"I don't like to leave
if there is the possibility of some assassin still hidden in the
house."
"That is very considerate of you. But we are well protected now.
And besides, why should this person remain in the house? The murder
is done, the police are here."
"True," he said. "I only thought--"
But a knocking at the terrace door interrupted him. While the
attention of the others was turned in that direction Dale, less
cynical than her aunt, made a small plea to him and realized before
she had finished with it that the Doctor too had his price.
"Doctor--did you get it?" she repeated, drawing the Doctor aside.
The Doctor gave her a look of apparent bewilderment.
"My dear child," he said softly, "are you sure that you put it
there?"
Dale felt as if she had received a blow in the face.
"Why, yes--I--" she began in tones of utter dismay. Then she
stopped. The Doctor's seeming bewilderment was too pat--too
plausible. Of course she was sure--and, though possible, it
seemed extremely unlikely that anyone else could have discovered
the hiding-place of the blue-print in the few moments that had
elapsed between the time when Billy took the tray from the room
and the time when the Doctor ostensibly went to find it. A cold
wave of distrust swept over her--she turned away from the Doctor
silently.
Meanwhile Anderson had entered, slamming the terrace-door behind
him.
"I couldn't find anybody!" he said in an irritated voice.
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