II
Miss Waterhouse was also at home. She was also true to type, opening the door with a suddennesswhich displayed a desire to trap someone doing what they should not do.
“Oh, it’s you!” she said. “Really, I’ve told your people all I know.”
“I’m sure you’ve replied to all the questions that were asked you,” said Hardcastle, “but theycan’t all be asked at once, you know. We have to go into a few more details.”
“I don’t see why. The whole thing was a most terrible shock,” said Miss Waterhouse, looking athim in a censorious way as though it had been all his doing. “Come in, come in. You can’t standon the mat all day. Come in and sit down and ask me any questions you want to, though reallywhat questions there can be, I cannot see. As I told you, I went out to make a telephone call. Iopened the door of the box and there was the girl. Never had such a shock in my life. I hurrieddown and got the police constable¹. And after that, in case you want to know, I came back here andI gave myself a medicinal dose of brandy. Medicinal,” said Miss Waterhouse fiercely.
“Very wise of you, madam,” said Inspector² Hardcastle.
“And that’s that,” said Miss Waterhouse with finality.
“I wanted to ask you if you were quite sure you had never seen this girl before?”
“May have seen her a dozen times,” said Miss Waterhouse, “but not to remember. I mean, shemay have served me in Woolworth’s, or sat next to me in a bus, or sold me tickets in a cinema.”
“She was a shorthand³ typist at the Cavendish Bureau.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had occasion to use a shorthand typist. Perhaps she worked in mybrother’s office at Gainsford and Swettenham. Is that what you’re driving at?”
“Oh, no,” said Inspector Hardcastle, “there appears to be no connection of that kind. But I justwondered if she’d come to see you this morning before being killed.”
“Come to see me? No, of course not. Why should she?”
“Well, that we wouldn’t know,” said Inspector Hardcastle, “but you would say, would you, thatanyone who saw her coming in at your gate this morning was mistaken?” He looked at her withinnocent eyes.
“Somebody saw her coming in at my gate? Nonsense,” said Miss Waterhouse. She hesitated.

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