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That might have been an accident, Linda thought, as she locked the door behind her. Nonetheless, she returned to the card room and was pleased to find Mrs. Bates the dummy and free to talk. |
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"Gertrude was already asleep," Linda said, "but" |
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Mrs. Bates tsked. "Poor woman. I saw she was tired. I should have told her to go to bed when I left. I hope she will not have a stiff neck from falling asleep in a chair." |
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"But she wasn't in a chair, Mrs. Bates. She was in bed, and the door was openunlocked, I mean." |
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Mrs. Bates made no reply, but her face was suddenly tense and, to Linda, she looked frightened. "That isn't like Gertrude at all," she said, a little breathlessly. Then her expression cleared. "Oh, Peter must have seen she was tired and told her to go to bed. I met him in the corridorhe was bringing me some papers, but I was late and didn't want to stop so I told him to leave them in the room." |
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"He did. I saw some papers on the writing desk. But isn't it odd for Gertrude to leave the door unlocked if she was going to bed? Do you have the key?" |
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"The key?" Mrs. Bates's echo of the words was tremulous, and Linda thought she looked frightened again, but so fleetingly that she couldn't be sure, and then Mrs. Bates uttered an uncertain little laugh. "How silly of me, no, I don't have it. Oh, dear, if you locked the door, as I suppose you |
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