She was not fit to continue her existence .sx Actually it was terminated that same night between the hours of three and four a.m. .sx Mrs. Jeames , taking a cup of early tea to the blue guest room at about the same time that Hamish Page's valet had taken tea to his master three mornings previously at the Towers , found Anita Skinner lying in a heap at the wide-open window .sx She was stone dead , with a small clean hole in her forehead .sx I Met Murder .sx Chapter X .sx MRS. JEAMES dropped the tray of tea-things and screamed screamed twice .sx The sound quivered and resounded through the house , and I reached the door of my room as she came running down the passage with her face as lacking in colour as her apron .sx " Oh , sir !sx The young lady !sx " she cried , and incontinently collapsed in my arms in a dead faint .sx I lowered her to the floor , for she is of that build which is euphemistically called " comfortable .sx " Shouting to Jeames , .sx whom I could hear in the hall below , to come and attend to her , I hurried to the blue room .sx The door was open as the housekeeper had left it in her panic to summon me , and because the window was open also , the morning breeze was able to blow through the room .sx The still body , clad in a pair of pink-and-white silk pyjamas which were too large , lay on the polished oak floor below the sill .sx I did not go in , but crossed the landing into the main part of the house , where Jupp was sleeping .sx He had heard the clatter of the dropped tray and the housekeeper's screams , and was emerging from his door as I turned into the corridor to summon him .sx He was tying the girdle of a brilliant scarlet dressing-gown which Sherlock Holmes would have envied .sx " They've killed Anita , " I said briefly .sx " My God !sx " he said , and accompanied' me to the blue room .sx " They have " .sx We stepped over the broken crockery and steaming pool of tea , and crossed to where the body lay .sx Jupp bent down and put his hand on the shoulder .sx " Hours ago , " he said , straightened himself , and looked at the Chippendale clock on the mantelshelf .sx " Eight-fifteen .sx Make a note of .sx the time .sx Now we must ring up the Inspector .sx You speak to him .sx It's your house " .sx We went downstairs to the telephone , and I got on to the Station-sergeant .sx I told him what had happened , and he said he would send across to the Inspector at once .sx In the meantime would I please take care that neither the body nor anything else in the room was touched ?sx I would .sx " The person I want to see is the constable who was on duty in the grounds , " said Jupp .sx " Let's look for him .sx Just a moment , though .sx I want to take another look round her room before English gets here .sx We'll be very careful not to touch anything .sx The Law must be obeyed .sx " I went up with him , and watched his swift but comprehensive examination .sx It was obvious that Anita had got out of bed and gone to the window :sx she had thrown back the bedclothes , and the fashion in which they lay suggested nothing of what her thoughts or emotions had been at the time .sx There was a certain amount of coagulated blood on the floor by the head , showing that at the moment of death she must have been at or very near the place where her body now lay .sx The last .sx heart-beats had forced the blood through the broken vessels of the wounds caused by the bullet , for , as Jupp pointed out to me , there was in this case , unlike those of Hamish Page and Lady Codrington , a complete penetration , entrance and exit , of the skull , the bullet having emerged cleanly from the parietal bone .sx He indicated the spot , and asked me if I saw anything significant about it .sx " I see what you mean , " I said .sx " Nickel-plated bullet ?sx The usual soft-lead .sx 22 would spread out after its force had been checked by its entrance , and , if it came out at all , would make more of a more of a hole ?sx " .sx " Exactly , " he said .sx " And if she was shot from the outside , there's quite a chance that we shall find the bullet somewhere in the room it certainly isn't in the head still " .sx We searched for the bullet , and did not find it .sx Jupp became silent , and looked out of the window for several moments in deep thought .sx He walked to the door , peered at the distempered wall on either side of it , examined the door itself , and finally shrugged his shoulders .sx There was no sign of the bullet .sx We left the room , and I locked the door , taking the key .sx Jupp's silence affected me , and .sx I felt no desire to discuss the affair or ask questions .sx The mood was dispelled in a certain measure by the difficulty we had in getting Mrs. Jeames down the stairs into the haven of her own apartments .sx We managed it somehow , and Jupp and I went out into the garden .sx After shouting " Hi !sx " and " Officer !sx " the constable whom we had seen last night when Blake returned with the news of Anita's effort to run away came out of the rose pergola .sx He seemed sleepy , to my way of thinking .sx He saluted .sx Jupp tackled him at once .sx " Everything quiet during the night , officer ?sx " .sx " Yes , sir .sx As peaceful as you like .sx " " You didn't see anybody ?sx " .sx " Not a soul , sir .sx " He was vaguely puzzled .sx " Hear anything ?sx " .sx " No , sir .sx " " What time did we get back after our motor drive ?sx " .sx " One twenty-eight , sir .sx " He had observed that event , at any rate .sx " You're taking turn and turn about with another man , I suppose ?sx " .sx " Yes , sir .sx Two hours on , two hours off right through .sx P.C. Greene is with me .sx He's .sx off now , and sleeping in the gardener's shed at the moment we've fixed up a kind of a couch in there .sx " " Good idea !sx Did P.C. Greene see or hear anything ?sx " .sx " Not that he told me of , sir .sx Is there anything wrong ?sx Has somethin' happened , sir ?sx " .sx " A lady was shot some time during the night while she was standing at that window up there , " said Jupp .sx The constable was a young man , and his chin-strap supported his slackening jaw .sx " Crummy !sx " he muttered , and stared at the window .sx He pulled himself together .sx " Shot , sir ?sx Not murdered like the other two ?sx " .sx " Yes .sx " I gave him the key of the blue room , assured him that the door was safely locked , and that we had summoned the Inspector , and left him to awaken his colleague , Greene .sx Jupp sneezed , for the autumn morning was cool , and we went into the house .sx " There was a heavy dew last night , " he observed .sx " And we may find signs of the murderer on the grass or in the bushes except .sx that two policemen have been walking about all night , which won't make it any easier .sx If they walked about " .sx " You mean , how did the murderer approach near enough to get Anita to the window and shoot her without being either seen or heard by them ?sx " .sx " Quite !sx A matter which the Inspector will have to decide .sx They are his men .sx " We observed that we wanted food , apart from the fact that it was about breakfast time .sx I noticed during the war that danger or excitement , or indeed any kind of strain , will make a man hungry at a time when theoretically the thought of eating should be far from him .sx So we attacked a plate of fruit on the sideboard in the dining-room , and waited for the Inspector .sx Neither of us had shaved or bathed , but neither of us wanted to miss his reactions to this the third murder .sx Jupp was shaken .sx There was nothing gloomy in his expression now , but instead , a strange , vulpine intentness .sx He munched a Cox's orange pippin , and stared continuously for a space of minutes into the garden , where the green of lawns and trees was powdered with grey dew .sx The pale gold of a rising sun shone upon the tranquil world .sx " Oh , damn this !sx " he remarked suddenly .sx Then we heard the heavy feet of a policeman as he climbed the stairs to guard the door behind which the dead girl lay .sx " One thing is clear , " Jupp added , with more firmness of tone .sx " We can't begin to work on this case until we have collected a number of ascertainable facts .sx " " For instance ?sx " .sx " Detailed reports of the two policemen who were on duty here , of the plain-clothes man at ' Windy Arbour ' and of any other of the Inspector's representatives there may have been in the immediate neighbourhood of the two places .sx " " You think the murderer came from ' Windy Arbour ' ?sx " .sx " Apart from the fact that the two favourite theories of the moment have their suspects there , we cannot escape the almost certain truth that the poor girl's presence here was known only to the members of the Skinner household besides ourselves .sx " " Lord !sx " I muttered .sx " That is true !sx Unless the murderer was hanging about this garden , and saw us bring her home last night .sx That was my first assumption .sx " " Why , if he was going to murder her , did he hang round here instead of ' Windy Arbour ' ?sx Does she often spend the night here ?sx " .sx " I see .sx Never before .sx To be perfectly frank , Jupp , it occurred to me almost immediately that the fellow , whoever he is , was out gunning for me .sx Anita , for some reason , afforded him a better chance , and he took it .sx She was one of the dinner-party , and although I cannot explain why , three of the people who were present at it have been killed murdered .sx I also cannot ignore the mathematics of the fact .sx Three !sx And none outside the circle of that particular gathering .sx It seems to me there must be an underlying significance somewhere it's beyond the numerical likelihood of coincidence .sx You see what I mean ?sx Three out of the six " He was looking at me keenly .sx " You are no longer considering the alibi theory of the attempt on you ?sx There hasn't been another , has there ?sx Like there was on Page a successful attempt ?sx " .sx I shrugged my shoulders , and took another nectarine .sx " I have just suggested that the murderer came last night to have another bang at me , " .sx I said , " and saw Anita arrive .sx He may even have failed to get me to the window , but succeeded with her .sx " " For God's sake , then , what is the motive ?sx " he demanded .sx " The motive which makes the murder of the four of you profitable ?sx Page , Lady Codrington , Anita and yourself ?sx Tell me that , if you include yourself in the plan and ambitions of this fiend !sx " .sx " I'm damned if I can !sx " I said .sx " All right , " he muttered sulkily .sx " Leave yourself out of it , but add the Vicar and Professor Skinner to your list .sx Are you anticipating that they too will " .sx " Here is the Inspector , " I interrupted .sx A two-seater containing the Inspector , Dr. Arlis and Sergeant Grice came up the drive and stopped at the front door .sx Like ourselves , English was rather less spruce than usual , and I suspected from the blueness of his chin that he , too , had not shaved .sx His eyes were very anxious .sx We told him briefly how Mrs. Jeames had come upon the tragedy , and how we had locked the door and telephoned for him .sx " Quite right , " he said shortly .sx " Take me up .sx Come , doctor .sx Grice , take charge of .sx things down here , and have Roberts and Greene ready for me .sx " " One of them is upstairs , I think , " I said .sx " I gave Roberts the key of the room .sx " " Hope he's not meddling , " he remarked , and we went up the stairs in a bunch .sx The constable was outside the blue room , and he handed the Inspector the key .sx Ten minutes sufficed him to come , with Dr. Arlis' assistance , to the obvious conclusions .sx " Dead three to five hours ; bullet through the brain , no possibility of a felo-de-se .sx .. killed while she stood at the window death instantaneous .sx