Plot It Yourself

“How could she know?” Harvey demanded. “Who told her?”

Wolfe nodded. “Of course that was the point. At the moment the surmise was only of minor interest, but the next day, when it was learned that Simon Jacobs had been murdered, it took on weight; and more weight when Jane Ogilvy too was killed; and still more when Kenneth Rennert made it three-and Alice Porter was still alive. Attention was focused on her, but I continued to doubt that she was the target because I could not believe that she had invented a style of composition for ‘There Is Only Love’ for her claim against Ellen Sturdevant, and imitated it for ‘What’s Mine Is Yours’ for the claim made by Simon Jacobs against Richard Echols, and again imitated it for ‘On Earth but Not in Heaven’ for the claim made by Jane Ogilvy against Marjorie Lippin, and then abandoned it and used her natural style for ‘Opportunity Knocks’ for the claim made by her against Amy Wynn. But last evening-”

Mortimer Oshin cut in, “Wait a minute. What if she knew how that would look?” There was still a little cognac in his glass, and he still hadn’t lit a cigarette.

“Just so, Mr Oshin. Last evening Mr Goodwin brought her here, and after an hour with her I asked that question myself. What if she had been shrewd enough to realize in advance, at the time she enlisted Simon Jacobs in the plot against Richard Echols, that the best shield against suspicion would be a modus operandi so fantastic that she would not even be considered? After an hour with her I thought it possible that such superlative cunning was not beyond her; at least it was worth exploring. When she had gone I spent an hour on the telephone, getting five people, highly competent detectives who help me on occasion; and when they came at eight o’clock this morning I gave them assignments. They are present and I wish to introduce them. If you will please turn your heads?”

They twisted around.

“In front at the left,” Wolfe told them, “is Miss Theodolinda Bonner. Beside her is Miss Sally Corbett. In the rear at the left is Mr Saul Panzer, next to him is Mr Fred Durkin, and at the right is Mr Orrie Cather. I should explain that before they went on their separate errands they were supplied with photographs of Alice Porter, procured by Mr Panzer at a newspaper office. I’m going to ask them to report to you, Mr Cather?”