“Never saw her again?”
“No sir. He can’t remember if she was gone when he went in again or whether the door was locked.”
“But it’s only two days ago!” roared Pullen. “He must remember.”
Flood looked at his protégé helplessly. “He doesn’t seem to,” he said.
Louis seemed paralysed, but after a moment of complete vacancy he burst into sudden and excited speech.
“She was annoyed,” he said. “Wild, y’know. Feller hadn’t come. Somethin’, I don’ know.”
“Annoyed, was she?” Oates sat up. “When was this? What time of the evening?”
The little creature, who looked as if he had never before been above ground, gave the old man an ingratiating smile.
“In the evening, yes, tha’s right.”
“What time? Was it still light?”
An elaborate shrug answered him. “In the evening.”
Oates turned to Flood. “An
