Continental Op Stories · Chapter
IV: “Maybe That Ain’t So Foolish!” explained
The Continental Op and Detective Sergeant O'Gar exhaust conventional leads in the Gantvoort murder case, interviewing residents along possible routes and finding no witnesses.
What happens
The Continental Op and Detective Sergeant O'Gar exhaust conventional leads in the Gantvoort murder case, interviewing residents along possible routes and finding no witnesses. A telegram reveals Madden Dexter is in New York with power of attorney, denying knowledge of the murder. The Op re-evaluates the nine clues, concluding they are deliberate misdirections, and decides to pursue a new angle: a rival suitor for Creda Dexter's affections.
Themes in this chapter
Crime and Detection
The chapter focuses on the systematic investigation of the Gantvoort murder, including clue analysis and re-evaluation.
Deception and Identity
The Op concludes that the clues are deliberate misdirections, suggesting a fabricated identity for the killer.
Characters to notice
- The Continental Op
Leads the investigation, re-evaluates clues, and decides to pursue a rival suitor angle.
- Detective Sergeant O'Gar
Assists in the investigation, enumerates the nine clues, and agrees to the new approach.
- Charles Gantvoort
Questioned again with his wife and servants; no new information obtained.
- Bernard Gilmore
Mentioned as the dead man; his shoe and collar buttons were taken as clues.
- Madden Dexter
Arrives in New York with power of attorney; denies knowledge of the murder.
- Creda Dexter
Referred to as 'the Dexter kitten'; her potential rival suitor becomes the new focus.
Key passages
“That list was faked up, put in the wallet with the clippings and twenty dollars—to make the play stronger—and planted in the road near the car to throw us off-track.”
The list in the wallet was a deliberate fake, placed there with clippings and cash to mislead the investigation.
The Op identifies the list as a planted clue, shifting the investigation's direction.
“I'm looking for a man whose name isn't Emil Bonfils, and whose initials aren't either E or B; who isn't French, and who wasn't in Paris in 1902.”
The Op is now searching for someone who does not match the profile suggested by the planted clues.
The Op decides to ignore all previous clues and pursue a completely different suspect profile.