"Of course you've looked for footsteps underneath?" he asked.

"Naturally," said Simon. "But it's a hard gravel path and grass beyond.
One could fancy one saw traces, but no definite evidence."

The window was one of three together, with stone mullions between. They
were long windows reaching down nearly to the level of the floor, so
that entrance that way was extremely easy if one of them were open.
Cromarty got out and stood on the sill examining the middle sash.

Simon regarded him with a curious caustic look for a moment in his eye.

"Looking for finger marks?" he enquired.

"Yes," said Ned. "Did you look for them?"

For a single instant the Procurator Fiscal seemed a little taken aback.
Then he grunted with a half laugh:

"Don't believe much in them."

"Experienced criminals, that's been convicted before, frequently wears
gloves for to prevent their finger prints being spotted," said the
learned Bisset.

Mr. Rattar shot him a quick ambiguous glance, and then his eyes assumed
their ordinary cold look and he said:

"No evidence anybody ever opened that window from the outside. If they
had, Sir Reginald would have heard them."

"Well," said Ned, getting back into the room, "there are no finger marks
anyhow."

"The body being found near the door certainly seems to be in favour of
Mr. Rattar's opinion," observed the superintendent.

"I thought Mr. Rattar had formed no opinion yet," said Cromarty.

"No more I have," grunted the lawyer.

The superintendent looked a trifle perplexed.

"Before Mr. Cromarty had come in, sir, I understood you for to say
everything pointed to the man having come in by the door and hit Sir
Reginald on the head as he came to see who it was when he heard him
outside."

"I merely suggested that," said Simon Rattar sharply. "It fits the
facts, but there's no definite evidence yet."

Ned Cromarty had turned and was frowning out of the window. Now he
wheeled quickly and exclaimed:

"If the murderer came in through the window while Sir Reginald was in
the room, either the window was standing open or Sir Reginald opened it
for him! Did Sir Reginald ever sit with his window open late at night at
this time of year?"

"Never once, sir," said Bisset confidently. "He likit fresh air outside
fine but never kept his windies open much unless the weather was vera
propitious."

"Then," said Ned, "why should Sir Reginald have opened the window of his
own accord to a stranger at the