“That’s impossible to say,” said the inspector, with the air of one closing the subject. “We don’t in the least know what Mr. Stanworth did last night. He might have gone out and posted a letter or two before he shot himself; and unless anyone happened to see him we could never know whether he did or not. Now I take it, sir,” he added, turning to Major Jefferson, “that Mr. Stanworth was a rather brusque, decisive sort of man?” Jefferson considered. “Decisive, certainly. But I don’t know whether you would call him brusque exactly. Why?” “The wording of this statement. It’s a bit—well, out of the ordinary, isn’t it?” “It’s quite typical,” said Jefferson shortly. “It is? That’s what I’m getting at. Now have you any idea at all as to the reasons he hints at?” “Not in the least. I’m absolutely in the dark.” “Ah! Well, perhaps Lady Stanworth will be able to throw some light on that point later.” He strolled over to the door and began to examine the lock. Roger drew Alec aside. “You know, this is jolly interesting, this business,” he murmured. “I’ve never seen the police at work before. But the story books are all wrong. This man isn’t a fool by any means; very far from it. He caught me out properly over that typing; and twice at that. Perfectly obvious points when they’re mentioned, of course; and I can’t think why they didn’t occur to me. That’s the trouble with an _idée fixe_; you can’t see beyond it, or even round it. Hullo; he’s trying the windows now.” The inspector had crossed the room and was testing the fastenings of the French windows. “You said all these were fastened when you got in as well as the door, sir?” he remarked to Jefferson. “Yes. But Mr. Sheringham can answer for that better than I. He opened them.” The inspector flashed a quick glance at Roger. “And they were all securely fastened?” “Absolutely,” said Roger with conviction. “I remember commenting on it at the time.” “Why did you open them, sir?” “To let some air into the place. It smelt of death, if you know what I mean.” The inspector nodded as if the explanation satisfied him, and at the same moment the front door bell rang. “I expect that’s the doctor,” Jefferson remarked, moving towards the door. “I’ll go and see.” “That man’s badly on the jump,” Roger commented to himself. Aloud he took the opportunity of remarking, “I dare say you’ll find some private papers in that safe which may throw some light on the business.” Roger badly wanted to know what was inside that safe. And what wasn’t! “Safe, sir?” said the inspector sharply. “What safe?” Roger pointed out where the safe stood. “I understand that Mr. Stanworth always carried it about with him,” he remarked casually. “That seems to point to the fact of there being something helpful inside, I should say.”