# Ray Marcable — The Man in the Queue character guide

> Ray Marcable in The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Miss Marcable, Marcable

**First appearance:** 0000-i-murder

## Snapshot

A theatre singer so thoroughly self-absorbed that a murdered man's devotion to her went unnoticed, and a forgotten brooch undid her admirer's careful plan.

## Who they are

Ray Marcable belongs to the stage world of last nights and gossip columns, the kind of woman a man might build a secret life around without her ever quite noticing. Her self-absorption is almost protective: she recalls a dagger from a description but never connects it to the dead man, nor to the mother whose brooch slipped from a pocket. She matters because her obliviousness is the hinge on which the case's final revelations swing.

## Relationships

### [Inspector Grant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/characters/inspector_grant)

_professional_

Ray Marcable is a suspect or associate questioned by Inspector Grant, with a dynamic of suspicion and inquiry.

### [Bert Sorrell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/characters/bert_sorrell)

_social_

Bert Sorrell and Ray Marcable are acquaintances or fellow suspects, sharing a connection through the murder investigation.

### [Mrs. Everett](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/characters/mrs_everett)

_social_

Mrs. Everett and Ray Marcable are linked through the murder case, possibly as acquaintances or co-suspects.

### [Gerald Lamont](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/characters/gerald_lamont)

_social_

Gerald Lamont and Ray Marcable are acquaintances or fellow suspects, sharing a connection through the murder case.

### [Inspector Grant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/characters/inspector_grant)

_professional_

Ray Marcable is a suspect or associate questioned by Inspector Grant, with a dynamic of suspicion and inquiry.

### [Inspector Grant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/characters/inspector_grant)

_professional_

Ray Marcable is a suspect or associate questioned by Inspector Grant, with a dynamic of suspicion and inquiry.

### [Mrs. Everett](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/characters/mrs_everett)

_social_

Mrs. Everett and Ray Marcable are linked through the murder case, possibly as acquaintances or co-suspects.

### [Gerald Lamont](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/characters/gerald_lamont)

_social_

Gerald Lamont and Ray Marcable are acquaintances or fellow suspects, sharing a connection through the murder case.

## In the story

### [I: Murder](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/i-murder)

The star of 'Didn't You Know?' described as a comet who blazed out of the void, known for her dancing and indefinable charm; she is leaving for America.

### [VI: The Levantine](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/vi-the-levantine)

Performer at the theatre; her dancing captivates the last-night audience.

### [VII: Things Move](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/vii-things-move)

Appears in Grant's dream, repeating 'You'll never find him, never, never!'

### [IX: Grant Gets More Information Than He Expected](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/ix-grant-gets-more-information-than-he-expected)

Her photograph appears in the paper; Grant feels an uneasy reaction upon seeing it.

### [Conclusion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/chapters/xviii-conclusion)

The target of Sorrell's obsession; she remains unaware of the full truth, having left for America.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/characters/ray_marcable
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_in_the_queue_se/characters