"Jealous? Maybe. I ain't sayin' she wasn't. Of course, she must have heard a good many things about him and other women; and when a woman gets downright jealous there ain't much sayin' what she wouldn't do. Not that I'm sayin' Miss Gresham croaked him. I ain't sayin' nothin' positive; but if you're askin' me who he'd most naturally elope with, why I'd say it was the girl he was engaged to marry. If he wasn't going to marry her, what did he ever get engaged to her for?"
Carroll nodded.
"Certainly sounds reasonable." He paused, and then: "Where were you about midnight last night?"
"I was"—Barker's figure stiffened defensively, and his eyebrows drew down over the deep-set eyes—"I was just shootin' some pool."
"Shooting pool?"
"Un-huh!"
"Where?"
"At Kelly's place."
"Where is that?"
The man hesitated, flushed, and then, somewhat sullenly: