# In Which the Hat Grows explained — The Roman Hat Mystery > Chapter companion for The Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen. ## What happens On the third morning after the murder, Inspector Queen and Ellery rise early and, after a hasty breakfast, arrange to meet Louis Panzer and Mrs. Phillips at the Roman Theatre. They conduct a thorough search of the premises, with Ellery and Mrs. Phillips conversing on stage before disappearing. The Inspector searches the orchestra, lounge, and restrooms without finding the missing object. Panzer delivers a parcel from Cronin, and the Inspector hints that finding a certain object is crucial to the case. Meanwhile, Detective Hagstrom reports that Angela Russo has entered Benjamin Morgan's office, prompting the Inspector to order her detained. ## Themes in this chapter ### The Primacy of Rational Deduction Ellery's logical analysis of the missing hat—deducing that it left the theatre on a man's head, and that the man was either the murderer or an accomplice—exemplifies the theme of rational deduction. ### The Relentless Quest for Truth The Queens' early-morning search of the theatre, the Inspector's meticulous examination of every corner, and the pursuit of Angela Russo all underscore the relentless pursuit of truth. ## Character check-ins ### Ellery Queen Rises early with his father, participates in the search of the Roman Theatre, and engages in earnest conversation with Mrs. Phillips on stage before disappearing. ### Richard Queen Leads the investigation, arranges to meet Panzer and Mrs. Phillips at the theatre, conducts a meticulous search of the premises, and receives a parcel from Cronin via Panzer. ### Djuna Prepares breakfast for the Queens and is disappointed at being left behind, as he often pleads to accompany them on investigations. ### Louis Panzer Meets the Queens at the theatre, opens it for their search, delivers a parcel from Cronin to the Inspector, and discusses the case with Queen. ### Angela Russo Reported by Detective Hagstrom to have entered Benjamin Morgan's office after attempting to evade surveillance. ### Thomas Velie Informs the Inspector that Cronin is frustrated at Field's office and appears pleased upon hearing of Angela Russo's visit to Morgan. ## Key lines > leads us inevitably, to my staggering mind, to the third fundamental conclusion: that Monte Field’s hat left the theatre in the most natural manner in the world: id est , by way of some man’s head, its owner being garbed in appropriate evening-clothes! Ellery concludes that the only logical way Monte Field's hat left the theatre was on the head of a man wearing evening clothes. _Ellery presents a key deduction about the missing hat._ > If he was the murderer, we have definitely established the sex and also the fact that our man was wearing evening-clothes that night—perhaps not a very illuminating point, since there were scores of such men in the theatre. If he was only an accomplice, we must conclude that the murderer was one of two possibilities: either a man dressed in ordinary clothes, whose possession of a tophat as he left would be patently suspicious; or else a woman, who of course could not sport a tophat at all! Ellery reasons that the hat-wearer is either the killer in evening dress or an accomplice, in which case the murderer must be a man in ordinary clothes or a woman. _Ellery expands on the implications of the hat's departure._ > A half hour ago she thought she’d given me the slip—she hopped into a cab and beat it downtown. … And say, Inspector—just three minutes ago I saw her enter Benjamin Morgan’s office! Detective Hagstrom reports that Angela Russo evaded him briefly and then entered Benjamin Morgan's office. _Hagstrom's surveillance reveals a new connection between Angela Russo and Benjamin Morgan._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roman_hat_mystery_se/chapters/part-three-xiv-in-which-the-hat-grows - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roman_hat_mystery_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roman_hat_mystery_se/chapters