That was locked, was it not, Tarling, when you made the discovery ?" "Yes," said Tarling, "it was locked." "When they found they could not get into the house," Ling Chu went on, "they tried to get through one of the windows." "They, they ?" said Tarling impatiently.

"Who are they?
Do you mean the woman ?" The new theory was disturbing.

He had pierced the second actor in the tragedy--a brown vitriol burn on the back of his hand reminded him of his existence--but who was the third?
"I mean the woman," replied Ling Chu quietly.
"But who in God's name wanted to get into the house after murdering Mrs.
Rider ?" asked Whiteside irritably.

"Your theory is against all reason, Ling Chu.

When a person has committed a murder they want to put as much distance between themselves and the scene of the crime as they can in the shortest possible space of time." Ling Chu did not reply.
"How many people are concerned in this murder ?" said Tarling.