When Mason found that word, he whistled.
“What is it?” she demanded impatiently.
“Midnight,” Mason said. “Get it? ‘Coast clear after midnight.’ ”
“We’ve got it. We’ve got it,” she said. “And the crime was committed after midnight. It ties up. This is the solution of the whole business.”
“Don’t be too certain,” Mason warned. “What’s our next word?”
“The twenty-second word in the A column on page 137.”
“But,” Mason announced after a moment. “What’s next?”
“The twenty-first word in the A column on page 579.”
Mason turned pages. “Lift,” he said. “What’s next?”
“The second word in the B column on page 1025. Gosh, Chief, hurry.”