Guest said: "Good morning, doctor. My name's Guest. Would you mind coming into the study a moment?"
"Certainly," said Dr Raymond, looking somewhat surprised. "But I came to see Lady Billington-Smith. Is anything wrong?"
"Yes," said Guest bluntly. "Sir Arthur has just been discovered, dead."
The doctor's smile vanished. "Sir Arthur dead? Good heavens! I'll come at once."
When he stood inside the study and saw the General's body, his face changed. He shot one quick, searching look from Guest to Halliday, and then went up to the desk and bent over the still form there. He glanced up, and said in a curt, impersonal voice: "Do you know when this happened?"
"We're rather expecting you to tell us that," replied Guest.
Dr Raymond lifted the General's hand gently and tested the reflex action of the fingers. The three other nun stood silently waiting for him to finish his brief examination. Presently he straightened himself. "Have the police been notified?"
"As soon as it was discovered," replied Guest.
Halliday moved away from the door. "Have you formed any opinion as to when it could have been done, doctor?" he asked.
"It would be very hard to say with any exactness," the doctor answered. "Certainly within the last hour. Now if I may I should like to wash my hands, and then I think I had better see Lady Billington-Smith. She knows, of course, of this — tragedy?"