FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59  
60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   >>   >|  
y left the room. The innkeeper was waiting patiently in the passage, standing motionless at the head of the staircase, with his head inclining forward, like a marsh heron fishing in a dyke. He hastened towards them. "I noticed a reading-lamp by Mr. Glenthorpe's bedside, Mr. Benson," said Colwyn. "Did he use that as well as the gas?" "He rarely used the gas, sir, though it was put into the room at his request. He found the reading-lamp suited his sight better." "Did he use candles? I saw no candlestick in the room." "He never used candles, sir--only the reading-lamp." "When was the gas-globe smashed? Last night?" "It must have been, sir. Ann says it was quite all right yesterday." "I've got my own idea how that was done," said Galloway, who had been an attentive listener to the innkeeper's replies to Colwyn's questions. "Show the way downstairs to the back door, Mr. Benson." The innkeeper preceded them down the stairs and along the passage to another one, which terminated in a latched door, which he opened. "How was this door fastened last night?" asked Galloway. "By this bolt at the top," said the innkeeper, pointing to it. "There is no key--only this catch." "Is this the only back outlet from the inn?" asked Colwyn. "Yes, sir." At Galloway's suggestion they first went to the side of the inn, in order to examine the ground beneath the windows. The fence enclosing the yard had fallen into disrepair, and had many gaps in it. There were no footprints visible in the red clay of the natural passage-way between the inn wall and the hill, either beneath the window of Ronald's room or Mr. Glenthorpe's window. "The absence of footprints means nothing," said Galloway. "Ronald may have climbed from one room to the other in his stocking feet, and then put on his boots to remove the body. Even if he wore his boots he might have left no marks, if he walked lightly." "I am not so sure of that," said Colwyn. "But what do you make of this?" He pointed to an impression in the red earth underneath Mr. Glenthorpe's window--a line so faint as to be barely noticeable, running outward from the wall for about eighteen inches, with another line about the same length running at right angles from it. Superintendent Galloway examined these two lines closely and then shook his head as though to intimate he could make nothing of them. "What do you think they are?" said Mr. Cromering, turning to Colwyn. "I think
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59  
60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Colwyn
 
Galloway
 
innkeeper
 

reading

 

Glenthorpe

 
passage
 
window
 

beneath

 

running

 

footprints


Ronald

 
Benson
 

candles

 

natural

 
inclining
 

hastened

 

lightly

 

visible

 

walked

 

remove


forward

 

absence

 

climbed

 

stocking

 

fishing

 
examined
 
Superintendent
 

length

 
angles
 

closely


Cromering

 

turning

 

intimate

 

inches

 

eighteen

 
pointed
 

impression

 

standing

 

motionless

 

staircase


underneath

 

patiently

 
waiting
 

outward

 

noticeable

 
barely
 
attentive
 

listener

 

suited

 
replies