“Why not?”
“I do not see that it could have any possible bearing on Ralph Carrol’s death.”
“From where I sit,” said Shayne patiently, “it looks as though it might be very important. There were anonymous letters, I believe, accusing Mrs. Carrol of having been intimate with Carrol’s partner.”
Bates clamped his lips together and did not reply.
“Who wrote those letters?” Shayne demanded.
“Authorship was not established. They were definitely scurrilous and not worthy of attention.”
“But they led, indirectly, to the divorce Carrol was contemplating when he was killed.”
“I’m not sure I understand what you mean,” Bates parried.
“Mrs. Carrol admitted it herself last night,” Shayne told him. “She said her husband became suspicious of her after receiving the letters, and began watching her. This made her angry, and drove her to drink too much on a certain week-end party when she committed an indiscretion with a certain Ted Granger, which Carrol was using as evidence to divorce her without alimony. Isn’t that true?”
“It is true that Carrol was basing his divorce action on her affair with young Granger,” said Bates cautiously. “How much the anonymous letters contributed to that affair is anyone’s question. Ted has been quite gentlemanly about the unfortunate episode, and openly admitted everything that happened was entirely his fault. He has publicly stated his desire, and his determination, to marry Nora Carrol, if and when the divorce was granted.”