"Did you find it?" asked Shirley.
He gave her back the front-door key. "Yes, on the kitchen table. Sorry to have kept you."
When he had deposited her at the Boar's Head he drove on to the police station but found that the sergeant was off duty. The same young constable who had received him when he brought the news of Dawson's murder said that he had no idea where the sergeant might be, but he could take a message. Mr. Amberley eyed him meditatively and said, after apparently profound consideration: "I don't think so. Thanks very much all the same."
The young constable informed a colleague two minutes later that that Amberley chap fair got his goat.
When he got back to Greythorne Mr. Amberley put through a telephone call. Felicity came into the library in time to hear him say: "And let me know at once. Got that? Right. That's all."
"Sweet telephone manners," remarked Felicity. "Who were you ringing up so politely, if I may ask?"
"Only my man," said Amberley.
The dinner party, which Lady Matthews thought would be rather stuffy, passed off well, and to Sir Humphrey's satisfaction no one stayed very late. Sir Humphrey, like Mr. Woodhouse, was firmly of the opinion that "the sooner every party breaks up the better." When he had seen the last guest off the premises he said that that was done, anyway, and prepared to go up to bed. His nephew detained him for a moment. "By the way, Uncle, don't be surprised if you hear a car. I rather think I shall have to go out. I thought I'd better warn you. If you hear stealthy footsteps in the small hours it won't be a burglar, but me."
"Going out?" said Sir Humphrey, astonished. "At this hour? In the name of all that's unreasonable, why?"
"No, not at this hour. Later," said Frank imperturbably. "I'm expecting a telephone call first. I shall go when I've taken it. Don't let it distress you, sir."