“And you did—what?”
“I went up to the top landing and listened.”
“What did you hear?”
“Nothing at all.”
Chief Inspector Kerry chewed audibly.
“All quiet?” he snapped.
“Absolutely. But I’m certain I heard something all the same.”
“How long had Inspector Whiteleaf and this dark horse in the fur coat been gone at the time you heard the noise?”
“About half an hour, sir.”
“Do you think the noise came from the landing or from one of the offices above?”