Bernard laughed.
“Landis had fallen for your evidence against Miss Mount and you knew it. You also knew that he had not heard my theory and was still waiting to hear it. If I were killed he never would hear it. You were going to hide the gloves. When he got up here, you’d be back in your bed with your door locked and the gloves would have mysteriously disappeared. There would be no evidence, probably no suspicion against you. Landis could only conclude that the arrow had swerved and your considerate warning was justified. You’d be where you were before I began to suspect you in earnest. That’s the story. The game’s up, Graham!”
The young lawyer started as though fully realizing his position for the first time. Into his eyes, dazed with terror, crept an expression of dreadful certainty. He stared slowly from face to face of his four captors. The two policemen looked puzzled but determined. Bernard’s face was adamant. On the features of Landis alone was there any trace of pity. But Graham read conviction there, too. It was the pity of the living for a man already condemned to death—
Once more he looked at Bernard, staring at him attentively. In the brief silence, the others could hear the catch and sigh of his hurried breathing. They saw that he had begun to tremble. At length he spoke, his voice almost calm, although it shook a little.
“Bernard,” he said, “you’ve woven about me a web of damnably clever circumstantial evidence. For the sake of—of my wife, will you give me one chance to prove you wrong before you charge me with this thing?”
Frowning a little, Bernard returned the stare of his victim. Slowly his brows cleared and he nodded.
“Yes. For the sake of your wife, Graham.”
“Then wind up the cross-bow, get me an arrow from Joel’s den—any arrow—and I’ll prove to you that I couldn’t have shot Harrison!”
Unsmiling, Bernard moved to the desk and complied by winding up the bow. He opened the bathroom door, lifted the black thread and slipping under it, disappeared into the room beyond. After a moment he returned with an arrow. He closed the bathroom door behind him and laid the arrow on the desk, looping the thread over the bathroom doorknob again.
“Your proof, Graham!” he directed quietly.