Page "The Thin Man Goes Home" Paragraph 5

Nick puts the pieces together and has the police bring all the suspects to his father's house.

( Early on, it is revealed that Nick's father, Dr. Bertram Charles, has never been overly impressed with his son's unusual career choice, so this gives Nick an opportunity to change his father's mind.

) Using Dr. Charles's fluoroscope, Nick shows that there is a blueprint hidden underneath the paint.

Several people identify it as part of the specifications for a new aircraft propeller worth a great deal to a " foreign power ".

Berton had copied the blueprints and smuggled them out in five paintings.

He had a change of heart and was going to confess all to Nick, but was killed before he could.

Nick has a souvenir World War II Japanese sniper rifle belonging to Dr. Clayworth's brother brought in, and claims it was the murder weapon.

Then, after proving that the Draques are members of the crime ring, Nick reveals the identity of the leader of the gang: Dr. Bruce Clayworth.

Clayworth's first slip was the bullet he showed Nick.

Nick knew a pistol did not have the power to propel a bullet as far into Berton's body as the real one had.

Clayworth grabs the rifle and, after confessing ( and also revealing a deep hatred for Nick for always being better than him in their youth ), tries to shoot his nemesis, only to find that Nick had taken the precaution of having the firing pin removed.

Nick's father is very impressed.