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Page 47
He almost forced them away, drew the curtains again, and
hurrying to the front door, returned almost immediately with
Mitchington.
"Hope I'm not disturbing you, doctor," said the inspector, as
Bryce brought him in and again closed the door. "Not? All
right, then--I came round to ask you a question. There's a
queer rumour getting out in the town, about that affair last
week. Seems to have sprung from some of those old dowagers in
the Close."
"Of course!" said Bryce. He was mixing a whisky-and-soda for
his caller, and his laugh mingled with the splash of the
siphon. "Of course! I've heard it."
"You've heard?" remarked Mitchington. "Um! Good health,
sir!--heard, of course, that--"
"That Braden called on Dr. Ransford not long before the
accident, or murder, or whatever it was, happened," said
Bryce. "That's it--eh?"
"Something of that sort," agreed Mitchington. "It's being
said, anyway, that Braden was at Ransford's house, and
presumably saw him, and that Ransford, accordingly, knows
something about him which he hasn't told. Now--what do you
know? Do you know if Ransford and Braden did meet that
morning?"
"Not at Ransford's house, anyway," answered Bryce promptly.
"I can prove that. But since this rumour has got out, I'll
tell you what I do know, and what the truth is. Braden did
come to Ransford's--not to the house, but to the surgery. He
didn't see Ransford--Ransford had gone out, across the Close.
Braden saw--me!"
"Bless me!--I didn't know that," remarked Mitchington. "You
never mentioned it."
"You'll not wonder that I didn't," said Bryce, laughing
lightly, "when I tell you what the man wanted."
"What did he want, then?" asked Mitchington.
"Merely to be told where the Cathedral Library was," answered
Bryce.
Ransford, watching Mary Bewery, saw her cheeks flush, and knew
that Bryce was cheerfully telling lies. But Mitchington
evidently had no suspicion.
"That all?" he asked. "Just a question?"
"Just a question--that question," replied Bryce. "I pointed
out the Library--and he walked away. I never saw him again
until I was fetched to him--dead. And I thought so little of
the matter that--well, it never even occurred to me to mention
it."
"Then--though he did call--he never saw Ransford?" asked the
inspector.
"I tell you Ransford was already gone out," answered Bryce.
"He saw no one but myself. Where Mrs. Deramore made her
mistake--I happen to know, Mitchington, that she started this
rumour--was in trying to make two and two into five. She saw
this man crossing the Close, as if from Ransford's house and
she at once imagined he'd seen and been talking with
Ransford."
"Old fool!" said Mitchington. "Of course, that's how these
tales get about. However, there's more than that in the air."
The two listeners behind the curtains glanced at each other.
Ransford's glance showed that he was already chafing at the
unpleasantness of his position--but Mary's only betokened
apprehension. And suddenly, as if she feared that Ransford
would throw the curtains aside and walk into the front room,
she laid a hand on his arm and motioned him to be patient--and
silent.
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