"Then why," barked the detective, "did you make the blunt statement that Mrs. Lawrence killed Warren?" "Because," said Barker simply, "I believe she did." "How could she have killed him? When and how?" "That's easy," explained Barker quietly. "If I'm right in thinkin' that they was goin' to call off the elopement--they could have seen that taxi standin' against the curb and he could have got in without bein' seen. It was awful dark where the taxi was standin' an' the driver says himself that he was over in the restaurant gettin' warm. So what I thought right away was that Warren got in the taxi, an' she called it. That was so they wouldn't be seen gettin' in together at that time of night. Then I thought they drove off. And then--" "Yes--and then?" "It was while they were alone together in that taxi, that she killed him!" CHAPTER XIX LABYRINTH Long after William Barker left the room--held in custody under special guard--David Carroll and Chief of Police Eric Leverage maintained a thoughtful silence. Leverage wanted to talk--but refused to be the first to broach the subject which each knew was uppermost in the mind of the other. And it was Carroll who spoke first-- "Well, Eric," he said dully, "you called the turn that time." "Reckon I did, David." "It looks mighty bad for Mrs. Lawrence--mighty bad." He hesitated. "I wonder whether Barker told the truth when he said he had been calling on Mrs. Lawrence to apply for a job?" "Why not?" "Because when valets or butlers apply for domestic positions they don't go to the front door, and Barker did on both occasions he visited that house. No, Leverage--I don't think he told the truth there." "Then what _was_ he doing at the house?" "Mmm! Just struck me, Eric--that he may have been trying a little private blackmail." Leverage arched his eyebrows: "On Mrs. Lawrence?" "Yes--on Mrs. Lawrence. You see, it's this way: according to Barker's own story he knew everything which transpired at the station. If we believe what he told us, and if he is correct in his belief that Mrs. Lawrence did the killing, then we know he is the only person who--until now--had any knowledge of the identity of the woman in the taxicab. That being the case, and Barker being obviously not a high type of man, it is certainly not unreasonable to presume that he was capitalizing his information." "Seems plausible," grunted Leverage. "But where does it get us?" "Just this far," explained Carroll. "Unless Barker was applying for a position at the Lawrences--where they not only do not employ a male servant, but have never employed one--he was not seeking employment anywhere. He has been taking life pretty easy, all of which is indicative of a supply of money from outside. And I fancy that Mrs. Lawrence would pay a pretty fancy price to have her name left out of this rotten scandal." Leverage held Carroll with his eyes: "Do you believe Barker's story, David?" "Believe it? Why, yes. Most of it anyway."