

Reeves and Gordon debate the evidence against Davenant, focusing on the incongruities of the ticket and watches found on Brotherhood's body. They develop a theory that the murder was timed to mislead investigators about which train Brotherhood traveled on, suggesting the killer manipulated the evidence.

## Themes in this chapter

### Detection and Rationality

Reeves and Gordon use logical deduction to challenge the initial assumptions about the murder, focusing on the ticket and watches as clues.

### Deception and Secrecy

The discussion reveals how evidence may have been deliberately manipulated to create a false impression about the time and train of the murder.

## Character check-ins

### Mordaunt Reeves

Leads the discussion, re-examining evidence and developing a new theory about the ticket and watches.

### Alexander Gordon

Participates in the debate, initially skeptical but eventually engaged in the new line of reasoning.

### Marryatt

Briefly encountered on the stairs, expresses certainty of Davenant's guilt and questions his sanity.

### Miss Rendall-Smith

Mentioned as having provided information to Reeves; her belief in Davenant's innocence is discussed.

### Gordon Davenant

Referenced as the accused; his innocence is the central point of contention.

## Key lines

> But it isn’t an easy thing, telling the truth. I know what the truth is⁠—namely that Davenant is innocent. I know, therefore, that this post card was a side-issue, irrelevant to the true explanation.

Reeves argues that revealing the cipher would mislead the police, so withholding it serves the truth.

_Reeves justifies his decision to keep the cipher secret, prioritizing his belief in Davenant's innocence._

> What fools we’ve been! Don’t you see that if the man was really pitched out of the three o’clock from London, which doesn’t stop between Weighford and Binver, a ticket for Paston Whitchurch would disguise the fact that he came by that train, and make everybody think he came in the later one⁠—the 4:50 from Paston Oatvile?

Reeves realizes the ticket was planted to mislead investigators about which train Brotherhood was on.

_This insight shifts the timeline of the murder and suggests deliberate evidence tampering._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_viaduct_murder_se/chapters/xvii-by-which-train
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_viaduct_murder_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_viaduct_murder_se/chapters