Daphne appeared at the door of the parlour which led into the shop and her mother waved her back angrily.
"Go to bed this instant, miss; it's long past your bedtime," she said.
It was obvious that Mrs. Hill retained a vivid recollection of how disastrous had been Daphne's appearance during Inspector Chippenfield's first visit to the shop.
"Perhaps your little girl knows where her father is," said Rolfe maliciously.
"No, she doesn't," replied Mrs. Hill with some spirit. "You can ask her if you like."
Rolfe was suddenly struck with an idea and he decided to test it.
"I won't wait—I've changed my mind. But if your husband comes in tell him not to go to bed until I've seen him. I'll be back."
"Yes, sir," she replied.
"Do you think he was going to Riversbrook?" he asked.
The woman flushed suddenly and then went pale. She knew as well as Rolfe that her husband was strictly forbidden, pending the trial, to go near the place of his former employment, and that the police had relieved him of his keys and taken possession of the silent house and locked everything up.