Deadly Inheritance (1968) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Oscar was killed by Janot, his youngest heir. Janot placed Oscar's body on the train tracks to make his death look like an accident. The motive was greed: Oscar's will stipulated that the estate couldn't be settled until Janot turned 21, so Janot killed him to accelerate his inheritance and eliminate the other heirs who might stand in his way.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, it was revealed that Oscar actually had substantial money in his bank account despite rumors of financial losses, making him a lucrative target.

• Oscar death
• killer
• motive
• inheritance
• Janot

Janot was behind all the murders, staging each death to look like an accident. He killed Oscar, staged his own death, murdered Rosalie and her husband, killed Jules, and attempted to kill Simone. Chief Inspector Gerard was revealed to be Janot's accomplice throughout the killing spree.

Foreshadowing: The pattern of deaths, each staged as accidents, indicated someone was systematically eliminating heirs.

• heirs
• murders
• killer
• Janot
• serial killings

Janot staged his own death by placing himself on the train tracks, where he was dismembered by a train. This was meant to eliminate suspicion from himself and make it appear as though the killer was targeting all heirs, including the youngest.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that train accidents can be manipulated, starting with the crossing guard incident.

• Janot
• faked death
• train accident
• disguise

Inspector Gerard was revealed to be Janot's accomplice because he was tired of his life as a cop and wanted financial gain from Janot's schemes. Gerard used his position to manipulate the investigation, protect Janot, and help eliminate witnesses who might expose them.

Foreshadowing: Gerard push for a more thorough investigation while simultaneously suspicious of other characters, deflecting attention from the real killer.

• Gerard
• Janot
• accomplice
• corrupt police
• betrayal

Colette was murdered by an unseen assailant during the police chase. After Leon (her husband) was forced into hiding and chased by police, Colette became a target. Leon, desperate and accused of the murders, fled the scene and ultimately leaped to his death from a rooftop rather than be captured.

Foreshadowing: The escalating panic among family members as deaths continued made everyone a potential target.

• Colette
• death
• murder
• Leon

Janot killed Jules because Jules was involved in an affair with Simone and knew too much about the inheritance scheme. Janot needed to eliminate anyone who might expose his crimes or betray him, and Jules was a liability who could potentially blackmail or reveal the truth.

Foreshadowing: Jules was described as a shady club owner involved with Simone, making him a loose end in Janot's plans.

• Jules
• killed
• Janot
• betrayal
• blackmail

Simone survives by taking control of the situation during the final showdown. When Gerard tries to escape with her as a hostage and pleads for her to shoot Etienne, she instead shoots Gerard dead. This decision, along with Etienne's intervention, ends the threat. Gerard warns her she'll be alone before dying, but she survives and walks away with Etienne.

Foreshadowing: Simone had already shown resilience by escaping Janot's attack earlier, throwing a checkerboard at him to create a window to flee.

• Simone
• survival
• final confrontation
• Gerard
• shooting

Inspector Gerard forced Leon (Rosalie's husband) into hiding, making him a citywide fugitive. Gerard suspected Leon of the murders and pursued him aggressively. This led to a rooftop chase where Leon, convinced he wouldn't be caught alive, leaped to his death to escape capture.

Foreshadowing: Leon was already in debt to a loan shark, making him a suspicious character and convenient suspect.

• Leon
• police chase
• death
• roof
• jump

Oscar was placed on the train tracks by Janot, who staged the entire accident. Janot orchestrated Oscar's death to accelerate his inheritance, using the train as a weapon. The crossing guard's earlier mishap with the switching points, caused by a malfunctioning hearing aid, set a convenient precedent for a train-related death.

Foreshadowing: The crossing guard incident early in the film established that train accidents could happen through manipulation of the tracks.

• Oscar
• train
• tracks
• murder staged

Oscar's will stipulated that his estate couldn't be settled until his youngest heir, Janot, reached the age of 21. This legal condition is what motivated Janot to kill Oscar and eliminate the other heirs, he wanted to speed up his access to the substantial inheritance that was revealed to still exist in Oscar's bank account.

Foreshadowing: The discovery that Oscar actually had substantial wealth made the inheritance condition even more significant.

• will
• inheritance
• Janot
• age
• estate

Simone uncovered the truth when Janot attacked her and revealed his confessions, he admitted to staging Oscar's death and killing Jules. Meanwhile, policeman Etienne had been investigating and arrived during the confrontation. When Janot tried to kill Simone, Etienne shot Janot, who fell to his death, completing the revelation of his guilt.

Foreshadowing: Simone had inherited the estate and became suspicious of Janot's return, leading to the direct confrontation.

• Janot
• killer revealed
• confession
• Etienne
• exposed

The ending is bittersweet because while Simone survives and justice is served, the primary villains Janot and Gerard are dead, she loses many family members. Additionally, Gerard warns her before dying that she will likely end up alone, leaving her future uncertain despite surviving the deadly web of deception and greed.

Foreshadowing: The film maintained a dark, tense tone throughout with numerous deaths, setting up a survival that comes at great cost.

• ending
• bittersweet
• Simone
• loss
• survival