‘He did,’ said the doctor. ‘He apparently stood in front of the mirror, took aim, and blew out his brains. There are powder-burns all around the wound.’
Learning that none of the maids or any of the other guests were on the floor at the time, Fordney advised the police to hold Pollert on suspicion of murder.
56
A Murderer’s Mistake
‘Look, Professor! That’s how the murderer got in, all right,’ said Tracy.
As Fordney walked over to the ladder standing two feet from the back of the house, he knelt down and carefully studied the heavy footprints around it.
‘Whose room is that?’ he inquired, pointing to a second-story window against which the top of the thirty-foot ladder rested.
‘That’s Uncle’s study,’ replied Tracy.
Going into the house, Fordney first questioned Withers, who had discovered the body of Lane, Tracy’s uncle.
‘I was reading in my room,’ he said. ‘About two o’clock I heard a noise, so I armed myself and crept out into the hall. Then I heard it again, apparently in the study, so I stole down the corridor, opened the door, and rushed in. I turned on the lights, ran over to the open window, looked out, and saw a man scurry down the ladder, jump off, and run. I fired twice, but evidently missed him,’ he concluded.