His voice had risen, and its urgency brought Penny Anne and Liselotte back across the room, Mrs. Hanson following.
“But who would ever want to—to torpedo Heck?” asked Penny Anne, full of anxiety. “He’s never done anybody any harm.”
“It may be quite impersonal,” said Timuroff. “Probably it was the setup—Heck’s house, his almost wide-open parties, the passages. Again, somebody may have wanted not just to kill Munrooney but to put Heck on the spot for another purpose. Maybe he owns something someone wants, or is standing in their way. Most criminals, Penny Anne, are pragmatists.”
Penny Anne shuddered and drew closer to the doctor, and Liselotte looked accusingly at Timuroff. “Why do you always think of such unpleasant things?” she said to him.
“Because it’s better to think of them than to
