"Brilliant!" he said. "Brilliant, my boy! — Well, yes. Dense as I am, the coincidence gradually begins to obtrude itself. What then?"
Sir Benjamin was not amused. He folded his arms.
"I think, gentlemen," he announced, seeming to address everybody, "that we shall get forrader in this investigation if we acknowledge that I am, after all, the chief constable, and that I have been at considerable trouble to take over―"
"Tut! I know it. I didn't mean anything." Dr. Fell chewed his moustache to keep back a grin. "It was your infernally solemn way of saying the obvious, that's all. You'll be a statesman yet, son. Pray go on."
"With your permission," conceded the chief constable. He tried to retain his schoolmaster's air; but a smile crept up his speckled face. He rubbed his nose amiably, and then went on with earnestness: "No, see here now. You were all sitting on the lawn watching this window, weren't you? You'd have seen anything untoward that happened up here, certainly — a struggle, or the light knock over, or something. Eh? You'd certainly have heard a cry."
"Very probably."
"And there wasn't any struggle. Look where young Starberth was sitting. He could see the only door in the room; it's exceedingly likely he had it locked, too, if he was as nervous as you say. Even if a murderer could have got into the room first, there was no place for him to hide — unless — Hold on! That wardrobe… " -
He strode across and opened the doors, disturbing thick dust.
"That's no good, either. Nothing but dust, mouldy clothes… I say, here's one of your frogged greatcoats with the beaver collars; George IV style — spiders!" Closing the doors with a slam, he turned back. "Nobody hid there, I'll swear. And there was no place else. In other words, young Starberth couldn't have been taken by surprise, without fight or at least outcry…. Now, then, how do you know the murderer didn't come in here after young Starberth had fallen from the balcony?"
"What the devil are you talking about?"