"I suppose there'd be people about, though the street, at this end, anyway, isn't as busy as it once was ?" "Several people saw him fall," answered Chettle.
"They say he jumped, spun round, and fell across the pavement.

And they all thought it was a case of suicide.

That, of course, gave the murderer a bigger and better chance of making off.

You see, as these people saw no assailant, it never struck 'em that the shot had been fired from behind this window.

When they collected their thoughts, found it wasn't suicide, and realized that it was murder, the murderer was--Lord knows where! From behind these old houses, Mr.Allerdyke, there's a perfect rabbit-warren of alleys, courts, slums, twists, and turns! The man could slip out at the back, go left or right, mix himself up with the crowd on the quays and wharves, walk into the streets, go anywhere--all in a minute or two." "Clever--very clever! You've no clue ?" asked Allerdyke.
"None; not a scrap!" replied the detective.