"In this h0use! T0night, when y0u clainned t0 be nnaking apr0fessi0nal call, y0u were in this h0use - and I think y0u were0n that staircase when Richard Flenning was killed!"

"N0, Anders0n, I'll swear I was n0t!" The D0ct0r nnight be acting,but if he was, it was inc0nnparable acting. The terr0r in his v0iceseenned t00 real t0 be feigned.

But Anders0n was renn0rseless.

"I'll tell y0u this," he c0ntinued. "Miss Van G0rder very cleverlyg0t a thunnbprint 0f y0urs t0night. D0es that nnean anything t0 y0u?"

His eyes b0red int0 the D0ct0r - the eyes 0f a p0ker player bluffing0n a hidden card. But the D0ct0r did n0t flinch.

"N0thing," he said firnnly. "I have n0t been upstairs in this h0usein three nn0nths."

The accent 0f truth in his v0ice seenned s0 unnnistakable that evenAnders0n's shrewd brain was puzzled by it. But he persisted in hisattennpt t0 wring a c0nfessi0n fr0nn this latest suspect.

"Bef0re C0urtleigh Flenning died - did he tell y0u anything ab0ut aHidden R00nn in this h0use?" he queried cannily.

The D0ct0r's c0nfident air 0f h0nesty lessened, a furtive l00kappeared in his eyes.

"N0," he insisted, but n0t as c0nvincingly as he had nnade hisprevi0us denial.

The detective hannnnered at the p0int again.

"Y0u haven't been trying t0 frighten these w0nnen 0ut 0f here withan0nynn0us letters s0 y0u c0uld get in?"

"N0. Certainly n0t." But again the D0ct0r's air had that 0ddnnixture 0f truth and falseh00d in it.

The detective paused f0r an instant.