whether anybody is coming or not." He remained in a listening attitude
for half a minute and then plied the knocker again. Again he listened for
footsteps within the house. "Ring again, Flack. Keep on ringing while I
go round the house to see if there is any way I can get in. I may have to
break a window. Don't move from here."

Inspector Seldon went quickly round the side of the house, trying the
windows as he went. Towards the rear of the house, on the west side, he
came across a curious abutment of masonry jutting out squarely from the
wall. On the other side of this abutment, which gave the house something
of an unfinished appearance, were three French windows close together.
The blinds of these windows were closely drawn, but the inspector's keen
eye detected that one of the catches had been broken, and there were
marks of some instrument on the outside woodwork.

"This looks like business," he muttered.

He pulled open the window, and walked into the room. The light of an
afternoon sun showed him that the apartment was a breakfast room, well
and solidly furnished in an old-fashioned way, with most of the furniture
in covers, as though the occupants of the house were away. The daylight
penetrated to the door at the far end of the room. It was wide open, and
revealed an empty passage. Inspector Seldon walked into the passage. The
drawn blinds made the passage seem quite dark after the bright August
sunshine outside, but he produced an electric torch, and by its light he
saw that the passage ran into the main hall.

His footsteps echoed in the empty house. The electric bell rang
continuously as Flack pressed it outside. Inspector Seldon walked along
the passage to the hall, flashing his torch into each room he passed. He