The wind went out of her, while her face displayed the opposite of a blush, turning a deathly white. Her mother was stunned as well. To see fear register on Martha Prentice’s face was akin to bliss for me. But she didn’t hem and haw about it. “When did you catch on?” Martha asked in a controlled but concerned voice.

I had no obligation to tell her the truth. I wanted the people who’d be attempting to decipher Swing to slave hopelessly over the meaningless parts for months.

I gave Martha the most credible expression of regret I could muster. “I’m afraid I didn’t catch on until just before I came here this evening,” I said in what I hoped was a bitter, rueful tone.

She looked relieved, which displeased me, so I decided to shake her up further, starting my riff as confidently as when Jack Donovan would signal to the band that he was having me solo for an extra chorus.

“As it happens,” I began, “I’m not the only one who broke the Swing code. Adeline Head did as well. That’s why she had to die.” I looked from Martha to Gail. “She’s the one whose nearly faceless body fell from the Tower of the Sun, not Marie Prasquier . . . which in turn allowed Marie to assume the vacated role of Adeline Head, becoming a citizen of the United States and a waitress without portfolio.”

I hadn’t figured out absolutely everything yet, but Gail and Martha sure as hell must have thought I had. God, I felt alive. I was so damn proud of myself and would remain so for at least another few minutes.

Gail could barely manage to speak. “What . . . why would you think such things, Ray?”

“I thought it strange that Adeline Head’s Self-Portrait began and ended with a musical theme identical to one in your Swing Around the Sun. At first I thought you might have stolen the melody from her, but I ruled that out when I realized you hadn’t really chosen the notes of your composition at all . . . they were, in fact, just part of a code. And certainly Ada would have had no reason to steal from you. Her work was in a very traditional romantic style, completely unlike your own.