you,
didn't I?" he gloated. "Why, I was checking up on those people who were
at Gresham's, last evening, and they all agreed that young Jarrett and
the Lawrence girl had left the party about ten. So I had a talk with Miss
Lawrence, and she tried to tell me that Jarrett was with her at her
apartment, over the antique shop, from about ten fifteen until about
twelve, when another girl she rooms with got home from a date. I'd of
took that, too, only right across the street from the antique shop there
is one of these old hens like you find in every neighborhood, the kind
that keeps their nose flattened on the window between the curtains,
checking up on the neighbors. I spotted her when I came out of the
antique shop, so I slipped around to see her, and she told me that young
Jarrett went into the apartment with the girl at about quarter past ten,
stayed inside for about twenty minutes, then came out and drove away. She
says Jarrett came back in about half an hour, and stayed till this girl
who shares the Lawrence girl's apartment--a Miss Dupont, who teaches
sixth grade at Thaddeus Stevens School--got home, about twelve. So there
you are."

"Uh-huh. Dave Ritter said this was going to turn into another Hall-Mills
case; well, now you have your Pig Woman," Rand said. "Miss Lawrence
shouldn't have lied to you, Mick. I suppose she got worried when you
started asking questions, and there's nothing like a good murder in the
neighborhood to make liars out of people."

"And damn well I know that!" McKenna agreed. "But that isn't all. It
seems our cruise-car crew spotted Jarrett's car standing in Rivers's
drive, about eleven. Just when he was away from the antique-shop, and
about when the M.E. figures Rivers was getting the business."

"Did they get the number?" Rand asked. "Or how did they identify the
car?"

"Oh, they knew it; see, our boys shoot a lot with the Scott County Rifle
& Pistol Club, and they've all seen Jarrett's car at the range, different
times," McKenna said. "A gray 1947 Plymouth coupe. Like I say, they knew
the car, and they knew Jarrett collects guns, and the lights were on
inside the shop and the shades were drawn, so they didn't think anything
of it, at the time. See, they went to bed about ten this morning, and
didn't get up till after five, so I didn't find out about it till after
supper."

Rand shrugged, and managed to get some of the shrug into his voice. "Can
be, at that," he said. "I hope you're not ma