# In Which More Hats Grow explained — The Roman Hat Mystery

> Chapter companion for The Roman Hat Mystery by Ellery Queen.

## What happens

Inspector Queen, Ellery Queen, and Assistant District Attorney Cronin search Monte Field's apartment for hidden blackmail documents. Despite an exhaustive search of the foyer, living-room, bedroom, kitchenette, and bathroom, they find nothing. Ellery then realizes they overlooked the ceilings, specifically the canopy over the bed, and they rush to investigate.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and False Appearances

The search for hidden papers underscores how Field's respectable facade concealed a blackmail operation.

### The Relentless Quest for Truth

The characters' exhaustive search of the apartment demonstrates their determination to uncover the truth behind Field's murder.

### The Primacy of Rational Deduction

Ellery uses logical reasoning to conclude the papers must be in the apartment and later deduces the overlooked ceiling.

## Character check-ins

### Richard Queen

Leads the search of Field's apartment, growing irritable and determined as the search progresses.

### Ellery Queen

Initially confident the papers are in the apartment, he later deduces they overlooked the ceiling and canopy.

### Timothy Cronin

Eager and frustrated during the search, he has worked for years to find Field's incriminating documents.

### Thomas Velie

Briefly appears at the start, leading a frightened stranger away.

### Benjamin Morgan

Mentioned as having informed the Queens about Field's blackmail activities.

### Monte Field

The deceased; his apartment is searched for hidden blackmail papers.

## Key lines

> I can’t tell you, Tim, how badly I want to get my hands on those confounded documents of Field’s. They mean a good deal to me. They’d clear up a lot of questions about which we’re still in the dark.

Inspector Queen expresses his strong desire to find Field's documents, believing they will answer many unanswered questions.

_Highlights the Inspector's personal stake in the search._

> Pure reasoning has it that when you have exhausted every possibility but one in a given equation that one, no matter how improbable, no matter how ridiculous it may seem in the postulation — must be the correct one.

Ellery states that if all other possibilities are eliminated, the remaining one, however unlikely, must be true.

_Ellery applies deductive logic to justify searching the ceiling._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roman_hat_mystery_se/chapters/part-three-xvii-in-which-more-hats-grow
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roman_hat_mystery_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_roman_hat_mystery_se/chapters