“Who has been here? For Heaven’s sake, don’t be funny; this is a serious business.”
“Nobody has been here,” said Mauder, “but an hour ago a man called me up on the telephone——”
Jimmy looked at Angel, and Angel looked at Jimmy.
“Jimmy,” said Angel penitently, “write me down as a fool. Telephone! Heavens, I didn’t know you were connected.”
“Nor was I till last week,” said the publisher, “nor will I be after to-morrow. Sleep is too precious a gift to be dissipated——”
“Who was the man?” demanded Angel.
“I couldn’t quite catch his name. He was very apologetic. I gathered that he was a newspaper man, and wanted particulars in connection with the death of the author.”
Angel smiled.
“The author’s alive all right,” he said grimly. “How did the voice sound—a little pompous, with a clearing of the throat before each sentence?”
The other nodded.