Continental Op Stories · Chapter
IV explained
The detective, Hilary Gallaway, and Shand discuss the evidence pointing to Talbert Exon as the shooter.
What happens
The detective, Hilary Gallaway, and Shand discuss the evidence pointing to Talbert Exon as the shooter. Exon later confesses to the detective that he tried to kill nurse Barbra Caywood because he feared she had learned from his delirious ramblings that he murdered his wife fourteen years ago. Exon dies that afternoon. In a final twist, Gallaway writes that Caywood denied Exon ever spoke of murder; his ravings were merely obscene and blasphemous.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Identity
Exon's elaborate plan to kill the nurse to protect his secret murder of his wife, and the final revelation that his delirium contained no confession.
Crime and Detection
The detective reconstructs the shooting, deduces Exon's guilt, and obtains a confession.
Violence and Survival
Exon's attempted murder of the nurse, his past murder of his wife, and his own death.
Characters to notice
- The Continental Op
Investigates the shooting, deduces Exon's guilt, and later receives Exon's confession.
- Hilary Gallaway
Exon's son-in-law; discusses the case with the detective and later reveals the ironic twist about Caywood's denial.
- Dr. Humbert Estep
Mentioned as Dr. Rench in the excerpt; attends to Exon.
Key passages
“He shot her intentionally, and that’s flat. Maybe I couldn’t prove it in court without knowing why; but I know he did.”
The detective is certain Exon deliberately shot the nurse, even if he lacks legal proof of motive.
The detective's conviction based on circumstantial evidence.
“I don’t want to let you miss the cream of the whole affair. The lovely Caywood, when she recovered, denied that Exon had talked of murder or any other crime during his delirium.”
Gallaway reveals the ironic twist: the nurse never heard a murder confession, only obscenities.
Undermines Exon's entire motive for the attempted murder.