CHAPTER VIILeft alone with Mrs. Barley, Miss Peterson sat down near the open window, and looked out into the darkness where the rain was falling softly. Somebody came in here, she thought. I suppose it could have been anybody. Mrs. Barley might possibly have been able to open the door if someone had knocked. But I don’t think anybody knocked. I think somebody came in with a key. The key that belongs to this room, or a passkey. And I think it was Alfred Jeffrey. He has a passkey. He knew the gun was here. He saw where I put the bottle of gin. Well, the gun’s gone, and the poor woman is thoroughly hors de combat, and Superintendent Losee has a pretty poor opinion of me.
There was a jaunty rat-ta-ta-tat on the door, and she opened it to admit the merry Doctor Tinker.
“What have we here?” he
