After a long and keen search all over the room, he rose to his feet.
“There are three sets of marks,” he said.
“Here are one lot walking up and down and crossing frequently. Number two was sitting down here, it is quite a different type of boot, or rather shoe, I think, and here are the marks which I rather fancy are my own when I stepped to lay the rug.”
He removed his shoe and placed it on the mark.
“That’s right,” he said. “It shows how careful one has to be. If you and I and the doctor had all walked over the carpet we should have obliterated the others....
“Now which of these is the dead man’s?”
Sinclair was hardened in criminal matters, and without compunction removed one of the dead man’s boots.
“Exactly,” said Collins, fitting it to a mark on the floor. “That’s that. He was the one who walked about the room. How does that fit in with the idea of him being shot when asleep?”
“No theories yet,” said Sinclair.
“Right you are. That’s the floor. Now the windows. Firmly fastened. Anything curious there?”