“Dr. Hajek and I were starting down to dinner,” he explained. His voice sounded hoarse and his anxious eyes were fixed upon O’Leary. “We found him like this. All huddled on the floor there near the stairway.”
14. A Matter of Evidence
I must say that I was considerably relieved to see O’Leary’s eyelids flutter, the colour return to his face, and to note that his breath began to come more naturally. In a few moments he was sitting upright on the edge of the table, supported by Dr. Balman’s arm.
“What on earth happened to you?” inquired Dr. Balman, looking relieved also.
“I don’t know,” replied O’Leary rather dazedly. “All I remember is something coming down on my head. When did you find me?”
“About fifteen minutes ago. Dr. Hajek and I were just going downstairs. It was not very light in the hallway and you were in the shadow there by the stairs. It—gave us a nasty shock. Do you know why you were attacked?”
O’Leary flicked a warning glance at me and shook his head.
“Haven’t the least idea,” he said flatly.
Dr. Hajek, who had been standing silently by, stirred at this.
“Then you were not on the point of making a—er—disclosure?” he asked with an air of disappointment. His ruddy face was as unmoved and stolid as ever, but it seemed to me that those dark, knowing eyes were restrained and secretive and did not meet O’Leary’s gaze squarely.