“All three of ’em.  Mrs. Hull she opened the door a mite an’ saw ’em go up in the elevator.  It moves kinda slow, you know.  The heavy-set young fellow went up first.  Then two-three minutes later the elevator went down an’ the dude an’ the young lady went up.”

Kirby put his foot on the cement bench and rested his forearm on his knee.  The cattleman’s steady eyes were level with those of the unhappy man making the confession.

“Did you at any time hear the sound of a shot?”

“Well, I—­I heard somethin’.  At the time I thought maybe it was a tire in the street blowin’ out.  But come to think of it later we figured it was a shot.”

“You don’t know for sure.”

“Well, come to that I—­I don’t reckon I do.  Not to say for certain sure.”

A tense litheness had passed into the rough rider’s figure.  It was as though every sense were alert to catch and register impressions.

“At what time was it you thought you heard this shot?”

“I dunno, to the minute.”

“Was it before James Cunningham went up in the elevator?  Was it between the time he went up an’ the other two went up?  Or was it after Jack Cunningham an’ Miss Harriman passed on the way up?”

“Seems to me it was—­”

“Hold on.”  Kirby raised a hand in protest.  “I don’t want any guesses.  You know or you don’t.  Which is it?”

“I reckon it was between the time yore cousin James went up an’ the others followed.”

“You reckon?  I’m askin’ for definite information.  A man’s life may hang on this.”  The cattleman’s eyes were ice-cold.

Hull swallowed a lump in his fat throat before he committed himself.  “Well, it was.”

“Was between the two trips of the elevator, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“Your wife heard this sound, too?”

“Yep.  We spoke of it afterward.”

“Do you know anything else that could possibly have had any bearing on my uncle’s death?”

“No, sir.  Honest I don’t.”

Olson shot a question at the man on the grill.  “Did you kill the Jap servant, too, as well as his boss?”

“I didn’t kill either the one or the other, so help me.”

“Do you know anything at all about the Jap’s death?  Did you see anything suspicious going on at any time?” Kirby asked.

“No, sir.  Nothin’ a-tall.”

The rough rider signaled the taxicab, which was circling the lake at the foot of the hill.  Presently it came up the incline and took on its passengers.

“Drive to the Paradox Apartments,” Kirby directed.

He left Hull outside in the cab while he went in to interview his wife.  The lean woman with the forbidding countenance opened the door.

Metaphorically speaking, Kirby landed his knockout instantly.  “I’ve come to see you on serious business, Mrs. Hull.  Your husband has confessed how he did for my uncle.  Unless you tell the whole truth he’s likely to go to the death cell.”