"He wouldn't dare," said Serpos, abruptly and cryptically. His breath seemed to hurt him. "I do not understand how it is, but you have me answering your questions whether I like or not. This is absurd. I made no telephone call. Who says I did?"
"Dr. Antrim says you did." "Then I deny it."
"Well, let's just test out somethin'," growled H.M. He reached across and picked up the telephone on the desk. "I'm goin' to make a call, or try to. It won't matter much who I ring up, but for the sake of argument let's try the Cabot Hotel at Bristol. Anybody know the number? Never mind. The Exchange will get it if I give the name. Humph. Exchange!"
Jiggling the hook, he bellowed into the mouthpiece after his usual fashion. Usually there is some inner activity about a telephone, like an uneasy stomach. There was none this time.
"Exchange!" howled H.M., letting off steam at something inoffensive. Only the rain answered him. He sat back with an expression which might have been satisfaction. "Uh-huh," he said in a colourless voice. "Have a go at it if you like. But I think you'll find out that the wires have been cut. Very neat. Sergeant, you might hop outside and see."
Into Evelyn's face had come a look as though she saw a theory rent in pieces.
"Then," she said, "then, after all, Antrim couldn't have heard him telephoning-?"
"You've all been very curious about these sheets and what's written on 'em," said H.M., picking up the prescriptionblanks from the desk. "It's now time to see what you all think about who's guilty. Right. Here!" He turned to Stone. "You got the oratorical manner. You read 'em out one by one. Read mine last, as respect due to the old man; but read your own next to last. I think Mr. Serpos is goin' to find it very interesting."
Sergeant Davis had left the door partly open when he went out, and there was a draught between door and window: which may have made the light slips flutter in Stone's hands. Stone adjusted his pince-nez more firmly.
"The first one," he said, "is initialled K.B., so I imagineer-well, it's yours," Stone added non-dramatically, and looked at me. He got a fresh start after the anti-climax. "It reads… by damn!"