My father looks for evidence, I look for truth. They don’t always turn out to lie in the same direction.”
“What do you know?” asked Terry Ring abruptly. “Let’s cut the prelims.”
“All right, Terry, it’s cards on the table. I’ll tell you just what I know.” Ellery crushed out his cigaret. “I’ve been in constant communication with my father from the Panthia . He hasn’t been specific, but I think he’s suspicious of both of you.” Eva lowered her eyes. “Dad works cautiously. I should say that neither of you is out of the woods.”
“Eva, honey,” groaned Dr. MacClure. “Why don’t you –”
“Please, Doctor. Now I want to explain my own position. I’ve got to know Dr. MacClure well, and to like him immensely. I’d met Miss Leith and you, Miss MacClure, and your father has been kind enough to tell me many things about the background of your relationship which, frankly, have aroused my interest. I agreed to help. My father knows that; I’ve told him. From now on he goes his way and I go mine. What I learn I keep to myself, what he learns he keeps to himself.”
“Come on,” drawled Terry Ring. “You’re wasting time.”
“Is it so valuable? Now from what I’ve gathered, it appears that an unknown assailant got into Miss Leith’s house through the attic window, came down the attic stairs, stabbed Miss Leith, and made his escape by the same route. This is a theory. But a theory only. For there’s apparently not a single clue, not a single item of evidence, to support it … no footprint in the garden under the ell-roof, no fingerprints so far, nothing at all but a hypothetical way of entrance and exit. It’s the only theory which accounts for Miss Leith’s murder on the basis of physical accessibility.” He shrugged. “ Unless you stabbed her yourself.”
“Oh,” said Eva faintly, and Terry started.
“Forgive me for speaking so bluntly, but as I’ve explained to your father, Miss MacClure, I must treat these things as problems in mathematics. There is no evidence to support the theory of an outsider using that open window and door. And you were admittedly in the next room.”
“Eva –” began Dr. MacClure in an agonized voice.
“If you can’t satisfy me about your innocence,” continued Ellery gently, “I shall step out now. With you guilty, this is no case for me – and I shouldn’t care to take it for Dr. MacClure’s sake.”
“Satisfy you!” cried Eva, springing up. “How can I? How could anyone!”
“Did you?” muttered the doctor. “Did you, honey?”
Eva seized her temples with both hands, pushing the coolie hat back. “I think I’m going … No one could believe me. There’s nothing I can say. I – I’m just trapped!”
“Stop it,” said Terry in a low voice.
“I won’t! I didn’t kill Karen! Why should I want to kill her? I was happy – Dick had just promised to marry me – I rushed over to tell Karen. Even if I had a reason, would I have murdered Karen feeling as I did Monday afternoon? Kill!” She sank back in the chair, trembling. “I couldn’t kill a – a bug.”
The doctor stared at her with a different light in his eyes.
“But if I told you the truth,” continued Eva hopelessly, “I –”
“Don’t be a fool,” growled Terry. “Remember what I said!”
“Yes?” prompted Ellery.
“You’d have to say I did it. Anyone would, anyone. Anyone!” She began to cry on the arm of the chair.
“Perhaps that’s just the reason,” murmured Ellery, “ I wouldn’t.”
Terry Ring looked at her, and then he shrugged and went to the window to smoke furiously. Dr. MacClure leaned over to brush her hat off and stroke her hair.
Ellery went to the chair and lifted Eva’s face.
Then Eva sobbed: “I’ll tell you everything.”
Terry swore and hurled his cigaret butt out the window.
When Eva was finished she lay back and closed her eyes, drained and empty. Dr. MacClure was cracking his knuckles in a savage,
“What do you know?” asked Terry Ring abruptly. “Let’s cut the prelims.”
“All right, Terry, it’s cards on the table. I’ll tell you just what I know.” Ellery crushed out his cigaret. “I’ve been in constant communication with my father from the Panthia . He hasn’t been specific, but I think he’s suspicious of both of you.” Eva lowered her eyes. “Dad works cautiously. I should say that neither of you is out of the woods.”
“Eva, honey,” groaned Dr. MacClure. “Why don’t you –”
“Please, Doctor. Now I want to explain my own position. I’ve got to know Dr. MacClure well, and to like him immensely. I’d met Miss Leith and you, Miss MacClure, and your father has been kind enough to tell me many things about the background of your relationship which, frankly, have aroused my interest. I agreed to help. My father knows that; I’ve told him. From now on he goes his way and I go mine. What I learn I keep to myself, what he learns he keeps to himself.”
“Come on,” drawled Terry Ring. “You’re wasting time.”
“Is it so valuable? Now from what I’ve gathered, it appears that an unknown assailant got into Miss Leith’s house through the attic window, came down the attic stairs, stabbed Miss Leith, and made his escape by the same route. This is a theory. But a theory only. For there’s apparently not a single clue, not a single item of evidence, to support it … no footprint in the garden under the ell-roof, no fingerprints so far, nothing at all but a hypothetical way of entrance and exit. It’s the only theory which accounts for Miss Leith’s murder on the basis of physical accessibility.” He shrugged. “ Unless you stabbed her yourself.”
“Oh,” said Eva faintly, and Terry started.
“Forgive me for speaking so bluntly, but as I’ve explained to your father, Miss MacClure, I must treat these things as problems in mathematics. There is no evidence to support the theory of an outsider using that open window and door. And you were admittedly in the next room.”
“Eva –” began Dr. MacClure in an agonized voice.
“If you can’t satisfy me about your innocence,” continued Ellery gently, “I shall step out now. With you guilty, this is no case for me – and I shouldn’t care to take it for Dr. MacClure’s sake.”
“Satisfy you!” cried Eva, springing up. “How can I? How could anyone!”
“Did you?” muttered the doctor. “Did you, honey?”
Eva seized her temples with both hands, pushing the coolie hat back. “I think I’m going … No one could believe me. There’s nothing I can say. I – I’m just trapped!”
“Stop it,” said Terry in a low voice.
“I won’t! I didn’t kill Karen! Why should I want to kill her? I was happy – Dick had just promised to marry me – I rushed over to tell Karen. Even if I had a reason, would I have murdered Karen feeling as I did Monday afternoon? Kill!” She sank back in the chair, trembling. “I couldn’t kill a – a bug.”
The doctor stared at her with a different light in his eyes.
“But if I told you the truth,” continued Eva hopelessly, “I –”
“Don’t be a fool,” growled Terry. “Remember what I said!”
“Yes?” prompted Ellery.
“You’d have to say I did it. Anyone would, anyone. Anyone!” She began to cry on the arm of the chair.
“Perhaps that’s just the reason,” murmured Ellery, “ I wouldn’t.”
Terry Ring looked at her, and then he shrugged and went to the window to smoke furiously. Dr. MacClure leaned over to brush her hat off and stroke her hair.
Ellery went to the chair and lifted Eva’s face.
Then Eva sobbed: “I’ll tell you everything.”
Terry swore and hurled his cigaret butt out the window.
When Eva was finished she lay back and closed her eyes, drained and empty. Dr. MacClure was cracking his knuckles in a savage,
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