“Really? I wonder if it’s that call from the Yard? Go and see, will you, Fox? Sister Marigold won’t mind, I’m sure.”

Fox went out.

“Inspector Alleyn,” ventured Roberts, “I do hope that the reconstruction has been satisfactory—” He broke off. Phillips’s resonant voice could be heard in the anteroom. With a glance towards it Roberts ended wistfully: “—from every point of view.”

Alleyn smiled at him, following his glance. “From that point of view, Dr. Roberts, most satisfactory.” “I’m extremely glad.” Jane Harden came in with a sheet of paper and pencil,

which she gave Alleyn. She went out. Roberts watched Alleyn lay the paper on the side table and take out his steel tape measure. Fox returned.

“Telephone for Dr. Roberts, I believe, sir,” he announced.

“Oh—for you, is it?” said Alleyn.

Roberts went out through the anæsthetic-room.

“Shut that door, quick,” said Alleyn urgently.

Evidently he had changed his mind about making a plan. He darted like a cat across the room and bent over the frame of the anæsthetic apparatus. His fingers were busy with the nuts.

Boys stood in front of one door, Fox by the other.

“Hell’s teeth, it’s stiff,” muttered Alleyn.

The double doors from the anteroom opened suddenly, banging Inspector Boys in the broad of his extensive back.

“Just a minute, sir, just a minute,” he rumbled.

Under his extended arm appeared the face of Mr. Thoms. His eyes were fixed on Alleyn.

“What are you doing?” he said. “What are you doing?”

“Just a minute, if you please, sir,” repeated Boys, and with an enormous but moderate paw he thrust Thoms back and closed the doors.

“Look at this!” whispered Alleyn.

Fox and Boys, for a split second, glimpsed what he held in his hand. Then he bent down again and worked feverishly.

“What’ll we do?” asked Fox quietly. “Go right into it—now?”

For an instant Alleyn hesitated. Then he said:

“No—not here. Wait! Work it this way.”

He had given his instructions when Roberts returned from the telephone.

“Nobody there,” he told them. “I rang up my house, but there’s no message. Whoever it was must have been cut off.”

“Bore for you,” said Alleyn.

Sister Marigold came in, followed by Thoms. Marigold saw the Yard men still in possession, and hesitated.

“Hullo, ’ullo,” shouted Thoms, “what’s all this. Caught Roberts in the act?”

“Really, Mr. Thoms,” said Roberts in a rage and went over to his apparatus.

“All right, matron,” said Alleyn, “I’m done. You want to clear up, I expect.”

“Oh, well—yes.”

“Go ahead. We’ll make ourselves scarce. Fox, you and Boys give Dr. Roberts a hand out with that cruet-stand.”

“Thank you,” said Roberts, “I’ll manage.”

“No trouble at all, sir,” Fox assured him.

Alleyn left them there. He ran downstairs and out into Brook Street, where he hailed a taxi.