ordinary
house, but before he steps out he sees or hears something--probably a
rustling in the hedge across the driveway, or maybe he even sees a face,
in the light from the lanterns on each side of the door. He feels sure
Nita's murderer has trailed him and is lying in wait for him. In a panic
he darts into this room, and don't turn on the light for fear he'll be
seen from the windows, but he can see well enough to make out how the
screens work, and he was familiar with the house anyway. I'll bet you
anything you like Sprague stayed in this room for an hour or two, till
he thought the coast was clear, then eased up this screen, intending to
climb out of the window and drop to the ground.... Not much of a drop at
that. You can see that the tall hedge on this side of the driveway comes
pretty near up to these windows.... Well, I figure he laid his hat on
this cabinet, intending to reach in for it when he was outside, but that
he had already made some little noise which the gunman was listening
for, and that when he got the screen up this high, the gunman, crouching
under the window, let go with the same gun and silencer that he used to
bump off Nita.... I've got Miles' word for it that neither he nor
anybody else heard a shot.... Of course, nobody knew Sprague was in
here, and since his hat and stick was both missing from the hall closet,
they took it for granted he'd beat it.... Any objections to that theory,
boy?"

"Just a few--one in particular," Dundee said. "But I grant it's a good
one, provided Dr. Price's autopsy bears you out as to the course of the
bullet, and that Carraway finds Sprague's fingerprints on that
contrivance for raising the screen. Even then----"

But Dundee was not allowed to finish his sentence, for Strawn was
summoned to the telephone, by Whitson. When he returned there was a
slightly bewildered look on his heavy old face.

"That's funny.... Collins--the lad I sent to check up on the taxi
companies--says he's located the driver that answered Sprague's call
last night. The driver says he was called about 9:15, told to come
immediately, and to wait for Sprague at the foot of the hill, on the
main road. He says he waited there until half past ten, then went on
back to town, sore'n a boiled owl."

"It doesn't look exactly as if Sprague were afraid of anyone _outside of
this house_ last night, does it?" Dundee asked. "By the way, I suppose
you've sent for everyone who was here?"

"Sure!" But ag