“They both acted mighty peculiarly,” agreed Carroll. “One of them, I’m sure, knows something about that case—has some inside dope on it. And the one who knew has told the other one—the affection between them is something pretty to look at, Leverage.”
“You think one of them is in on the know?”
“Yes, I think so. And I think that their information touches someone pretty close to them. That’s obviously why they pleaded so hard with me to call off the investigation.”
“M-m-m—They’re pretty good friends to the Lawrences, aren’t they!”
“Yes—with Naomi Lawrence, anyway. I don’t believe Gerald Lawrence is especially friendly with anyone. But the Greshams and Mrs. Lawrence are pretty intimate.”
“And you believe that the alibi Miss Rogers established for Hazel Gresham is good?”
Carroll hesitated a moment before replying. When he did speak it was with obvious reluctance: “I hate to say so, Leverage—because I like Evelyn Rogers and I took an instant liking to both Hazel Gresham and her brother. But there seems to be something wrong about it. I do think that Evelyn Rogers believed she was telling the truth—but I’m not so sure that her dope was accurate. Just where the inaccuracy comes—I haven’t the least idea—but I’m not letting my likes and dislikes stand in the way of a sane outlook on the case. I am convinced that both the young Greshams know something more than they have told. As a matter of fact, there isn’t a doubt of it—they showed it clearly when they begged me to call off the investigation. We know further that they are intimate with Naomi Lawrence—and we know that either Naomi or her husband—or both—are mixed up in this case. Events dovetail too perfectly for us to ignore the fact that however right Evelyn Rogers may believe she is—she may be wrong!”
“And I’m not forgetting, either—” said Leverage grimly, “that Hazel Gresham was engaged to marry Warren!”
“No. Nor am I. It’s a puzzling combination of circumstances, Leverage: a perfectly knit thing—if we don’t—and so now we come to Gerald Lawrence and his wife.”
Leverage did not take his cue immediately. He sat drumming a heavy tattoo on the tabletop, forehead corrugated in a frown of intensive thought. When he did speak it was in a manner well-nigh abstract—
“Gerald Lawrence probably lied when he said he didn’t leave Nashville until the two a.m. train.”
“He may have. One thing which impressed me about Lawrence was this, Leverage—when the man started bucking me he thought he had a perfect alibi. He was supremely confident that I was going to be completely nonplussed. It was only after I had questioned him closely that he realized his alibi was no alibi at all. He realized he couldn’t prove where he was at the time the murder was committed—that for all the evidence he could adduce he might have been right here in this city.”