etoomuchrespectforyourjudgment,Watson,tothinkthatyouwilldoso—thattheringmayhavebeentakenbeforethemanwaskilled.Thefactthatthecandlehadbeenlitonlyashorttimeshowsthattherehadbeennolengthyinterview.WasDouglas,fromwhatwehearofhisfearlesscharacter,amanwhowouldbelikelytogiveuphisweddingringatsuchshortnotice,orcouldweconceiveofhisgivingitupatall?No,no,Watson,theassassinwasalonewiththedeadmanforsometimewiththelamplit.OfthatIhavenodoubtatall.
“Butthegunshotwasapparentlythecauseofdeath.Thereforetheshotmusthavebeenfiredsometimeearlierthanwearetold.Buttherecouldbenomistakeaboutsuchamatterasthat.Weareinthepresence,therefore,ofadeliberateconspiracyuponthepartofthetwopeoplewhoheardthegunshot—ofthemanBarkerandofthewomanDouglas.WhenonthetopofthisIamabletoshowthatthebloodmarkonthewindowsillwasdeliberatelyplacedtherebyBarker,inordertogiveafalsecluetothepolice,youwilladmitthatthecasegrowsdarkagainsthim.
“Nowwehavetoaskourselvesatwhathourthemurderactuallydidoccur.Uptohalf-pasttentheservantsweremovingaboutthehousesoitwascertainlynotbeforethattime.AtaquartertoeleventheyhadallgonetotheirroomswiththeexceptionofAmes,whowasinthepantry.Ihavebeentryingsomeexperimentsafteryouleftusthisafternoon,andIfindthatnonoisewhichMacDonaldcanmakeinthestudycanpenetratetomeinthepantrywhenthedoorsareallshut.
“Itisotherwise,however,fromthehousekeeper'sroom.Itisnotsofardownthecorridor,andfromitIcouldvaguelyhearavoicewhenitwasveryloudlyraised.Thesoundfromashotgunistosomeextentmuffledwhenthedischargeisatverycloserange,asitundoubtedlywasinthisinstance.Itwouldnotbeveryloud,andyetinthesilenceofthenightitshouldhaveeasilypenetratedtoMrs.Allen'sroom.Sheis,asshehastoldus,somewhatdeafbutnonethelessshementionedinherevidencethatshedidhearsomethinglikeadoorslamminghalfanhourbeforethealarmwasgiven.Halfanhourbeforethealarmwasgivenwouldbeaquartertoeleven.Ihavenodoubtthatwhatsheheardwasthereportofthegun,andthatthiswastherealinstantofthemurder.
“Ifthisisso,wehavenowtodeterminewhatBarkerandMrs.Douglas,presumingthattheyarenottheactualmurderers,couldhavebeendoingfromquartertoeleven,whenthesoundoftheshotbroughtthemdo