Chapter Four

"I'm telling you, I WASN'T THERE!"Philip protested. He standing in a stall and leaning on a rake while Barbara stood in the doorway.

"You and Lucy are telling me two different stories," said Barbara. "Who's telling the truth?"

Philip went back to raking out the stall.

"Are you hiding something?" Barbara pressed on.

"No."

"My interest is in Midnight Dancer," said Barbara. "I want to know what happened that night."

Philip stopped raking and glared at Barbara. "You wanna know the truth?" he said, exasperated. "OK, I WAS there that night."

"Why did you lie to me?" Barbara asked.

Philip glanced around nervously. "If Old Man Babington ever found out that I slept with his daughter just before her wedding day, guy would have my ass in a sling!"

Barbara's eyebrows shot upwards. "WEDDING day?!" she exclaimed. She shook her head in confusion. "Start over." Barbara paused. "Tom told me you two had broken up."

"It wasn't by choice," said Philip bitterly. "He had arranged for her to marry another man."

"An arranged marriage," said Barbara. "I didn't think they still did that anymore." Barbara paused. "Go on…"

"Guy's from Kentucky," Philip continued. "Old money, bloodlines…" Philip paused. "Place produced a couple of Derby winners."

"Interesting," said Barbara. "What happened that night?"

"I tapped on Lucy's bedroom window," said Philip. "She crawled out and we went over to the tool shed." Philip paused. "You know how it is … one thing led to another and…"

"I know…" said Barbara. "Go on."

"She fell asleep," said Philip. "I didn't wanna wake her … so I left before anyone spotted me."

"I see," said Barbara. "Did the dog bark at all?"

"No," said Philip. "I didn't hear anything."

"You went straight from the tool shed to your truck?"

"Yeah," said Philip. "I'm tellin' ya', I didn't do it!"

"About the arranged marriage," said Barbara. "Has LUCY no say in this?"

"Whatever Tom Babington wants, Tom Babington GETS," said Philip, shrugging his shoulders. "THAT is the truth."

"I see," said Barbara. "Thank you for your time."

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Encrypted Journal Entry -- Barbara Gordon

March 16th

According to the police report, there was no sign of forced entry. No tool marks, no hair or fiber samples ... nothing.

Payroll records indicate that Lucy, Tom, and Flora Babington were the only people on the grounds at the time of the incident. No trainers, grooms, stablehands, etc. were present.

Midnight Dancer hasn't had the greatest of careers. He's never won a race (Sixth here, eighth there, tenth there ... but NEVER in the Top Three.)

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"There's something I don't understand," said Dinah later on that day in the Clocktower.

"What?" Barbara replied.

"Why didn't the dog bark?" Dinah paused. "I mean, he's a guard dog. You'd think he would've."

The dog didn't bark, Barbara thought as she turned the clue over in her mind. The dog didn't bark. At long last, she said, "I know who bludgeoned Midnight Dancer."