was convinced that you were unconnected with the crime. You have forced
my hand. You have driven me to methods which I abhor--"

"You haven't a thing on me," said Lawrence and his tone had degenerated
into a half whine. "You can't scare me a little bit. I've got an alibi--"

"Certainly you have. So, too, have a good many men who have eventually
been proven guilty."

Lawrence rose nervously and paced the room. "You asked me a little while
ago if I was in this city at the hour when the crime was committed. I
answered that it was for me to know and you to find out. I'll answer
direct now--just to stop this absurd suspicion which has been directed
against me: I was _not_ in the city at that hour--or within six hours of
midnight. I was in Nashville."

"At what hotel?"

"At the--" Lawrence paused. "Matter of fact, I wasn't at any hotel."

"You had registered at the Hermitage, hadn't you?"

"Yes, but--"

"When did you check out?" Carroll's voice was snapping out with staccato
insistence.

"About four o'clock in the afternoon."

"Where did you go? Where did you spend the night?"

Lawrence shook his head helplessly. "I'll be honest, Carroll--I took
several drinks--"

"Alone?"

"Yes. And at two o'clock in the morning when my train left I was at the
station. I don't know what I did in the meantime--I don't remember
anything much about anything."

"In other words," said Carroll coldly, "You have no alibi except your
own word. On the other hand we know that you checked out of the Hermitage
Hotel in Nashville at four o'clock. You could have caught the 4:25 train
and reached this city at ten minutes after eleven o'clock. You have not
the slightest proof that you didn't."

"I--I came down on the train which left there a little after two in
the morning."

"Prove it."

There was a hunted look about Lawrence. "I can't prove it--a man can't
prove that he came on a certain train--"

"Was there nobody on board who knew you?"

"I--don't know. I was feeling badly when I got in--the berths were all
made up--I went right to sleep and when the porter woke me we were in the
yards. I dressed and came right home."

"And yet--" Carroll was merciless "--you have no substantiation for your
statements." He switched his line of attack suddenly: "What made you
think I was coming here to discuss Roland Warren's death?"

It was plain that Lawrence did not want to answer--yet there was
something in Carroll's mesmeric eyes which wr