“But you are sure you could have heard your nephew if he had gone out of his place last night after——” “But I didn’t go out!” declared Bates. “You’re absurd to imply that I did, unless you have some reason on which to base your accusation!” “We have to locate you before we can go further, Mr Bates,” insisted Gibbs, who had assumed leadership, while Corson sat, with folded arms, taking in anything he found to notice. And Corson, though lacking in initiative, was a close observer, and he saw a lot that would have escaped his notice had he been obliged to carry on the inquiry. “Let’s try it,” Corson said, suddenly. “Go into your room, please, Miss Prall, and shut the door, and see if you can hear me go out.” “Of course I can!” and with a determined air, Miss Prall went into her room and closed the door quite audibly. Lifting his finger with a gesture of admonition, Corson made every one sit perfectly still and without speaking for about two minutes. Then, rising himself, he opened Miss Prall’s door and bade her come out. “Now,” he said, “I admit I made as little noise as possible, but did you hear me go out of the front door?” “Of course I did!” declared the spinster, haughtily. “I heard you tiptoe to the door, open it stealthily and close it the same way.” She looked calmly about, and then seeing the consternation on the faces of Richard and Eliza and the amused satisfaction on the countenances of the detectives, she saw she had made a false step, and became irate. “What is it?” she began, but Richard interrupted her. “Don’t say a word, Auntie,” he begged; “you see gentlemen, Miss Prall is a little sensitive about her slight deafness, and sometimes she imagines sounds that are not real.” “I’m not deaf!” Letitia cried, but Eliza interposed: “Do hush, Letitia. You only make matters worse! Will you be quiet?” The tone more than the words caused Miss Prall to drop the subject, and Gibbs proceeded. “Now, you see, Mr Bates, we can’t accept your aunt’s testimony that you didn’t leave your room last night.” “I didn’t ask you to,” retorted Richard; “nor do I need it. I tell you I was in bed by or before midnight, and did not leave my bed until I was summoned by Bob Moore after the tragedy had occurred. Now, unless you have some definite and sufficient reason to suspect me of falsehood, I have no need to bring any proof of my assertion.” “That’s so, Gibbs,” said Corson, meditatively. “There’s no reason, I know of, to inquire into Mr Bates’ doings.” “There’s reason to inquire into the doings of everybody who had the slightest connection with this matter,” said Gibbs severely. “But unless there’s a doubt, we needn’t yet ask for proof of their words.” He glared at Miss Prall, with the evident implication that he might feel a doubt of her word.