“Hush, Eunice,” begged Elliott.  “Try to keep yourself calm.  It does no good to defy these men—­they are not really acting on their own initiative, but they are merely carrying out their duty as they see it.”

“Their duty is to find out who killed my husband!” and Eunice gave Shane another stormy glare.  “They cannot do that by accusing two innocent women!”

“If you two women can be proved innocent, nobody will be more glad than me,” Shane announced, in a hearty way, that was really generous after Eunice’s treatment of him.  “But it beats me to see how it can be proved.  You admit, ma’am, nobody could get into Mr. Embury’s room, except you and Miss Ames, don’t you?”

“I don’t admit that at all, for the murderer did get in—­and did commit the murder—­therefore, there must be some means of access!”

“Oho!  And just how can you suggest that an intruder got in, and got out again, and left those doors fastened on the inside?”

“That I don’t know—­nor is it my business to find out.”

“Maybe you think a flyin’ machine came at the window, ma’am!  For nothin’ else could negotiate a ten-story apartment.”

“Don’t talk nonsense!  But I have heard of keys that unlock doors from the outside—­skeleton keys, I think they are called.”

“Yes, ma’am, there are such, sure!  But they’re keys—­and they unlock doors.  These doors of yours have strong brass catches that work only on the inside, snap-bolts, they are.  And when they’re fastened, nothing from the other side of the door could undo ’em.  But, I say—­here you, Ferdinand!”

The butler came forward, his face surprised rather than alarmed, and stood at attention.

“What do you know of events here last night?  “Shane asked him.

“Nothing, sir,” and Ferdinand’s face was blankly respectful.

“You’d better tell all you know, or you’ll get into trouble.”

“Could you—­could you make your question a little more definite?”

“I will.  When Mr. and Mrs. Embury came home last night, were they in good humor?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

“You do know!  You know your employers well enough to judge by their manner whether they were at odds or not.  Answer me, man!”

“Well, sir, they were, I should judge, a little at odds.”

“Oh, they were!  In what way did they show it?  By quarreling?”

“No, sir.”

“How, then?”

“By not saying anything.  But it’s not uncommon for them to be at odds, sir—­”

“Speak when you’re spoken to!  After Mr. Embury went to his room, did you attend him?”

“I was in his room, yes.”

“Mrs, Embury was in her own room then?”

“Yes.”

“Her outer door was closed?”

“Yes.”

“And, therefore, fastened by the snap-bolt?”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

“Don’t you know so?  Don’t you know that it must have been?”