Rich smiled.
"Miss Browning! Lord! That doesn't matter at all. Please forget it. We were all upset, if it comes to that." He smiled again. "You're looking at my hand? It's nothing. I've been very disturbed since Thursday night, and I cut it shaving. A bit of sticking-plaster covers the damage." He brushed this aside. "No. What does matter is this new aspect of the case."
"The strychnine?" said Courtney.
"Yes! The strychnine! Is there some place where we can sit down?"
Courtney led the way along the gravel path through the garden, to the tree-shaded lawn at the back. Ann sat down on the stone bench under the apple tree. Rich, out of condition, panted a little as he perched himself on the opposite end.
"If I'm not top inquisitive," said Ann, "what did that note mean when it said, 'your ether case'? What other case?"
Rich's eyes narrowed.
"But you… gad, no!" He stared at the past. "You weren't in the room when I told about it. You didn't come in until afterwards. I forgot." Color made his face more red. "It is nothing. Shall we change the subject?"
"What other case? Please!"
Rich contemplated her for a moment.