a quarter to eleven
When on the top of this I am able to show that the blood mark on the windowsill was deliberately placed there by Barker , in order to give a false clue to the police , you will admit that the case grows dark against him . `` Now we have to ask ourselves at what hour the murder actually did occur . Up to half-past ten the servants were moving about the house ; so it was certainly not before that time . At a quarter to eleven they had all gone to their rooms with the exception of Ames , who was in the pantry . I have been trying some experiments after you left us this afternoon , and I find that no noise which MacDonald can make in the study can penetrate to me in the pantry when the doors are all shut . `` It is otherwise , however , from the housekeeper 's room . It is not so far down the corridor , and from it I could vaguely hear a voice when it was very loudly raised .