“No, I’m not a patient at all. I’m here to see the doctor about a personal matter.”

“Very well, then.”

The only other occupant of the waiting room was an overfed, overdressed woman who kept moving impatiently from one chair to another. Lowry saw her prepare to speak and then she looked brightly at him.

“Don’t you think Dr. Clayton is a wonderful doctor?” she asked confidentially.

“An excellent doctor,” Lowry agreed.

She grinned delightedly. “All my friends say so, too. He’s done wonders for me. Of course,” she added in a lower tone, “he is a little high, but I think it’s worth it.”

“I’m sure it is.”

The door opened and the nurse called the woman in. It was fifteen minutes before she came out and then the nurse told Lowry Dr. Clayton would see him.

Clayton’s inner sanctum was in keeping with the rest of the house and the impression it gave of solid comfort bordered on luxury. Clayton himself, sitting behind a massive desk was a handsome, capable-looking man. He greeted Lowry pleasantly and if he didn’t show any real warmth when Lowry told him who he was, he was mildly cordial.

“There’s no reason, Dr. Clayton,” Lowry said, “for this McKay affair to really concern you. You did, I am sure, what you thought was your duty in identifying him and I’ve no doubt you were quite certain you had identified the right man. However, I and one or two other of McKay’s friends are quite convinced of his innocence and we are sure some terrible mistakes have been made. Of course, to the police, it is a closed case. They’ve got their man so far as they’re concerned. But we feel there must be some things that have been overlooked, some little thing that might serve to prove he could not have been guilty.”

“It’s unfortunate,” Clayton said thoughtfully. “As you say, I did what I thought was right in identifying McKay but I’d rather not have done so at all. I will say that he definitely looks like the man who held me up but as I tried to tell the police no man can be absolutely sure considering the circumstances. Still they insisted that if he looked like the man it was my business to say so.”

“But do you realize that your testimony will be his death warrant?”

“It couldn’t be only that. Somebody else identified him. You’re his friend, Mr. Lowry. It doesn’t seem possible to you that he could have done it but those things just happen.”

“Then you believe it was McKay.”

“I think it was.”

“Would you mind if I checked over the events of that night with you? There may be something that would shed some light. I won’t take much of your time.”