"Doctor! Oh, Doctor!"
"Yes?" answered the Doctor's voice from the main staircase. His steps clattered down the stairs--he entered the room. Perhaps he read something in Miss Cornelia's manner that demanded an explanation of his action. At any rate, he forestalled her, just as she was about to question him.
"I was about to look around above," he said. "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. "I think that Jap's crazy."
The Doctor began to struggle into his topcoat, avoiding any look at Dale.
"Well," he said, "I believe I've fulfilled all the legal requirements--I think I must be going." He turned toward the door but the detective halted him.
"Doctor," he said, "did you ever hear Courtleigh Fleming mention a Hidden Room in this house?"
If the Doctor started, the movement passed apparently unnoted by Anderson. And his reply was coolly made.
"No--and I knew him rather well."
"You don't think then," persisted the detective, "that such a room and the money in it could be the motive for this crime?"
The Doctor's voice grew a little curt.
"I don't believe Courtleigh Fleming robbed his own bank, if that's what you mean," he said with nicely calculated emphasis, real or feigned. He crossed over to get his bag and spoke to Miss Cornelia.