... Thanks!... Hmm!... Hmm!"
"You see, sir," Dundee repeated at last, "the list of possible suspects
includes Lydia Carr, Dexter Sprague, John C. Drake, Judge Marshall,
Polly Beale, Flora Miles, Janet Raymond, Clive Hammond--"
"But Polly and Clive were in the solarium _together_ all the time!"
Sanderson objected.
"So they said," Dundee agreed. "But it is a very short trip from the
solarium by way of the side porch into Nita's bedroom. And either Polly
Beale or Clive Hammond could have made that trip, on the pretext of
speaking to Nita about Ralph!... Motive: murder to end blackmail.
Naturally such a theory would not include _both_ of them, but if _one of
them_ was being blackmailed and made use of the pretext of warning Nita
of Ralph's overwrought condition--"
"Sprague's your man!" Sanderson interrupted with relief. "Motive:
jealousy because Nita was ditching him to marry Ralph.... As for the gun
and silencer, it seems pretty clear to me that Nita herself stole it
from Judge Marshall, and that Sprague got it away from her. You say the
maid, Lydia, went upstairs to tell Sprague he had to pack his things and
take them away--for good!... Very well! Sprague goes down the backstairs
with the gun in his pocket, through the back hall into Nita's bedroom,
shoots her, bumps into the lamp, goes out by the back door, and comes
around front to join the party.
Pages:
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212