He turned to Anita with a ready smile.
“I’m mighty sorry to keep you so long,” he said. “But it won’t be necessary any longer.” He raised his voice to include the others. “That’s all, thanks. But we’d be obliged if you’d keep away from the hall at the back of the library here.”
Isabelle and her guests arose with a murmur of voices, imitated a moment later by the servants, in silence. Some of these started for the door at the back and Landis called to them: “This way, please!”
The two detectives and the expert stood aside. Anita Harrison swept out first. The others filed out in her wake, the women with celerity, the men more slowly. In a moment they had scattered and vanished, the servants toward the kitchen. Anita and the Grahams went upstairs. Isabelle, Russell and Allen entered the drawing-room.
Of them all, only Anita looked back just before she disappeared toward her room.
CHAPTER XV
“WITHOUT CONSULTING ANYONE”
While the expert examined the armor and then the door for finger-prints, Landis went into the hall and once again sounded the gong. Miss Mount appeared as promptly as before. He asked her to come downstairs for a few minutes. When she consented he returned to the library and posted Sergeant Forbes in the hall to watch Joel Harrison’s door. The policeman he sent back into the reception-room.
When Miss Mount appeared he led her to a chair and sat down facing her. “Sorry to bother you again, Miss Mount. But we want you to verify Allen’s statement as to his quarrel with Mr. Harrison. Did Allen’s disagreement with Harrison involve the question of his marrying Anita?”
Miss Mount relaxed a little.