"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."
"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?"