Read Online The Puzzle Lady vs. the Sudoku Lady by Parnell Hall - Free Book Online

prison, then goes to see the wife. He kills her, puts her body in the freezer for an hour. Sets the scene and leaves the house. The time of death is changed. It will look like the husband killed his wife, went to the bar and got arrested so he will have an alibi for the time she is killed. He was too stupid to know the medical examiner could tell the time of death.”
    Cora shook her head. “That’s convoluted, even for me.”
    â€œIt is fantastic, yes? And yet it works. If the police think it is an accidental death, that is fine. If the police believe it is a murder, the person with the opportunity is the husband, not the lover. It is the perfect crime.”
    Chief Harper said, “Cora?”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œWhat about it?”
    â€œWhat about it? That is the most ridiculous, farfetched, double-think I ever heard. The idea a person would do such a thing. It defies credulity. It is the type of plot that when I read it in a book—”
    â€œI know, I know, you throw the damn thing across the room. But would it work?”
    Cora nearly gagged. “Yes, it could work. And walking around Times Square in a signboard WILL MARRY RICH MAN FOR CASH could work, too, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to try it. The likelihood of such an occurrence is so remote—”
    â€œBut it could work?”
    Cora’s mouth snapped shut. She gawked at the chief in helpless frustration.

    Irving Swartzman hopped to his feet. “Excellent! Our work here is done. Come, ladies. Let’s leave the police chief to his job.” The agent smirked. “Now that he knows what it is.”
    Minami marched proudly out of the office, her niece trailing insolently along behind her.

Chapter 16
    â€œTechnically you won,” Sherry pointed out.
    Cora sat sulking in the passenger seat. “In what way did I win?”
    â€œWell, she said Jason killed his wife. You said he didn’t. It would appear she was wrong and you were right.”
    â€œI said it was an accident . I didn’t say she was killed by someone else.”
    â€œNeither of you did. It was a straightforward bet. She bet she could prove he did it. You bet you could prove he didn’t. She proved he didn’t. Therefore she failed to prove he did. Therefore you win.”
    â€œIs that like a Pyrrhic victory?”
    â€œWhat do you know about Pyrrhic victories?”
    â€œThey’re not as good as real ones.”

    â€œCora …”
    â€œThat arrogant, insufferable, kimono-wearing woman. I can’t say that. It sounds racist. That arrogant, insufferable, sudoku-making woman.”
    â€œThat could describe you. Good thing you’re not arrogant and insufferable.”
    â€œOh, nasty girl. When you were single, you didn’t have such a lip.”
    â€œI’m trying to jolt you out of your self-induced doldrums into the real world.”
    â€œSelf-induced doldrums.”
    â€œOkay. Competitive-amateur-detective-theory-induced doldrums. The point is, this is a big deal about nothing.”
    â€œChief Harper doesn’t think it’s about nothing.”
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œAre you kidding me? That woman just threw a bloodstain in his lap. He’s gotta ignore it or deal with it. Dealing with it is an immensely complicated waste of time. Ignoring it is like walking in legal quicksand. If he ignores it and something comes of it, that’s the type of omission that could cost a cop his job.”
    â€œWhat do you think he’s gonna do?”
    â€œI have no idea.”
    â€œHe’s clearly going to ignore it.”
    â€œWhy do you say that?”
    â€œBecause he let you walk out of there.”
    â€œYou were with me. He’s not going to incriminate himself in front of a witness.”
    â€œIncriminate himself?”
    â€œYou wanna bet he calls me back in?”
    â€œI don’t think you wanna be betting. Betting is how you got into this whole