“Yes—?”

“The significant fact is this,” explained Carroll—­“when he made the discovery that his alibi was no good—­he was the most surprised person in the room!”

“And you’re thinking,” suggested the Chief, “that if he had actually had a hand in the murder of Warren he would have had an alibi that would have been an alibi?”

“Just about that.  Get me straight, Chief—­I would rather believe Lawrence guilty than any other person—­except perhaps Barker—­with whom I have come in contact since this investigation began.  He has one of the most unpleasant personalities I have ever known.  He is a congenital grouch.  But he told his Nashville story so frankly—­and then became so panicky with surprise when my questioning showed him that his alibi was rotten—­that we must not fasten definitely upon him—­”

“—­Except to be pretty darn sure that he knows more about it than he has told.”

“Yes.  Perhaps.”

“Perhaps.  Ain’t you sure he does?”

“I’m not sure of anything.  I haven’t one single item of information save that regarding the one person whom I would prefer to see left clear.”

“And that is?”

“Mrs. Naomi Lawrence.”

Leverage nodded agreement.  “Things do look pretty tough for her.”

“More so than you think, Eric.”  Carroll designated on his fingers, “Count the facts against her as we know them:  irrespective of their weight or significance.

“First, she is a beautiful woman, twelve years younger than her husband and very unhappy in her domestic life.  Second, she was very friendly with Roland Warren.  Of course, Miss Rogers’ fatuous belief that Warren was crazy about her is pure rot:  he called at that house to see either Gerald or Naomi Lawrence.  We must admit that the chances are the woman was the person in whom he was interested.  Third, in substantiation of that belief we know that he frequently gave her presents.  It doesn’t matter how valuable the presents were—­he gave them.  That proves a certain amount of interest.”

Carroll paused for a brief explanation.  “Mind you, Leverage—­I’m not trying to make out a case against Naomi Lawrence—­I’m only being honest.  To continue—­fourth, we know that in spite of the fact that she is afraid to remain in a house alone at night, she suggested that her sister visit at the home of Hazel Gresham on the night Warren was killed.  Her husband was supposed—­according to his story—­to be in Nashville.  It is absurd to presume that when she let Evelyn go out for the night she expected to remain alone until morning.  Therefore, for the sake of argument, we will assume that she knew her husband would be back that night.  If that is the case—­we are also forced to believe that there was something sinister about it.

“Fifth—­we are fairly positive that she packed a suit-case the morning before the murder, that the suit-case left the house that morning and that two days later it mysteriously reappeared—­”