“Yes.”
“But it is a spring lock. Someone could have gone out and closed it after him.”
“Not this time. The dead-bolt was thrown. It takes a key to do that from the outside or this thumb-turn on the inside.” The hotel man demonstrated the action of the heavy bolt.
“Then, with a duplicate key, a man could have left this room and locked the door behind him.”
“Absolutely not. The floor-clerk was on duty all night. I have questioned her: this room was under her eyes all the time. She saw this man return, saw your man, here”—and he pointed to Delamater—“leave him at the door. There was no person left the room after that.”
“See about the autopsy, Doctor,” the Chief ordered.
And to the manager: “Not a thing here must be touched. Admit only Mr. Delamater and no one else unless he vouches for them.
“Del,” he told the operative, “I’m giving you a chance to make up for last night. Go to it.”
And Robert Delamater “went to it” with all the thoroughness at his command, and with a total lack of result.