"The K.C.?"
"Yes. I was greatly distressed, of course, and told him of my difficulty, and he comforted me greatly by assuring me that identification would be a quite simple matter. It was merely an affair of teeth."
"Teeth? But Patrick had quite ordinary teeth."
"Yes, yes. But he had no doubt been to a dentist, and dentists have records. Indeed, most dentists have a sort of visual memory, I understand, of mouths they have treated-a very grim thought-and would almost recognise one at sight. But the record will certainly show — " He caught the look on Bee's face and paused. "What is the matter?"
"The children went to Hammond."
"Hammond? Well? That is simple, isn't it? If you don't definitely identify the boy as Patrick, we have only to — " He broke off. "Hammond!" he said quietly. "Oh!"
"Yes," Bee said, agreeing with the tone of the monosyllable.
"Dear me, how unfortunate. How very unfortunate."
Into the subsequent silence Mr. Sandal said miserably: "I think I ought to tell you that Kevin Macdermott thinks the boy is lying."
"What could Mr. Macdermott possibly know about it," said Bee angrily. "He has not even seen him!" And as Mr. Sandal went on sitting in miserable silence, "Well?"