Expression: "...short of murder"

[Tom]

Hi

Could you please tell me if I am right in my understanding of the following lines?

"The agency handled divorce, parents's problems, blackmail, extortion, and pretty near everything, short of murder."

Tom's explanation:
The company handled almost every serious case other than murder.(If I am right, then there should be no comma between everything and short, I think.Because everything short of murder is one phrase.)

Tom

[Yankee]

Hi Tom

I agree with your interpretation and your displeasure with the comma.

Amy

[Jamie (K)]

It could go with or without the comma, depending on the writer's intention.

"The agency handled divorce, parents' problems, blackmail, extortion, and pretty near everything short of murder."
Without the comma, it's a straightforward statement.

"The agency handled divorce, parents' problems, blackmail, extortion, and pretty near everything, short of murder."
With the comma, the phrase "short of murder" is added as a stressed afterthought. When I see that comma, my immediate thought is, "Uh-oh, but in this story they are going to have to handle a murder case."

The phrase can be emphasized even more:

"The agency handled divorce, parents' problems, blackmail, extortion, and pretty near everything -- short of murder."

Or it can be written this way:

"The agency handled divorce, parents' problems, blackmail, extortion, and pretty near everything -- everything short of murder, that is."