“No,” Mason said shortly, “it hasn’t. Police took Mrs. Tidings into custody an hour or so ago. They’re going to charge her with first-degree murder.”
Peltham said, “I didn’t see how they could connect Nadine with it. Her alibi should have held up.”
Mason said, “Let me show you where you made a whole flock of mistakes… People found out about Tidings being dead and where he was. As each person made that discovery, he started protecting himself or herself by building up an alibi.”
“Well?” Peltham asked.
Mason said, “The district attorney has all of those alibis in front of him. They’re mathematical clues. No one except the murderer of Tidings knows exactly when he was killed. Each person thought that he was killed shortly before he or she made the discovery of the body… Therefore, the district attorney only has to check back on the alibis to pick the ones that cover the longest periods, and he knows he’s getting warm. Mrs. Tidings started making her alibi date back from Monday afternoon… You can figure what that means.”
Peltham frowned.
Mason said, “Here’s what the district attorney is going to say in front of a jury. You made love to Nadine Tidings underhandedly, surreptitiously. You had clandestine meetings. You took the name of Hushman and gave her the name of Mrs. Hushman. You…”
“Good God!” Peltham exclaimed. “Who knows that?”
“The district attorney,” Mason said. “What do you think he is, a damn fool?”
Peltham stared at him in speechless dismay.