“Not at all, Mr. Landis! One can only admire a man for doing his duty!” He drew Harrison’s chair to the desk and sat down.
“Thanks,” replied Landis as he joined the others. They passed into the front hall, leaving Brent drumming with his fingers on the edge of the teakwood monstrosity, his eyes lowered.
Miss Mount led the way toward the swing door at the back of the hall. Bernard fell behind the others and waited for Landis to join him, then jerked his head toward the library door. Landis turned and moved back the way he had come, his feet making no sound on the deep hall carpet. When he reached the doorway he took one quick glance around the edge of it. Brent was going methodically through the file of unanswered letters.
Smiling at his own expense, Landis retraced his steps and overtook the others in the billiard-room, where Russell and Allen were still playing a leisurely game.
They passed through the arch into the hall of the wing. Here Bernard turned to Miss Mount.
“Are these near bedrooms unlocked?” he demanded.
“Certainly. Do you wish to inspect them?”
“Wouldn’t mind,” grunted Bernard.
Miss Mount opened the nearest door on their left and pressed the switch just inside. Bernard crossed a corner of the lighted room to the bathroom door, tried it and found it locked, the key under his hand. He turned this and the door opened. The bathroom, used by Allen, was cluttered with discarded underwear and damp towels.
Bernard relocked the door, switched out the light and crossed the hall, where he found the corresponding bathroom door locked on the near side and unbolted on the bathroom side. Russell’s bathroom, also obviously used that evening, was in worse confusion than the other.