She nodded. “I was talking with Mabel Foss a few minutes ago. She gave me the latest.”
“Then you’ve probably noticed that the only evidence which connects Rita Swaine with the actual murder is the testimony of Stella Anderson.”
“Otherwise known as ‘Mrs. Snoops,’ ” Della Street commented. “What about her?”
“It isn’t about her,” Mason said slowly, “it’s about the evidence, Della. She says that Rita Swaine was clipping the canary’s claws, that there was a passionate love scene between her and Jimmy Driscoll, that the canary escaped. And about that time there was this automobile accident. Jimmy ran out and helped load the victim into the van which took him to the hospital. Then Jimmy came back and gave Rita a gun which Rita hid. Then, as he was leaving the house, Jimmy ran right smack into the arms of the officers. Thereafter an interval elapsed during which the witness couldn’t see what was going on in the house. Later on she saw Rita return, catch the canary, and finish trimming its claws. Now then, notice that, on this occasion Rita apparently needed plenty of light to determine what she was doing. Before, she’d been able to clip the canary’s claws standing near the middle of the solarium, and without bothering to move the lace curtains. But when she finished the job, she found it necessary not only to come to the window, but to push aside the curtain and stand directly against the window, clipping the claws on the canary’s right foot.”
“But,” Della Street said, frowning, “isn’t that the foot that’s clipped too closely?”
Mason nodded.
“Well,” she said, “go ahead, Chief, tell me the rest of it.”
“At the time,” Mason went on, “Rita was wearing one of Rosalind’s dresses. Does that mean anything to you?”
Della Street shook her head, “Not a dam thing, Chief, except that I always felt I was short-changed by not having any sisters. Two sisters who are the same height and build can— Hey, wait a minute! You don’t mean—” Her voice trailed away into silence as she stared at the lawyer with wide-open, startled eyes.
“That’s exactly what I mean,” Mason said, “Mrs. Snoops was standing in her window, looking in the solarium. She saw the frenzied love scene, and she saw Jimmy Driscoll hand Rosalind Prescott the gun. At the time, Rosalind and Jimmy were too engrossed in what they were doing to pay very much attention to their surroundings. Later on, Rosalind saw Mrs. Snoops standing outlined against the window, and realized she’d seen everything.