The Perfect Witness

The discovery of the stolen cash and rare Hoggard book at the hideout destroys the police department's best theories. Eugene still cannot identify a file that would interest thieves, but Katrina Shanks finds a torn corner of an unfamiliar envelope inside her recovered knapsack. She remembers that one of Eugene's reports had been in an envelope there. The printed copy is now missing.

Eugene realizes that the thieves have erased or stolen every other copy of the same report. It is a computer analysis of statewide educational trends, prepared for the Journal of Education under the guidance of Professor Marcus. Because Marcus requested the Hoggard book and supervised the report, Eugene fears that the professor is the link between both crimes and may be in danger. Marcus dismisses his warning as overdramatic, but after Eugene leaves, the police identify a full handprint found in the hideout.

The print belongs to Martin Franklin Johns, a small-time thief who owns a pickup truck. Quinn arrests him for armed robbery and kidnapping. Soon afterward, Marcus receives an anxious telephone call and orders the caller to stay hidden. His secret connection to the crime is beginning to unravel.

Jenny listens to Johns from behind a two-way mirror. At first she thinks something is missing from his familiar voice. Then he repeatedly inserts “you know” into his sentences, just as one kidnapper had done. She is absolutely certain. Captain Quinn tells her that the men considered her the perfect hostage, but her precise hearing has made her "the perfect witness."

Katrina confirms that the report is gone, and Detective Ethan sets a trap. Eugene visits Marcus and falsely announces that the report has been found in a side pocket of the knapsack. He says it is secure in his room and will be sent to the journal in the morning. Marcus urges him to bring it immediately, but Eugene refuses until he has made backup copies.

Marcus has been hiding the second thief, Russell Kosh, in the next room. Certain Eugene is bluffing, Marcus orders Russell to break into the dormitory and take the report. Russell enters Eugene's darkened room in a ski mask and demands it. When he mentions details only the robbers could know, Ethan and the waiting police reveal themselves. Russell has taken the bait. Marcus is arrested as well and quickly confesses.

The full plan becomes clear. Marcus wants tenure at the college but has not published the substantial academic article required for it. He intends to submit Eugene's brilliant work under his own name. Because Eugene has trusted him and kept the project secret, Marcus believes no one will accept a student's word against a respected professor. He hires Johns and Russell to steal Eugene's laptop and disks, erase the desktop drive, and remove every proof that Eugene wrote the report.

Katrina's printed copy is the remaining danger. The thieves know it is in her knapsack, so they stage a bookstore robbery to conceal their true purpose. They take cash and the valuable book, toss both into the bag, and plan to leave the misleading evidence in a building that will soon be demolished. Holstein's silent alarm forces them to improvise, and they kidnap Jenny to escape.

Their scheme fails because they misjudge everyone. They underestimate Holstein, Odyssey's police, Eugene's attention to detail, and above all Jenny. Her blindness does not make her helpless; the sounds, smells, textures, and speech patterns she remembers guide the investigation at every crucial turn. With Marcus and both thieves caught, Ethan declares the case closed. When she finally asks where to find Whit's End, Jenny takes her hand, and the two walk there together.