Gavigan’s scowl, practically standard operating procedure by now, grew darker. “Yes. Kendrick’s definitely out. He entered the cab on the other side of town at just about the time Drake was sealing this room and he was apparently still in it, crossing Central Park, at the time Drake was killed.”

“So,” I commented, “he’s the only one with an alibi.”

Gavigan lifted his eyebrows. “The only one? Except for Rosa Rhys they all have alibis. The sealed room takes care of that.”

“Yes,” Merlini said quietly, “but the people with alibis also have motives while the one person who could have killed Drake has none.”

“She did it,” the Inspector answered. “So she’s got a motive—and we’ll find it.”

“I wish I were as confident of that as you are,” Merlini said. “Under the circumstances you’ll be able to get a conviction without showing motive, but if you don’t find one, it will always bother you.”

“Maybe,” Gavigan admitted, “but that won’t be as bad as trying to believe what she says happened in this room.”

That was news to me. “You’ve talked to Rosa?” I asked.

“One of the boys did,” Gavigan said sourly. “At the hospital. She’s already preparing an insanity defense.”

“But why,” Merlini asked, “is she still hysterical with fright? Could it be that she’s scared because she really believes her story—because something like that really did happen in here?”

“Look,” I said impatiently, “is it top secret or will somebody tell me what she says happened?”

Gavigan glowered at Merlini. “Are you going to stand there and tell me that you think Rosa Rhys actually believes—”

It was my question that Merlini answered. He walked to the table in the center of the room. “She says that after Drake sealed the window and door, the lights were turned off and she and Drake sat opposite each other at this table. His back was toward the desk, hers toward that screen in the corner. Drake held her hands. They waited. Finally she felt the psychic forces gathering around her—and then, out of nowhere, the two shells dropped onto the table one after the other. Drake got up, turned on the desk light, and came back to the table. A moment later it happened.”

The magician paused for a moment, regarding the bare, empty room with a frown. “Drake,” he continued, “was examining the shells, quite excited and pleased about their appearance when suddenly, Rosa says, she heard a movement behind her. She saw Drake look up and then stare incredulously over her shoulder.” Merlini spread his hands. “And that’s all she remembers. Something hit her. When she came to, she found herself staring at the blood on the floor and at Drake’s body.”