Both men were watching the woman keenly, and they saw that she started a little, involuntarily. But her head shook a ready negative.
"Nobody of that name here!" she answered.
She would have shut the door, but for Hetherwick's foot—he advanced it further, giving Mrs. Mallett a keen, searching glance.
"Perhaps you know Dr. Baseverie by another name?" he suggested. "So—is Mr. Basing in?"
But the ready shake of the head came again, and the hard eyes grew harder and more suspicious.
"Nobody of that name here, either!" she said. "Don't know anybody of those names."
"I think you do," persisted Hetherwick sternly. He turned to Mapperley, purposely. "We shall have to get the police——"
"Look out, sir!" exclaimed Mapperley, snatching at Hetherwick's arm. "Your fingers!"
The woman suddenly banged the door to, narrowly missing Hetherwick's hand, which he had closed on the edge; a second later they heard the bolt slipped and the key turned. And Hetherwick, as with a swift illumination, comprehended things, and turned sharply on his clerk.
"Mapperley!" he exclaimed. "Sure as fate! Those ladies are in there! Trapped!"