“So we’ve got the real killer at last.” He looked pleased with himself. “Over here, boys!” he yelled.

“Hold on a minute,” Bella said. “You can’t prove any of this. I came here to visit my long-lost sister, Stella, that’s all. You won’t find my prints on those candlesticks. You won’t find them anywhere.”

“But it was your bloody glove print that we found on the library window frame,” I said. “And the sheriff also found one bloody glove. I bet if we search hard enough we’ll find its mate. Maybe it’s even in your pocket at the moment.”

“I thought you were on my side,” she snapped at me.

“I’m on the side of justice,” I said, “but you don’t have to worry. You did nothing wrong this time in the eyes of the law. You drove in through the gate saying you were Miss Brightwell. That’s true. You are Miss Brightwell. They let you in. They gave you permission to enter. And you went into the library, probably to take a look at the famous candlesticks, found Mr. Goldman lying there dead, got frightened and decided to put one of the candlesticks in your sister’s bed as a cruel joke. Nothing criminal about any of that.”

“So you’re saying she’s not the killer?” Sheriff Billings asked.

“Look at her wrist, Sheriff.” I lifted the arm I was still holding. “She wears her wristwatch on her right arm. That proves she’s left-handed like her sister, don’t you think?”

“Oh,” he said. “Oh, I see. So she went into the library, intending to steal the candlesticks, but found Goldman on the floor instead.”

“I went into the library,” Bella said defiantly. “And I didn’t steal anything. You can’t surmise my intentions. I might like books.”

“Enough of your cheek,” the sheriff said. “You should realize that you are still in a very precarious position, young lady.” He wagged a threatening finger in her face. “I could have you locked up for unlawful entry, trespass, any number of things. I know you were intending to carry off those candlesticks and you only chickened out because you stumbled over the body. But you can do yourself some good if you can help us throw any light on the murder. To start with, how did you get into that library? Everyone in the house swears that nobody was seen coming or going from that hallway.”

“Easy. I let myself into the house while you were all out by the pool, hid in an unused room, then went to Stella’s room while you were all at dinner. I climbed down the wall to the library window.”

“You climbed down the wall?” He sounded incredulous.

“Oh, it’s easy if you’ve got a rough, uneven rock wall like that,” she said. “I do it all the time.”