“He’s hard to read.” Sean gave a short laugh. “He was really wound up. You weren’t kidding about the seven words when one would do, except I’d say it was more like seventeen. He was highly indignant that such aspersions had been cast upon his character.” Sean grimaced. “Now I’m starting to sound like him.”

“That last bit did have the ring of a direct quotation.” I smiled. “He is loquacious, almost beyond endurance, but is he a thief? And a murderer?”

Sean’s eyes narrowed. “You think this is connected to the murder?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “None of this would have happened if we hadn’t decided to do this exhibit and then asked Mrs. Cartwright to appear at the library. Eagleton and the others might never have come to Athena.”

“You had no way of knowing a woman would be killed.” Sean gazed sternly at me. I knew it bothered him when I went into hair-shirt mode.

“I know, but I can’t help a feeling of responsibility.” Sean started to speak but I held up a hand. “Let’s just leave it at that, okay?”

His expression told me he didn’t like it, but he didn’t press the point.

“Tell me, did Eagleton venture any theories as to how the manuscripts got in his suite and under his mattress?”

“He kept insisting that Eugene Marter had to be behind it.” Sean shook his head. “Though he couldn’t explain exactly why Marter would do it. Or when and how Marter got access to his hotel room.”

I considered that for a moment. “What if someone is trying to get him out of the way?”

“Out of the way of what?” Sean got up to pour himself more coffee.

“Good question. Perhaps somebody is working for another publisher.” I mulled that over for a moment. “No, that seems far-fetched.”

“Maybe.” Sean sipped his coffee. “It seems even more far-fetched as an attempt to link Eagleton to the murder.”

“It doesn’t make much sense. Let’s look at it from another angle. What if Eagleton really did steal the manuscripts? How could he possibly have hoped to get away with it? If he published them, he’d be putting the evidence right out there.”

“He didn’t strike me as a stupid man, although he might be desperate for money,” Sean said. “He had to know—if he did take them—that he was bound to be found out.” He shook his head. “No, it won’t wash. Frankly, that’s why I’m inclined to believe he didn’t steal them. It would be a completely asinine thing to do.”

“Could it be what Eagleton claimed then? Eugene Marter playing a practical joke?” I frowned. “But if Marter is truly leery of tangling with the law, he’d know Kanesha would take a dim view of such an idiotic stunt.”