"Where did your wife go?"
"Out on to the terrace, I think. She was there when I joined them later."
"And how long were you in the study with Sir Arthur."
Halliday considered. "It can't have been much more than ten minutes, if as much. I tried to be as civil about the thing as I could, but naturally I was very much annoyed, and I had to make it quite clear to the General that he was making a bad mistake. He tried to bluster it out, and I saw if I argued it would only lead to a lot of unpleasantness, so I tore up the cheque, as you see, dropped it into the waste-paper basket, and left the room."
"And then, Mr. Halliday?"
"Let me see, what did I do then? Did I — no, I went upstairs just to see that all my stuff had been packed, washed my hands and came down again on to the terrace."
"Did you go straight out on to the terrace, Mr. Halliday?"
"Yes, straight — oh no, I was forgetting! I went into the billiard-room first, where I remembered leaving my pipe. Then I went out on to the terrace through the billiard room windows."
"Have you any idea what time it was then?"
"No, I'm sorry, but I don't think I noticed."