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testified that he was just the one to kill himself accidentally in a way that would have been impossible to anyone else. There’s no use thinking about it now, however; it’s much too late.”
    “Couldn’t I say I didn’t hear the shot and didn’t discover Howard until today? After all, he was home before me and slept in a different room, and it would have been entirely possible. I frequently didn’t see him from one night to the next.”
    “No, no.” Quincy shook his head and pinched his lips. “It would require the doing of certain things that can’t now be done. It would be too risky by far. It’s a shame you didn’t think of creating a burglar or a mysterious stranger. They’re always good and have often been used.”
    “Well, come to think of it, it’s quite futile to consider any of these things, for I’ve just remembered that Howard’s mother called an hour or so ago, and I told her that I’d seen Howard and that he’d left me.”
    “Damn it, Willie, it was damn inconsiderate of you to let me go on and on evaluating possibilities that were not possibilities at all.”
    “I didn’t mean to be inconsiderate. I simply forgot temporarily that she’d called, that’s all. You’re pretty touchy this morning, Quincy, if you ask me. I hope you’re not going to take advantage of me just because I’m in trouble and need your help.”
    “Not at all. I only ask you to understand that this kind of mental work calls for a special aptitude and is, moreover, considerably more exhausting than digging ditches. I don’t appreciate being put to any unnecessary effort.”
    “All right, all right. Mother Hogan called, and I’m sorry I didn’t remember to tell you.”
    “Good. Now that you’ve remembered, it’s evident that there is only one thing to do. Howard must be disposed of.”
    “That was my opinion from the start, but I couldn’t think of any way to accomplish it. It’s simply incredible, the problems involved in disposing of someone secretly. Do you have a suggestion?”
    “I read an account once of a man who reduced a friend to small pieces and put him in cold storage in neat little packages. Afterward he was able to dispose of him a package at a time. However, this would be messy and tedious and take up more time than I care to give to Howard. Besides, this man was caught, which doesn’t speak well for the method.”
    “Oh, do be sensible, Quincy. Surely you aren’t serious.”
    Quincy didn’t answer. Perhaps he didn’t hear, He got up and walked around the room, pinching his lip and looking at things with shining eyes. After a while he stopped beside Howard and inspected him for a moment thoughtfully, and then he moved back to the bed and sat down again.
    “Of course, we might take him apart and ship him somewhere in a trunk or a large box, but the experience of others has shown the consequences of this to be inevitably disastrous.”
    “Quincy, I simply will not tolerate taking Howard apart or reducing him to small pieces.”
    “I see. Since he was your husband, I suppose it’s to be expected that you’d feel a certain amount of sentiment for him. It doesn’t matter, anyhow, for I’ve decided what to do. You’ve told my stupid aunt that Howard left you. This was actually what Howard planned to do, as evidenced by the bag here on the bed and the two on the floor. Very well. We get rid of the bags and Howard together, and it is clear to all that the bounder has simply deserted. We must make the thing convincing, of course. We will have to manufacture a few more bits of evidence to support it.”
    “Excuse me, Quincy, but I can’t see that we are a bit ahead. We’re still left with the problem of disposing of Howard.”
    “True. I’m thinking about it. In spite of the temptation to do something unusual and elaborate, I think we had better make use of one of the tried and proven methods. Bodies, Cousin, are normally disposed of by cremation or burial. Since we do not have