"I suppose they must have. All right, I'll take charge of it."
"Yes, sir," said the young detective.
"And I'll see Miss Paula Herriard again. Send her in!"
This second summons to the morning-room apparently discomposed Paula, for she came in presently with a heightened colour, and more than her usual impetuosity. Without giving the Inspector time to speak, she demanded angrily what more he could possibly want with her. "I call it utter incompetence!" she said, scorn vibrating in her voice.
The Inspector was unmoved by this stricture. Plenty of people, he reflected, when they were frightened tried to conceal it under a blustering manner. He thought, watching her restless hands and over-brilliant eyes, that Paula was decidedly frightened. "I should like to go over your evidence again, miss," he said, turning back the pages of his notebook.
"Bright!" she commented, with a sharp, unmirthful laugh.
He paid no heed; she didn't even annoy him; in fact, the more she lost her temper the better pleased he would be. "You stated, miss, that when you went up to your room to change for dinner, you didn't come out of it again until you joined the rest of the party in the drawing-room."
Her eyes were fixed on him, neverr wavered from his face, but he thought she breathed more rapidly. "Well?"
"Do you wish to add anything to that?" asked the Inspector, giving her back look for look.
He had rattled her, just as he'd known he would. He could see the flicker of doubt in her eyes, the halfconcealed alarm. He could have sworn she'd play for time, and she did, saying defensively: "Why should I?"