He shook his head decisively. “No! I didn’t! The carpet on the stairs and along the landing to the work-room is very thick, you know.”
Bannister went to the door and looked out. “This back staircase leads to the patients’ entrance in Coolwater Avenue—I suppose?”
“That’s so, Inspector.”
The Inspector closed the door and came back. “The lady of course, was a chance patient—not an appointment case?”
“A complete stranger.”
“Were any other patients waiting, do you know?”
“I had no definite appointment till half-past two. I couldn’t say if there were any other chance cases waiting in either of the waiting-rooms. Certainly I can remember nobody coming out when we discovered what had happened.”
Bannister thought hard for a moment. “Did the expected client arrive at half-past two?”
Branston smiled for the first time. “ ’Pon my soul,” he exclaimed, “I’ve never given him another thought. It was twenty minutes past two when I ’phoned up for the Police—I must have clean forgotten him. If he came—he probably cleared off in the ‘schemozzle.’ ”
“What’s his name?” demanded Bannister.