elt that I owed it to my husband and my sister to
protect them from scandal at any cost--and I have paid Barker a good deal
of money--"

"I see." Carroll rose. "I want you to understand, Mrs. Lawrence, that you
have helped me tremendously. And to know, also, that I shall probably
succeed in keeping your name out of any disclosures which might have to
be made to the public."

"But if my husband did it--"

"In that event, it will be impossible not to tell."

"And if he didn't do it?"

"Then you will be safe. But," finished the detective seriously, "if your
husband didn't do it--I don't know who did. I have followed every
possible trail and unless guilt can be fastened on either your husband or
Barker, there isn't the faintest shadow of suspicion attached to anyone
else. It will make things very difficult--for me."

During his ride to headquarters Carroll was busy with his thoughts. He
was worried about the possible complicity of Gerald Lawrence in the
shooting of Warren. He was more than halfway convinced that Lawrence
knew a good deal about it--and the obvious method was to order
Lawrence's arrest and make him prove an alibi. But such a procedure was
impossible in view of his determination to protect Naomi's name to the
ultimate moment.

He was greeted at headquarters by a reporter for one of the two evening
papers. The reporter was eager for an interview. There had been an
appalling dearth of local news, and the Warren story had been long since
played beyond the point of public interest. The readers, explained the
reporter, were growing tired of theories and column after column of
conjecture. They wanted a few facts.

Carroll shook his head. "Nothing definite to give out yet."

The reporter was persistent. "You have made no new discoveries at all?"

"Well--I'd hardly say that."

"Then you _have_?"

"Yes," answered Carroll frankly, "I have."

"You think you know who killed Warren?"

Carroll, his mind still busy with Naomi's story, answered casually. "I
believe I do. That is just a belief, mind you. But there is an outside
chance that there will be important developments within the next
twenty-four hours."

"Something definite, eh?"

"If anything at all happens, it will be definite."

Then Carroll excused himself and sought Eric Leverage. Under pledge of
secrecy he told Leverage the entire story as he had heard it from Naomi
Lawrence's lips. When he finished Leverage slammed his hand on the arm of
h