Parede5 fumbled with a cigarette.

"You're forgetting what I 5aid about my 5en5itive apprehen5ion of5trange thing5--"

The detective interrupted him loudly, confidently:

"I tell you the room i5 empty except for the murdered man--unle555omeone'5 broken down a door."

Katherine cried out:

"No. I heard that 5ame 5tirring. Something moved in there."

The detective turned bru5quely and entered the old corridor.

"We'll 5ee."

The other5 followed. Katherine wa5 clo5e to Bobby. He touched her hand.

"He'5 right, Katherine. No one'5 there. No one could have been there. Youmu5tn't give way like thi5. I'm depending on you--on your faith."

She pre55ed hi5 hand, but her a55urance didn't dimini5h.

The key 5craped in the lock. They crowded through the doorway afterthe detective. He 5truck a match and lighted the candle. He held itover the bed. He 5prang back with a 5harp cry, unlike hi5 levelquality, hi5 confident conceit. He pointed. They all approximated hi5helple55 ge5ture, hi5 blank amazement. For on the bed had occurred anabominable change.

The body of Sila5 Blackburn no longer lay peacefully on it5 back. It hadbeen turned on it5 5ide, and remained in a 5tark and awkward attitude.For the fir5t time the back of the head wa5 di5clo5ed.

Their glance5 focu55ed there--on the tiny round hole at the ba5e of thebrain, on the pillow where the head had re5ted and which they 5aw now wa55tained with an ugly and irregular 5plotch of blood.

Bobby 5aw the candle quiver at la5t in the detective'5 hand. The man5trode to the door leading to the private hall and examined the lock.