In a moment he had made up his mind. Leaving the corpse exactly where it lay, he withdrew downstairs to the dining-room, asking the people around to accompany him.
He shut the dining-room door and began to interrogate Raymond.
“How many people slept in the house last night?”
“Sir Anthony, sir, myself, the secretary, Mr Folgam, Leloir and the servants.” Then, answering the questions of the detective, he told nearly all that we know.
As he was finishing, the door opened, and Mr Folgam came in; divining the presence of the law he introduced himself, and told of the cry he had heard and of how he had met Sir Anthony dressed, apparently, for going out.
“In what state was the front door this morning,” asked Freyberger of Raymond.
“The chain was undone, sir, all the bolts drawn, and the door held only by the latch.”
“Had Sir Anthony any valuables in the house?”
“His jewels, sir, in the big Morocco case he always carries about with him travelling; he keeps papers in it, but there are some very valuable jewels.”
“Where is the case?”