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suspected. Unless he had what was called an alibi. But for an alibi to stand up, it had to be unshakable; that is, he, Carlos, truly had to be elsewhere when the thing was done. This was simply arranged, in any of a thousand ways. Who, then, was to do it? Who but she, Roberta, the co-beneficiary of Glory’s death? Did she now see?
    â€œI now saw,” Roberta told the two silent men. “Oh, how I now saw! In that mocking voice of his, as if he were talking about taking a walk in the park, he was actually proposing that I murder his wife so that he and I could get married and live on the blood money. I was so stunned, so horrified, that for a minute I couldn’t get a word out. I guess he took my silence for consent, because he slithered over and tried to make love to me. It broke the spell with a bang. I pushed him away so hard he staggered. This lovely conversation took place in Glory’s and Carlos’s apartment, and I ran out of there as if the devil were after me. For all I know, he was—he has the devil’s own gall. How could I have thought I loved that monster! My skin was crawling. All I could think of was getting away from him. I cabbed home and walked the floor all night, shaking like a leaf.”
    Carlos had telephoned her the next day, the girl went on, and she had told him never to call or try to see her again, and hung up on him.
    â€œThe bloody bastard,” muttered Harry Burke. He looked as if he could cheerfully have committed murder himself at that moment.
    â€œYou were lucky to get out of it without a beating,” Ellery commented. “Sometimes these types, when they’re balked, can be awfully rough. But, Miss West, I don’t get it. If all this happened more than seven months ago—back in May?—why have you waited so long to tell the story? And, in any event, why the urgency now?”
    The girl looked puzzled. “The urgency? What do you mean, Mr. Queen? I would have thought—”
    â€œWe obviously have our wires crossed,” Ellery said with a smile. “There’s more to your story?”
    â€œOf course.” She glanced from him to Burke and back again, shaking her head. “Or don’t you believe me? I don’t understand … As for why I didn’t tell anyone all this time—I don’t know. It was such a shocking experience, as if I’d dreamed it all. The thought of going to the police, or to someone like you, never entered my mind. For one thing, I kept telling myself he couldn’t really have meant it. For another”—her delicate skin colored—”it would have meant getting my relationship with him smeared all over the papers. You know the bit. Anyway, I didn’t. And when he didn’t call or try to see me again, I put the whole thing out of my head, or tried to. Until it was forcibly recalled to me two nights ago. What’s today? Yes, the night before last, Wednesday night.”
    â€œThe night of December thirtieth?” Harry Burke asked sharply. It made Ellery look at him.
    â€œYes. Carlos phoned me. I hadn’t heard from him, as I said, since late spring. Of course I hung up on him—”
    â€œWhat did the beggar want?” snapped Burke.
    â€œHe had to see me, he said. I told him that what I’d said months ago still went, and banged the receiver. Not a half hour later my apartment bell rang, and when I opened the door, there he was. I tried to shut it in his face, but he stuck his foot in the way. He made such a fuss, in such a loud voice, that I was afraid the neighbors might come running out. So I let him in.”
    â€œWhat did he want?” Ellery asked.
    â€œAt the time I couldn’t imagine. He made no attempt to bring up that fantastic proposition again, just talked about trivial things—me, the plays on Broadway, what he and Glory had been doing recently, and so on. I kept asking him to go, and he kept making conversation. He