The Hound Strikes the Trail
Old Nanon led the secret agent through the rear of the house and then up the stairs from floor to floor and room to room. His eyes seemed to take in everything, gauging, measuring, speculating; now and then he asked a question to which she returned a brief, illuminating answer. Finally they descended and Ashton-Kirk examined the front door. Beside the ordinary spring lock it had a heavy bolt.
"When you left the step and went back into the kitchen to prepare the coffee, did you close this door?" he asked.
"I did; and bolted it."
"Did you look at it after the body was found?"
"It was I who opened the door for Drevenoff when he started after you. It was still bolted."
Both Fuller and Drevenoff stood in the hall; and as old Nanon paused at the library door, Ashton-Kirk said to the Pole:
"How far away is the nearest police station?"
"About half a dozen blocks," answered the other.