“What did you see?” Scudder asked.

“I saw something above me,” she said, “something hanging over the rail of the boat deck.”

“Did you see what this was?”

“At first I saw it as a vague object. I didn’t have my eyes focused on it. I had an impression of—”

“Never mind your first impression,” Scudder said. “You did focus your eyes on the object, didn’t you, Miss Street?”

“As nearly as I could, under the circumstances. As I looked up, I was looking directly into the rain. The drops flooded my eyes.”

“But you did see something. What was it?”

“It was a man,” Della Street said, avoiding Mason’s eyes.

“And was this man hanging to the rail?”

“I couldn’t see.”