"Rowan, the butler?" I said.
"That's right."
"How long has he been in your family?"
"I can't remember when he hasn't been."
"He saw the actual shooting, as the papers say?"
"Not the firing of the shots. Father was down when Rowan arrived at the top of the stairs; but Jerry wasn't gone. Rowan saw him plainly. That's one of the surest things."
"What is?"
"That Jerry showed himself; he made no effort either to hide when father came down or to get away immediately afterwards."
"Where was Thurston when he saw Jerry?"
"He'd just come in from the wing through that door."
"He shot at Jerry, they say."
"Yes; and missed. Jerry fired once at him and grazed him. Then Jerry got out."
Fred and I looked each other over thinking, "Jerry didn't do that but it is no use telling you so."
Fred said to me, "You ran into Shirley last night."
I admitted it.
He went on. "After you'd had me to lunch
