night Wilmer went to his hotel, learned he wasn’t in, and waited outside for him. I suppose Thursby returned immediately after killing your partner. Be that as it may, Wilmer brought him to see me. We could do nothing with him. He was quite determinedly loyal to Miss O’Shaughnessy. Well, sir, Wilmer followed him back to his hotel and did what he did.”
Spade thought for a moment. “That sounds all right. Now Jacobi.”
Gutman looked at Spade with grave eyes and said: “Captain Jacobi’s death was entirely Miss O’Shaughnessy’s fault.”
The girl gasped, “Oh!” and put a hand to her mouth.
Spade’s voice was heavy and even. “Never mind that now. Tell me what happened.”
After a shrewd look at Spade, Gutman smiled. “Just as you say, sir,” he said. “Well, Cairo, as you know, got in touch with me—I sent for him—after he left police headquarters the night—or morning—he was up here. We recognized the mutual advantage of pooling forces.” He directed his smile at the Levantine. “ Mr. Cairo is a man of nice judgment. The Paloma was his thought. He saw the notice of its arrival in the papers that morning and remembered that he had heard in Hong Kong that Jacobi and Miss O’Shaughnessy had been seen together. That was when he had been trying to find her there, and he thought at first that she had left on the Paloma , though later he learned that she hadn’t. Well, sir, when he saw the notice of arrival in the paper he guessed just what had happened: she had given the bird to Jacobi to bring here for her. Jacobi did not know what it was, of course. Miss O’Shaughnessy is too discreet for that.”
He beamed at the girl, rocked his chair twice, and went on: “ Mr. Cairo and Wilmer and I went to call on Captain Jacobi and were fortunate