Chapter 104: One Hundred Four – Summary and Analysis
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Robby Sassoon treats himself to the Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along, a Sondheim musical that flopped in the 1980s but is now closing after a successful run. He is struck by the closing number, “Our Time,” and cannot stop humming the lyric “Me and you.” After the show he has a late dinner at Becco, ordering polenta and veal Parmigiana with a glass of expensive wine. He neatly tucks a napkin into his collar to avoid staining his white shirt—because, he reflects, he does not want it to look like blood. Skipping dessert, he takes a cab, walks the last few blocks, and enters a narrow alley behind a building. He confirms there are no security cameras. He finds the man inside, alone in an office near the kitchen: Martin, Jane Smith’s ex-husband and owner of Café Martin. Robby points a gun at him and says, “Good evening, Martin.”
Key Events
- Robby attends the Broadway revival of Merrily We Roll Along and is moved by the song “Our Time.”
- He hums the lyric “Me and you” as he leaves the theater.
- At Becco restaurant he orders polenta appetizer and veal Parmigiana, with a glass of Antinori Tignanello.
- He takes care to protect his white shirt from sauce, thinking about bloodstains.
- After skipping dessert, he takes a cab and walks through a camera‑free alley to the back of a building.
- He enters Café Martin silently and finds Martin alone in the office.
- Robby reveals a gun and greets Martin coldly.
Character Development
Robby Sassoon: This chapter deepens Robby’s dual identity. On the surface he is a cultured man who appreciates Broadway history and fine food, even treating himself after a long work stretch. But that appreciation is undercut by his dark preparation. He has checked the alley for security cameras; he knows Martin’s habits. His thought about the white shirt not looking like “blood” shows that he is consciously staging a murder for aesthetic effect. Robby is no longer just a lawyer—he is a cold, premeditating predator.
Martin (Jane Smith’s ex-husband): Martin does not speak in this chapter, but he is characterized as sloppy, a gambler, and a creature of habit. That predictability makes him a target. His vulnerability is underscored by his ignorance of Robby’s approach.
Jane Smith: Though absent, Jane Smith is invoked as “Jane Smith’s ex-husband,” linking Martin to her storyline. This suggests that Robby’s actions may be connected to Jane’s case or personal history.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Performance and disguise: Robby attends a musical and later stages his own performance, complete with a costume (white shirt) and a script (the planned confrontation). The line between spectator and actor blurs.
“Our Time” and the lyric “Me and you”: The song from Merrily We Roll Along celebrates partnership and shared moments. Robby’s private humming of the lyric becomes ironic and sinister as he prepares to face Martin alone—a violent, one‑sided version of “me and you.”
White shirt / Blood: The white shirt represents control and cleanliness. Robby’s fear of sauce looking like blood reveals his obsession with appearances. He wants the murder to be aesthetically “right,” suggesting that for him violence is a form of art or performance.
Surveillance and habit: Robby has researched the building’s security gaps. Martin’s predictable late‑night routine makes him an easy target. The motif of knowing one’s prey recurs throughout crime fiction.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 104 marks a transition from legal maneuvering to direct violence. Robby moves from being a lawyer who handles problems through the court to one who personally eliminates obstacles. The chapter also ties together the Jane Smith subplot: her ex-husband becomes Robby’s victim, suggesting that her case is the catalyst for his escalation. The careful staging—the Broadway show, the meal, the avoidance of cameras—shows that Robby is not acting impulsively. This is a calculated murder, and the reader knows that Robby is now a killer, not just a shady attorney.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Robby take special care to avoid staining his white shirt during dinner?
He thinks about blood and does not want the red sauce to look like bloodstains. The remark shows he is already visualising the violence to come and that he wants the murder scene to be “aesthetically” clean. -
What does Robby’s knowledge of the alley’s security cameras reveal about his planning?
He has scouted the location beforehand and confirmed there are no cameras in the back. This indicates premeditation: he chose a route that would avoid surveillance, and he knows Martin’s habits well enough to time his entry when Martin is alone. -
Why is the song “Our Time” and its lyric “Me and you” significant in this chapter?
The song originally celebrates shared hope and partnership. By humming it while he stalks Martin, Robby perverts the meaning into a private, violent encounter. It also echoes the dual “me and you” of killer and victim, and foreshadows that Robby is about to impose his own version of “our time.”