I had taken it for granted that the man was a native, but of course when I came to think of it, I was really going by the cut of his clothes and the yellowness of his skin.
Father Lavigny declared his intention of going round outside the house to the place where Mrs Leidner and I had seen the man standing.
You never know, he might have dropped something.
In the detective stories the criminal always does.
I expect in real life criminals are more careful, I said.
I fetched some socks I had just finished darning and put them on the table in the living-room for the men to sort out when they came in, and then, as there was nothing much more to do, I went up on the roof.
Miss Johnson was standing there but she didnt hear me.
I got right up to her before she noticed me.
But long before that Id seen that there was something very wrong.
She was standing in the middle of the roof staring straight in front of her, and there was the most awful look on her face.
As though shed seen something she couldnt possibly believe.
It gave me quite a shock.
Mind you, Id seen her upset the other evening, but this was quite different.
My dear, I said, hurrying to her, whatevers the matter?
She turned her head at that and stood looking at me almost as if she didnt see me.
What is it? I persisted.
She made a queer sort of grimace as though she were trying to swallow but her throat were too dry.
She said hoarsely: Ive just seen something.
What have you seen?
Tell me.
Whatever can it be? You look all in.
She gave an effort to pull herself together, but she still looked pretty dreadful.
She said, still in that same dreadful choked voice: Ive seen how someone could come in from outside and no one would ever guess.
I followed the direction of her eyes but I couldnt see anything.
Mr Reiter was standing in the door of the photographic-room and Father Lavigny was just crossing the courtyard but there was nothing else.
I turned back puzzled and found her eyes fixed on mine with the strangest expression in them.
Really, I said, I dont see what you mean.
Wont you explain?
But she shook her head.
Not now.
Later.
We ought to have seen.
Oh, we ought to have seen!
If youd only tell me But she shook her head.
Ive got to think it out first.
And pushing past me, she went stumbling down the stairs.
I didnt follow her as she obviously didnt want me with her.
Instead I sat down on the parapet and tried to puzzle things out. But I didnt get anywhere.
There was only the one way into the courtyard through the big arch.
Just outside it I could see the water-boy and his horse and the Indian cook talking to him.
Nobody could have passed them and come in without their seeing him.
I shook my head in perplexity and went downstairs again.
Chapter 24.
Murder is a Habit
We all went to bed early that night.
Miss Johnson had appeared at dinner and had behaved more or less as usual.
She had, however, a sort of dazed look, and once or twice quite failed to take in what other people said to her.
It wasnt somehow a very comfortable sort of meal.
Youd say, I suppose, that that was natural enough in a house where thered been a funeral that day.
But I know what I mean.