"Sit down," he said sullenly. "I'll tell you all I know."
Naball resumed his seat, lighted a fresh cigarette, and prepared to listen.
"I was rather drunk on the night of the murder," he said, "but not so bad as Stewart thought me. He saw me at the shop-door at two o'clock, but I was there a quarter of an hour before."
"Did you see anything?"
"I saw the gate which led into the alley open," replied Villiers. "No one was about, so I walked in."
"What for?" asked Naball, glancing at him keenly.
"Oh, nothing," replied Villiers indifferently; "the fact was, I saw a policeman coming along, and though I was pretty drunk, I'd sense enough to know I might be run in, so I went into the alley and closed the gate till he passed."
"And then you came out."
"No, I didn't. I walked to the back of the house just to see where it led to. I saw the window wide open, and looked in and saw--"
"The murdered man?"