cigarette, once more looked at Hannasyde, and then said tersely: "He's right, Helen. And what he says about having no interest in your affairs is true. He's got nothing on you, but obviously you've got to be eliminated."
Helen looked frightened, but after a pause said: "I did call on Ernie Fletcher last night. I've explained that he was a - a great friend, though years older than me. I looked on him as a sort of uncle."
"Quite," said Hannasyde. "Had you any particular purpose in paying this call?"
"No, not exactly. My sister was busy, and I was bored. It was quite early, and I thought I'd just look in on Ernie."
In spite of herself she coloured, but Hannasyde merely asked: "At what hour did you arrive at Greystones?"
"It must have been at about five-and-twenty to ten. I know I left this house at half-past nine."
"Just tell me everything that happened, Mrs. North."
"Really, there's so little to tell. I went by way of the Arden Road, because for one thing it's quicker than going all the way up this road, and along Vale Avenue, andd for another - I expect this seems odd to you, but it isn't really - I didn't much want to see Miss Fletcher, so I thought I'd go in by the garden-entrance, on the chance of finding Ern - Mr. Fletcher in his study." She broke off, and exclaimed wretchedly: "Oh, this is too impossible! It sounds as though I had some horrid assignation! But I hadn't, I hadn't!"
"Don't go over at the knees," recommended her sister. "It's obvious you hadn't, or you'd have thought up some convincing reason for calling on Ernie."
"Oh, don't! Do you suppose I can't see what a false impression anyone must get, not - not knowing the terms I was on with Ernie?"
"The only impression the Superintendent's got is that you're a paralytic ass," responded Sally cheerfully. "Why you chose to enter by the garden-gate has got nothing to do with him, so get on with your story!"
"I don't know where I was. Oh yes! Well, Mr. Fletcher was in his study - oh, I forgot to tell you that I saw a man coming out of the gate, just as I turned up into Maple Grove. I - I don't know whether that's any use to you?"
"Can you describe him, Mrs. North?"
"No, except that he was rather stout and short. You see, it was dusk, and I didn't see his face. He walked off towards Vale Avenue. Well, I found Mr. Fletcher in his study, as I said."
"Was he alone?"
"Oh yes!"
"And then?"
"Well - well, nothing, really. We had a - a talk, and then I said I mustn't be late, and - and just left."
"Do you know what the time was then?"
"Yes, it was a quarter to ten."
"A quarter to ten?" he repeated, raising his head from his notebook.
"Yes. There was a clock on the mantelpiece, and I happened to notice the time."
"Then you were only with Mr. Fletcher for ten minutes?"
"I suppose so. Yes, it must have been about that."
"A very short call, Mrs. North, was it not?"
"I don't see why - What do you mean?"
"Merely that it strikes me as odd that having, as you yourself state, gone to see Mr. Fletcher because you were bored, you stayed so short a time with him. Did anything happen to make you anxious to leave at once?"
"No. No, of course not. Only I could see he was busy, and I didn't want to be a nuisance."
He made a note in his book. "I see. So you left the study at 9.45. Did you return home by the way you had come?"
"Yes. But not immediately. I heard the garden-gate open, and - and it occurred to me that it would look rather odd - my being there at that hour. I didn't want anyone to see me, so I hid behind a bush."
"Mr. Fletcher, then, did not accompany you to the gate?"
"No," she faltered. "There was no reason why he should."
"Oh!" said Hannasyde. "Very well, Mrs. North: you hid behind a bush. Did you see who it was that entered the garden?"
"No, I didn't. I mean, in the dusk, and - and only being able to peer through the bush, I couldn't get a clear view. I only know it was a man. He looked quite ordinary, but he had a hat on, and I didn't see his
Helen looked frightened, but after a pause said: "I did call on Ernie Fletcher last night. I've explained that he was a - a great friend, though years older than me. I looked on him as a sort of uncle."
"Quite," said Hannasyde. "Had you any particular purpose in paying this call?"
"No, not exactly. My sister was busy, and I was bored. It was quite early, and I thought I'd just look in on Ernie."
In spite of herself she coloured, but Hannasyde merely asked: "At what hour did you arrive at Greystones?"
"It must have been at about five-and-twenty to ten. I know I left this house at half-past nine."
"Just tell me everything that happened, Mrs. North."
"Really, there's so little to tell. I went by way of the Arden Road, because for one thing it's quicker than going all the way up this road, and along Vale Avenue, andd for another - I expect this seems odd to you, but it isn't really - I didn't much want to see Miss Fletcher, so I thought I'd go in by the garden-entrance, on the chance of finding Ern - Mr. Fletcher in his study." She broke off, and exclaimed wretchedly: "Oh, this is too impossible! It sounds as though I had some horrid assignation! But I hadn't, I hadn't!"
"Don't go over at the knees," recommended her sister. "It's obvious you hadn't, or you'd have thought up some convincing reason for calling on Ernie."
"Oh, don't! Do you suppose I can't see what a false impression anyone must get, not - not knowing the terms I was on with Ernie?"
"The only impression the Superintendent's got is that you're a paralytic ass," responded Sally cheerfully. "Why you chose to enter by the garden-gate has got nothing to do with him, so get on with your story!"
"I don't know where I was. Oh yes! Well, Mr. Fletcher was in his study - oh, I forgot to tell you that I saw a man coming out of the gate, just as I turned up into Maple Grove. I - I don't know whether that's any use to you?"
"Can you describe him, Mrs. North?"
"No, except that he was rather stout and short. You see, it was dusk, and I didn't see his face. He walked off towards Vale Avenue. Well, I found Mr. Fletcher in his study, as I said."
"Was he alone?"
"Oh yes!"
"And then?"
"Well - well, nothing, really. We had a - a talk, and then I said I mustn't be late, and - and just left."
"Do you know what the time was then?"
"Yes, it was a quarter to ten."
"A quarter to ten?" he repeated, raising his head from his notebook.
"Yes. There was a clock on the mantelpiece, and I happened to notice the time."
"Then you were only with Mr. Fletcher for ten minutes?"
"I suppose so. Yes, it must have been about that."
"A very short call, Mrs. North, was it not?"
"I don't see why - What do you mean?"
"Merely that it strikes me as odd that having, as you yourself state, gone to see Mr. Fletcher because you were bored, you stayed so short a time with him. Did anything happen to make you anxious to leave at once?"
"No. No, of course not. Only I could see he was busy, and I didn't want to be a nuisance."
He made a note in his book. "I see. So you left the study at 9.45. Did you return home by the way you had come?"
"Yes. But not immediately. I heard the garden-gate open, and - and it occurred to me that it would look rather odd - my being there at that hour. I didn't want anyone to see me, so I hid behind a bush."
"Mr. Fletcher, then, did not accompany you to the gate?"
"No," she faltered. "There was no reason why he should."
"Oh!" said Hannasyde. "Very well, Mrs. North: you hid behind a bush. Did you see who it was that entered the garden?"
"No, I didn't. I mean, in the dusk, and - and only being able to peer through the bush, I couldn't get a clear view. I only know it was a man. He looked quite ordinary, but he had a hat on, and I didn't see his
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