II
Inspector1 Neele caught up Lancelot Fortescue as the latter emerged into
the street below.
Lance grinned at him rather sheepishly.
“I didn’t mean to do that,” he said. “But I suddenly lost my temper. Oh!
well—it would have come to the same before long. I’m meeting Pat at the
Savoy—are you coming my way, Inspector?”
“No, I’m returning to Baydon Heath. But there’s just something I’d like to
ask you, Mr. Fortescue.”
“Yes!”
“When you came into the inner office and saw me there—you were sur-
prised. Why?”
“Because I didn’t expect to see you, I suppose. I thought I’d find Percy
there.”
“You weren’t told that he’d gone out?”
“No. They said he was in his office.”
“I see—nobody knew he’d gone out. There’s no second door out of the
inner office—but there is a door leading straight into the corridor from the
little antechamber—I suppose your brother went out that way—but I’m
surprised Mrs. Hardcastle didn’t tell you so.”
Lance laughed.
“She’d probably been to collect her cup of tea.”
“Yes—yes—quite so.”
Lance looked at him.
“What’s the idea, Inspector?”
“Just puzzling over a few little things, that’s all, Mr. Fortescue—”
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