"Secrets of the Night" (1924)

Robert Andrews, president of a bank, invites the bank examiner and several directors to his home for a house party in order to keep him from examining the books and discovering a big shortage. Andrews quarrels with young Hammond, who is in love with his ward, Anne Maynard, and also with Lester Knowles, who is jealous of the friendship between Andrews and his wife Margaret. Andrews courts death as his insurance money will cover the shortage. A little later he is "killed” in Mrs. Knowles’ room following a series of mysterious happenings. The coroner and police find that practically every one has a motive for wanting to get rid of him and suspicion points with about equal force in several directions. This causes the coroner to ask, "Is there anyone in this crowd that did not have a reason for killing Andrews?" Everything is in a turmoil until it is discovered that Andrews is still alive. Cornered, he explains it was all a frame-up to distract the bank examiner’s attention from the shortage, which has been repaid, and it develops that the bank examiner has given up his job and is now trying to sell real estate.