"Yet," Graham said harshly, "you have had practically no sleep since you came here." Paredes nodded. "Very distressing, isn't it?" "Maybe," Rawlins sneered, "you'll tell us why you went on tiptoe, and I suppose you didn't hear a woman crying in the woods?" "That's just it," Paredes answered. "I did hear something like that, and it occurred to me to follow such a curious sound. So I went on tiptoe, as you call it." "Why," Robinson exclaimed angrily, "you walked in the lake to hide your tracks!" Paredes smiled. "It was very dark. That was chance. Quite silly of me. My feet got wet." "I gather," Rawlins said, "it was chance that took you to the deserted house." Paredes shook his head. "Don't you think I was as much puzzled as the rest by that strange, disappearing light? It was as good a place to walk as any." "Where have you been since?" Graham asked. "When I had got there I was tired," Paredes answered. "Since it wasn't far to the station I thought I'd go on into Smithtown and have a bath and rest. But I assure you I've trudged back from the station just now." Suddenly he repeated the apparently absurd formula he had used with Howells. "You know the court seems full of unfriendly things--what the ignorant would call ghosts. I'm Spanish and I know." After a moment he added: "The woods, too. I shouldn't care to wander through them too much after dark." Robinson stared, but Rawlins brushed the question aside. "What hotel did you go to in Smithtown?" "It's called the 'New.' Nothing could be farther from the fact." "Shall I see if that's straight, sir?" The district attorney agreed, and Rawlins left the room. Paredes laughed. "How interesting! I'm under suspicion. It would be something, wouldn't it, to commit crimes with the devilish ingenuity of these? No, no, Mr. District Attorney, look to the ghosts. They alone are sufficiently clever. But I might say, since you take this attitude, that I don't care to answer any more questions until you discover something that might give you the right to ask them." He lay back on the divan, languidly lighting another cigarette. Graham beckoned Robinson. Bobby followed them out, suspecting Graham's purpose, unwilling that action should be taken too hastily against the Panamanian; for even now guilty knowledge seemed incompatible with Paredes's polished reserve. When he joined the others, indeed, Graham with an aggressive air was demanding the district attorney's intentions. "If he could elude you so easily last night, it's common sense to put him where you can find him in case of need. He's given you excuse enough." "The man's got me guessing," Robinson mused, "but there are other elements." "What's happened since we left?" Graham asked quickly. "Have you got any trace of Howells's evidence?" Robinson smiled enigmatically, but his failure was apparent.