Carroll hesitated a moment before replying. When he did speak it was with obvious reluctance: "I hate to say so, Leverage--because I like Evelyn Rogers and I took an instant liking to both Hazel Gresham and her brother. But there seems to be something wrong about it. I do think that Evelyn Rogers believed she was telling the truth--but I'm not so sure that her dope was accurate. Just where the inaccuracy comes--I haven't the least idea--but I'm not letting my likes and dislikes stand in the way of a sane outlook on the case. I am convinced that both the young Greshams know something more than they have told. As a matter of fact, there isn't a doubt of it--they showed it clearly when they begged me to call off the investigation. We know further that they are intimate with Naomi Lawrence--and we know that either Naomi or her husband--or both--are mixed up in this case. Events dovetail too perfectly for us to ignore the fact that however right Evelyn Rogers may believe she is--she may be wrong!" "And I'm not forgetting, either--" said Leverage grimly, "that Hazel Gresham was engaged to marry Warren!" "No. Nor am I. It's a puzzling combination of circumstances, Leverage: a perfectly knit thing--if we don't--and so now we come to Gerald Lawrence and his wife." Leverage did not take his cue immediately. He sat drumming a heavy tattoo on the tabletop, forehead corrugated in a frown of intensive thought. When he did speak it was in a manner well-nigh abstract-- "Gerald Lawrence probably lied when he said he didn't leave Nashville until the two a.m. train." "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."