She waited. Presently a fresh voice addressed her, and she recognised the Superintendent's even tones.
She hurried into speech. "Superintendent, this is Mrs. North speaking. I wonder if I could see you? There's something I wish to tell you."
"Certainly," he replied. "I'll come up to your house."
She glanced at her watch. "No, don't do that. I have to go into town and I can quite easily call in at the police station, if that would be convenient to you?"
"Quite convenient," he said.
"Thank you. I'll be there in about twenty minutes, then. Goodbye!"
She laid the receiver down and, flinging back the eiderdown, slid off the bed on to the floor. She pulled up the blinds which Sally had so thoughtfully lowered, and in the relentless glare of sunlight sat down at her dressing-table, and studied her face in the mirror. It was pale, with shadowed eyes. "Heavens! What a guilty looking sight!" she said under her breath, and with quick, nervous hands, pulled open a drawer and exposed an array of face-creams, lotions, and cosmetics.
Ten minutes later she was pulling on her gloves, her eyes resting critically on her own reflection. Her makeup had been delicately achieved; the face that confronted her from under the brim of a shady hat was faintly tinged with colour, the corn-coloured curls neatly arranged in a cluster in her neck, the eyebrows lightly pencilled, the lovely mouth a glow of red.
On her way down the stairs she encountered her maid, who exclaimed at her, bemoaning the fact that Madam was not resting after all.
"No, I've got to go out," Helen answered. "If Miss Drew should get back before me, tell her I've gone into the town, will you, but shall be back for tea."