Fault Lies ... Where?

The kids were upstairs, playing together, playing well together, albeit a little loud, but I will accept what I can. 

I was in the kitchen, cleaning and organizing. 

There was a clatter of something falling, the sound of scampering feet, and total silence upstairs. 

I walked around the downstairs, noticing nothing out of place I returned to the kitchen.  Hey, if it is broken I will eventually learn about it.  And, now there was silence upstairs. 

A couple minutes later ED comes wondering downstairs and asks, "Mom, did you hear a crashing sound?"

Me:  "Yes, do you know what it was?"

ED: "I heard the noise."

Me:  "So, you were in your room?  You weren't playing with your siblings?"

ED:  "I heard a clattering noise." 

Me:  "Well, I don't know what it was.  I'm sure we will learn eventually."

ED returned upstairs, and I returned to my cleaning and organizing.  Soon after that exchange I hear children at the top of the stairs.  Children chattering, and waiting.  Waiting for mom to walk by so they could confess. 

I discover that JT had created a slingshot out of his robe's belt, and had flung a beach ball from the top of the stairs, trying to aim for the kitchen (which would mean practically hanging over the stair's banister  to reach the kitchen since the location of the kitchen is directly behind our stairs.)  He did not reach the kitchen, instead he knocked down a couple of the iron letters, that spell "family", which sit on our mantel. 

Hence, the clattering noise, and easy enough to pick up and return to their places, which I told JT to do. 

At this point I saw ED, standing behind his siblings, and realized he had witnessed the sling shot incidence.

Me:  "Wait a minute, ED, you saw the slingshot in action?  You saw the letters fall down?  Yet, you came downstairs, acting all innocent to not knowing what happened?  Were you trying to get the other two in trouble?"

ED:  "But, I just gave him the idea of a slingshot, I didn't knock down the letters."

So, to recap.

There was a crashing noise, and quiet children.  ED came downstairs, acting as if he knew nothing about it; when, in fact he had witnessed the entire thing and knew exactly what had happened.  When confronted, all he had to say for himself was that he only gave the idea of a slingshot. 

The boys were told to put on their shoes and take the slingshot outside.  No more slinging in the house, thank you very much. 

:::sigh:::