'Not now,' cried the manager, 'they're gone; went away yesterday in the Cuba. Why, good heavens, it must be number fourteen! He was to have gone back to London last night, but Miss Jennings told me he had changed his mind, and though he was not at home his things were still in his room.'
'Better send and see if they are there now,' said the inspector. 'What was the gentleman's name?'
'I cannot say,' said the manager. 'You see I was so taken up with listening ta Duval, and looking at Miss Montressor, and laughing at that funny fellow in the check suit, that I didn't take much notice of the others. I will call somebody to go up to fourteen, and--I beg your pardon, sir,' he exclaimed to the gentleman whom he found on the other side of the door just as he opened it, 'did you wish for anything?'
'Not at all,' said the gentleman in a soft voice. 'I am Mr. Dunn, a visitor at this house occupying number ten, and I heard something as I was passing the bar about some murder which had been discovered.'
'Yes, indeed, sir, a dreadful murder of a poor gentleman who was staying here, and who seems to have been decoyed into some out-of-the-way place and stabbed to the heart.'
'Indeed,' said Mr. Dunn, 'decoyed into an out-of-the-way place? Ah, probably some woman in it, I should imagine.'
'That's a very good notion, sir,' said the manager, 'very good indeed; the inspector of police is in this room, sir; perhaps you would just step in and mention it. Inspector, here is a gentleman staying in the house who has got what I consider a very excellent idea about the murder.'
'O indeed, sir,' said the inspector gruffly. He greatly disapproved of amateur suggestions.
'Not at all a great idea, inspector,' said Mr. Dunn softly; 'our friend here is pleased to speak too highly of it--merely a notion which has occurred to me, and I have no doubt has previously occurred to you, that a--I beg your pardon,' said Mr. Dunn, stopping short and sniffing through his nose, 'isn't there a very peculiar smell?'
The manager, the inspector, and the sergeant all sniffed in concert; the two latter never smelt anything, but the manager called out at once, 'Something burning.'