“This is Doctor Groom, I know.  Which is young Mr. Blackburn?”

Bobby stepped forward.  The sharp eyes, surrounded by puffy flesh, studied him aggressively.  Bobby forced himself to meet that unfriendly gaze.  Would Robinson accuse him now, before he had gone into the case for himself?  At least he could prove nothing.  After a moment the man turned away.

“Who is this?” he asked, indicating Graham.

“A very good friend—­my lawyer, Mr. Graham,” Bobby answered.

Robinson walked over to Paredes.

“Another lawyer?” he sneered.

“Another friend,” Paredes answered easily.

Robinson glanced at Katherine.

“Of course you are Miss Perrine.  Good.  Coroner, these are all that were in the front part of the house when you were here before?”

“The same lot,” the coroner squeaked.

“There are three servants, a man and two women,” Robinson went on.  “Account for them, Rawlins, and see what they have to say.  Come upstairs when you’re through.  All right, Coroner.”

But he paused at the foot of the steps.

“For the present no one will leave the house without my permission.  If you care to come upstairs with me, Mr. Blackburn, you might be useful.”

Bobby shrank from the thought of returning to the old room even with this determined company.  He didn’t hesitate, however, for Robinson’s purpose was clear.  He wanted Bobby where he could watch him.  Graham prepared to accompany them.

“If you need me,” the doctor said.  “I looked at the body—­”

“Oh, yes,” Robinson sneered.  “I’d like to know exactly what time you found the body.”

Graham flushed, but Katherine answered easily: 

“About half-past two—­the hour at which Mr. Blackburn was killed.”

“And I,” Robinson sneered, “was aroused at three-thirty.  An hour during which the police were left out of the case!”

“We thought it wise to get a physician first of all,” Graham said.

“You knew Howells never had a chance.  You knew he had been murdered the moment you looked at him,” Robinson burst out.

“We acted for the best,” Graham answered.

His manner impressed silence on Katherine and Bobby.

“We’ll see about that later,” Robinson said with a clear threat.  “If it doesn’t inconvenience you too much we’ll go up now.”

In the upper hall he snatched the candle from the table.

“Which way?”

Katherine nodded to the old corridor and slipped to her room.  Robinson stepped forward with the coroner at his heels.  Bobby, Graham, and the doctor followed.  Inside the narrow, choking passage Bobby saw the district attorney hesitate.

“What’s the matter?” the doctor rumbled.

The district attorney went on without answering.  He glanced at the broken lock.

“So you had to smash your way in?”

He walked to the bed and looked down at Howells.