“Any one answering that description come to the front door?”

 

“No, sir. No one has been to the house at all this evening.”

 

“What about the back?”

 

“I don’t think so, sir, but I’ll make inquiries.”

 

He moved towards the door, but the inspector held up a large hand.

 

“No, thanks. I’ll do my own inquiring. But first of all I want to fix the time a

little more clearly. When was Mr. Ackroyd last seen alive?”

 

“Probably by me,” I said, “when I left at—let me see—about ten minutes to nine.

He told me that he didn’t wish to be disturbed, and I repeated the order to

Parker.”

 

“Just so, sir,” said Parker respectfully.

 

“Mr. Ackroyd was certainly alive at half-past nine,” put in Raymond, “for I

heard his voice in here talking.”

 

“Who was he talking to?”

 

“That I don’t know. Of course, at the time I took it for granted that it was Dr.