The Silent Dead by Arthur Gask

For a few minutes, following upon Colonel Hume's dramatic announcement that the ballistic experts at Scotland Yard had given out that by no possibility could the bullet which had killed the so-called Caesar Sturm been fired from Clara's rifle a dead silence prevailed in the room. The expression upon Clara's face was one of mingled triumph and intense relief, while the Inspector showed no surprise at all. Indeed, if the latter were disconcerted by this so sudden upsetting of all his calculations, he was determined not to allow anyone to see it. It was he who broke the silence at last.

"Yes, so I was informed a minute or two ago," he remarked casually and as if the matter were after all of no great importance. "Mr. Larose brought in a phone message for me, direct from Scotland Yard. So, for what it is worth, we can accept the experts' opinion as final, as they are not in the habit of making mistakes in matters such as this. " He nodded grimly to Clara and his voice rose. "But you please take in, Mrs. Hume, that what we have just learnt about your rifle by no means clears up everything as far as you and the others in this house are concerned."