“No, we have a patch in a corner of the vegetable garden.”

“Did you hear the shots that killed crows?”

“Yes, I did. And I heard the third shot, the — the last one. Faintly, but I heard it. Of course I thought it was only my brother still trying to get the hawk, but I’m nervous about guns and I don’t like the sound no matter what is being shot. The third shot was a little before five o’clock. I quit picking raspberries and went to the arbor for some grape leaves, and when I got to the house it was ten after five.”

“I understand that Titus Ames corroborates that — the time of the third shot.”

June nodded. “He was in the barn milking.”

“Yes. There seems to have been a great variety of activity around there. Now, Mrs. Dunn, if I asked you a lot of questions would it do me any good?”

“I don’t know. I’m certainly willing to answer them.”

“Do you know of anything that would help me?”

“No. I know a great many things about my brother, his character and personality, and his relations with us and other people, but nothing that I think would help you find his murderer.”

“We’ll have to talk it over. Not now; I’ll see the others first — By the way, Mr. Dunn, I want to send a man up to your place in the country. May I have a note to Titus Ames, telling him to let my man look around, and to answer questions if he asks any? The name is Fred Durkin.”