When they reached the lower hall, Bernard went to the library door and looked in. At the far end the faithful sergeant stood on guard. Otherwise the room was deserted.
Landis paused at the foot of the stairs, pulling at his lip in a brown study. Presently an instinct of blind reconnoitering led him to the drawing-room door. Though flooded with light the room had no occupant.
He crossed the hall to find Bernard brooding in front of the library fire. Landis passed on to the end of the room and across the lateral hall to the billiard-room. It was in darkness. Switching on the lights he found it untenanted.
Returning to the library he noticed that, as on Saturday night, the shades had not been drawn down and the windows were still lowered a foot or so from the top. Through the nearest window he could see that Russell’s room was dark. Closer at hand but on the second floor, Miss Mount’s drawn shade revealed a light in her room. He moved nearer the library window and craned his head sideways. All three front windows on the top floor of the wing showed lights. Evidently Helen and Susan had retired to the suite they shared.
Landis had already noticed a push-button on Harrison’s desk. Still in a mood for experiment, he pressed it and caught, in the quiet house, the sound of a distant buzzer somewhere at the back. Rather to his surprise he next heard the muffled impact of a swing door closing. Stimson appeared in the hall doorway, an expression of polite inquiry on his dark, imperturbable visage.
“You rang, sir?”
“Yes, Stimson. Where is everybody, do you know?”
“Miss Mount and Mr. Joel are in their rooms, I believe. The young ladies have gone for a drive in their cars with Mr. Allen and Mr. Russell. The—”
“Oh, they have, have they?” demanded Bernard.
“Yes, sir. The house is not exactly inviting at the present time. Did you wish us all to remain indoors?” His question was addressed to Landis.