"You know when you last saw Mr. Fletcher alive," said Glass, unmoved by the butler's evident agitation.
"It would have been when I showed Mr. Budd in," replied Simmons, after a moment's hesitation.
"Time?"
"I don't know - not for certain, that is. It was about an hour ago." He made an effort to collect his wits, and added: "About nine o'clock. I was clearing the table in the dining-room, so it couldn't have been much later."
Glass said, without raising his eyes from his notebook: "This Mr. Budd: known to you?"
"No. I never saw him before in my life - not to my knowledge."
"Oh! When did he leave?"
"I don't know. I didn't know he had left till I came in just now. He must have gone by the garden-way, same as you came in, Mr. Glass."
"Was that usual?"
"It was - and it wasn't," replied Simmons, "if you know what I mean, Mr. Glass."