Carless, Lord Ellingham and two men in plain-clothes, at the sight of
whom Perkwite heaved a huge sigh of intense relief.
CHAPTER XXVII
THE BACK WAY
Viner was so sure that the sound which he had heard on Mrs. Killenhall's
retirement was that caused by the turning of a key or slipping of a lock
in the door by which he had entered, that before speaking to Miss Wickham
he instantly stepped back and tried it. To his astonishment it opened
readily, but the anteroom outside was empty; Mrs. Killenhall had
evidently walked straight through it and disappeared.
"That's odd!" he said, turning to Miss Wickham. "I distinctly thought
I heard something like the snap of a lock, or a bolt or something.
Didn't you?"
"I certainly heard a sound of that sort," admitted Miss Wickham.
"But--the door's open, isn't it?"
"Yes--that is so," answered Viner, who was distinctly puzzled. "Yet--but
then, all this seems very odd. When did you come down here?"
"About an hour ago," replied Miss Wickham, "in a hurry."
"Do you know why?" asked Viner.
"To see a Dr. Martincole, who is to tell us something about Mr.
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