"If someone had pulled the cord of the lamp would you have been able to see that person?" he persisted.
"Yes, for I turned toward the table the minute the light went on. There was no one there—except Phil—and myself," she said low.
"Point to investigate," he muttered, making a note in a small black book. "Memo: How was the light turned on?
"Now, Mrs. Darwin, please go back in your mind to the moment when you heard the shot. What part of the room did it appear to come from?" he continued.
"I—I'm afraid I couldn't say."
"Did it sound very close to you, or far away?" he prompted.
"Quite close. It was deafening," she said.
"Did it sound in front or behind you?" he continued, patiently.
"Behind, I think."
He nodded. "You say you trod on the pistol as you moved forward. You did not hear it fall near you, for instance?"