"I heard a voice. Whose it was, I cannot say."
There was another pause; then he turned to Miss Corbin.
"At all events," said he, smoothly, "I should like to speak to him."
"I am sorry," she said in a low voice, "but I am afraid that is impossible, just now."
"Gone away!" It was old Nanon's voice, and it was pitched a shade higher than usual. She took a step toward the girl, the thick gray brows bent over the sharp-sighted eyes. "Where has he gone? Why did he go?"
The girl did not reply; she put her hands to her face, and the secret agent as he looked at her saw that she shivered as though struck with a chill.
For a moment the old woman stood looking at her, something like menace in her face; it seemed as though she were about to burst forth into a torrent of words. But Ashton-Kirk rose.
"If you don't mind," said he, calmly, "I should like to go through the house."
Slowly the stern eyes turned from the girl to the speaker.
"You will not see _him_?" indicating the direction of the library.
Without another word she walked toward the door. Ashton-Kirk followed her; as he was stepping into the hall he looked back. Stella Corbin was standing erect, her hands clasped, her face white and drawn with what seemed suspense; and the great dark eyes, filled with terror, were fixed steadily upon him.
Old Nanon led the secret agent through the rear of the house and then up the stairs from floor to floor and room to room. His eyes seemed to take in everything, gauging, measuring, speculating; now and then he asked a question to which she returned a brief, illuminating answer. Finally they descended and Ashton-Kirk examined the front door. Beside the ordinary spring lock it had a heavy bolt.
"When you left the step and went back into the kitchen to prepare the coffee, did you close this door?" he asked.
"Did you look at it after the body was found?"
"It was I who opened the door for Drevenoff when he started after you. It was still bolted."
Both Fuller and Drevenoff stood in the hall; and as old Nanon paused at the library door, Ashton-Kirk said to the Pole:
"How far away is the nearest police station?"
"About half a dozen blocks," answered the other.
"I want you to go there at once and report what has occurred."