"Somebody on the staircase." "Did you see anybody ?" Anderson's voice was as passionless and cold as a bar of steel.
"No--but there was a light from somewhere--like a pocket-flash--" She could not go on.

She saw Fleming's face before her--furious at first--then changing to that strange look of bewildered surprise--she put her hands over her eyes to shut the vision out.
Lizzie made a welcome interruption.
"I told you I saw a man go up that staircase!" she wailed, jabbing her forefinger in the direction of the alcove stairs.
Miss Cornelia, now recovered from the first shock of the discovery, supported her gallantly.
"That's the only explanation, Mr.Anderson," she said decidedly.
The detective looked at the stairs--at the terrace door.

His eyes made a circuit of the room and came back to Fleming's body.

"I've been all over the house," he said.

"There's nobody there." A pause followed.