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 at a mass of papers which Wedgwood and the inspector had evidently been examining. "Found it?" he asked.

"No!" replied the detective. "No manuscript at all, such as she described." He, too, paused, as with intent, glancing at the inspector. "On the face of it," he said slowly, when he saw that the inspector was not going to speak, "on the face of it, the thing looks pretty evident. This man has been followed here by somebody who had an interest in that manuscript. Somebody who for some reason or other wanted to get possession of it. That somebody watched Wraypoole enter; saw Miss Tandy go out; came up; knocked Wraypoole on the head; seized the manuscript; vanished before Miss Tandy came back. Eh?"

"Seems uncommonly like it," agreed the inspector. "Got to be sought for, that somebody. Well—there are things to be done."

Wedgwood went into the hall, where, the two doctors having gone away, Miss Tandy sat whispering dolefully to her neighbour.

"Look here, ma'am," he said. "The body will have to be removed to the mortuary. Hadn't you better go somewhere with this lady, eh?—for an hour or so, while we manage all that. Unpleasant for you, being here, while that's going on. Leave matters to me. And