‘There was no one there, so I looked into the different rooms. They were all empty, though lighted up. I thought to myself, ‘This is strange,’ and I went to find Suzanne, Madame’s maid, who was sitting up for her. I asked her had Madame gone to bed, but she said not. “Well,” I said, “she’s not downstairs. Better go up and see if she’s in her room.” She went and came down in a moment looking frightened, and said the room was empty, but that Madame’s hat and fur coat and a pair of walking shoes were gone. Her evening shoes that she had been wearing were lying on the floor, where she had changed them. I went up myself and we searched around, and then I heard the latch of the front door again and went down. Monsieur was just coming in and, as I took his coat and hat, I told him about hearing the door close. He asked where Madame was, and I answered I did not know. He looked himself, and in the study he found a note which I suppose was from her, for after he had read it he asked no more questions, but told me she had had to go to Switzerland to her mother, who was ill. But I knew when he got rid of Suzanne two days later that she wasn’t coming back.’ ‘What time did M. Boirac come in?’ ‘About one o’clock, or a few minutes after.’ ‘Were his hat and coat wet?’ ‘Not very wet, monsieur, but he had been evidently walking through rain.’ ‘You didn’t make any further search to see if anything else had been taken, I suppose?’ ‘Yes, monsieur. Suzanne and I searched the entire house most thoroughly on Sunday.’ ‘With no result?’ ‘None, monsieur.’ ‘I suppose the body could not have been concealed anywhere in the house?’ The butler started as this new idea struck him. ‘Why, no, monsieur,’ he said, ‘it would have been absolutely impossible. I myself looked in every spot and opened everything large enough to contain it.’ ‘Thank you, I think that’s about all I want to know. Can you put me in touch with Suzanne?’ ‘I believe I can get you her address, monsieur, from one of the parlourmaids with whom she was friends.’ ‘Please do, and in the meantime we shall have a look through the house.’ ‘You will not require me, monsieur?’ ‘No, thanks.’ The plan of the downstairs rooms was simple. The hall, which was long and rather narrow, stretched back from the entrance door in the rue St. Jean to the staircase in a direction parallel to the Avenue de l’Alma. On the right was the drawing-room, a large apartment in the angle between the two streets, with windows looking out on both. Across the hall, with its door facing that of the drawing-room, was the study, another fine room facing on to the rue St. Jean. A small sitting-room, used chiefly by the late Madame Boirac, and the dining-room were situated behind the study and the drawing-room respectively. To the rear of the doors of these latter rooms were the staircase and servants’ quarters.