“Don’t!” Evelyn held up a protesting hand. “I can’t forget the icy chill of his wrist when I touched him.”
“There!” Mitchell looked triumphantly at Hayden. “Doesn’t the body cool in about twelve hours?”
“It might be said to be quite cold in that time,” replied Hayden. “But the average time taken in cooling is from fifteen to twenty hours.”
“Your first statement will do for me,” Mitchell jotted down some figures. “Let me see, Miss Preston, you found the body about half past three?”
“Yes, or perhaps a few minutes later.”
“Humph! Then it is a safe hypothesis that this man was poisoned between the hours of two thirty and three thirty yesterday (Tuesday) morning.”
Evelyn shivered. “It would seem so,” she admitted. “Yet where was the body all that time?”
“And where the murderer?” Maynard’s light tone struck a jarring note and for once Evelyn ignored him, as she waited for the detective’s answer.
“Is that Mr. Burnham speaking?” questioned Mitchell, rising hurriedly as voices reached them from the hall. Evelyn was saved reply by Burnham walking into the room. He was followed by Coroner Penfield and James Palmer.
“Here are the men you want, Penfield,” he exclaimed on catching sight of Hayden and Maynard. “Come and tell us about the inquest.”