“I’d hate to see that,” said Bernard with puzzling sincerity. “It’ll work!”
Landis crossed to the library and after a word to the sergeant to keep silent about it, abstracted a Japanese arrow and put it under his coat, hiding as much of it as possible. They went through the billiard-room and thence to the stairs at the end of the wing without meeting anyone. In the upper hall the policeman had returned to his post outside Graham’s door. He told them that Mrs. Graham had joined her husband but no one else had entered the wing.
Landis stationed the man at the end of the hall where it gave access to the main building, with orders to allow nobody to enter that way. Then Bernard went into Miss Mount’s room, purloined the cross-bow from Joel’s den and returned to the hall with it. They mounted the staircase at the far end to emerge on the third floor of the wing. There was little danger of meeting servants up here so late in the morning and they were satisfied that no one had seen them on the way.
Five minutes later they retraced their steps, Bernard smiling, Landis triumphant. Although the arrow had protruded a good deal beyond the end of the stock when they fitted it to the cross-bow, it shot true, pierced the target and blunted its point on the chimney beyond. That both murderous arrows had been shot from this cross-bow and from Miss Mount’s room seemed established beyond a reasonable doubt.
The policeman on guard at the end of the second-floor hall assured them that no one had tried to pass that way. Bernard restored the cross-bow to Joel’s den while Landis went down the wing stairs and left the arrow with the other exhibits under the care of Sergeant Forbes. He rejoined Bernard outside Graham’s door and ordered the policeman back to his post there.
“There’s just this about it now,” he whispered. “Since both arrows came from that cross-bow, no woman in the house is eliminated as a possible suspect. But—Miss Mount did it!”
Bernard offered no comment whatever.
“Oh, well,” added Landis irritably. “I’m going in to see Graham, now. Are you coming?”
“Of course I am,” Bernard chuckled.
They found Mrs. Graham perched on her husband’s bed, from which she had removed the breakfast tray. She smiled up at them.