“What questions?”
“Who are you and how do you figure in this business?” Nick repeated. “Why were you concealed in that room?”
“That isn’t a room,” said Conroy, with a jerk of his thumb toward the door through which he had entered. “That door leads into the rear hall and out to the kitchen.”
“Why were you concealed there, then?”
“I wasn’t concealed there. I only happened to be there,” Conroy coolly asserted. “Kate Crandall did not know I was in the house. Nor was I, in fact, until after you had entered.”
“Well?”
“I heard your voices when I came through the rear yard from the side street. Not knowing yours and being a bit jealous of Kate, I entered noiselessly and listened in the rear hall. That’s all there was to it,” added Conroy. “I heard most that you have said, Carter, and you’re dead wrong.”
“You really think so, do you?”
“I know so, Carter.”
“Dead wrong in what respect?” questioned Nick tentatively.