De Mortuis by John Collier
"De Mortuis" by John Collier is a gripping tale that explores themes of deception, betrayal, and the darker aspects of human relationships. The story centers on Dr. Rankin, a mild-mannered physician who becomes embroiled in a disturbing conversation with his friends, Bud and Buck, while he is working in his cellar. As they speculate about a patch of wet cement, the dialogue takes a sinister turn, revealing their suspicions that Rankin may have buried his wife, Irene, underneath it.
The narrative delves into Rankin's emotional turmoil as he learns about Irene's alleged infidelity and the opinions of his friends, who share their own past indiscretions with her. This shocking revelation transforms Rankin's affection into resentment, leading him to believe that Irene's love for him was insincere and motivated by financial stability. The story culminates in a tense moment when Irene unexpectedly returns home after missing her train, leaving Rankin alone with his dark intentions and a newfound justification for his actions.
Collier's tale raises questions about trust, the complexities of love, and the potential for violence lurking beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives, making it a compelling study of moral decay and the human psyche.
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De Mortuis by John Collier
First published: 1951
Type of plot: Horror
Time of work: The mid-twentieth century
Locale: Upstate New York
Principal Characters:
Dr. Rankin , a fifty-year-old small-town physicianIrene Rankin , his wife, a younger woman with a bad reputationBud , andBuck , his fishing companions
The Story
As mild-mannered Dr. Rankin puts the finishing touches to a patch of wet cement on his cellar floor, he is startled by sounds, signaling the entrance of Bud and Buck, who call out, "Hi, Doc! They're biting!" Not wanting to be disturbed, he remains silent, but his friends figure out where he is and come down the stairs.
When the friends ask Rankin about the wet cement patch, he explains that he has repaired a spot where water has been seeping in from an underground spring. Bud—the realtor who sold him the property—refuses to believe that such a spring exists, and both men are skeptical about Rankin's explanation that his wife, Irene, is visiting friends. After asking several more questions, they announce that he has buried his wife's body under the cement. When Rankin reacts indignantly to this suggestion, his friends reassure him that they are on his side and will help cover up his murder. After telling him that they do not blame him for wanting to kill Irene, they reveal everything they know about her character, calling her "the town floozy." Both men admit to having had sexual relations with her themselves, but they hasten to assure Rankin that these incidents occurred before he married her.
All these revelations shock the unworldly Rankin, who has doted on his young wife. His love for her turns to hatred as he learns about her moral depravity and realizes how he has been deceived by her beauty and surface innocence. He concludes that she never loved him, that she married him only for financial security, and that she has been making a fool of him since the moment that they met. Rankin honestly believes the story that he has told Buck and Bud about his wife's visiting old friends named Slater in Watertown; however, his friends assure him that no such people exist. Rankin now believes that Irene has lied to him in order to meet a secret lover.
As Bud and Buck leave, they promise never to breathe a word about the supposed murder. They will swear that they saw Irene riding out of town with a man in a roadster—a story that everyone in town will believe because of Irene's reputation.
While Rankin is still in the cellar, his young wife unexpectedly returns. She has missed her train and asks him to drive her to another station where she can still make connections. He asks her if she met anyone coming back. She tells him that she has not met a soul, leaving Rankin as the only person who knows that she is still in town.
At the end of the story, the doctor asks Irene to come downstairs so that he can show her a problem that has developed with the patch of cement he has been working on. It is clear that he intends to murder her and put her under the cement floor, now that Buck and Bud have provided him with an airtight alibi.