As the lieutenant reached for the bell for the third time, the front door suddenly opened. The policeman stood there staring. In the doorway was a woman dressed in a filmy nightgown that left little to the imagination. Her face was covered with a mudpack, and her hair was tucked into a curler cap.
She demanded, "What on earth is going on?"
Lieutenant Durkin swallowed. "I... who are you?"
"I'm Ellen Branch. I'm a houseguest of Lois Bellamy's. She's away in Europe."
"I know that." The lieutenant was confused. "She didn't tell us she was having a houseguest."
The woman in the doorway nodded knowingly. "Isn't that just like Lois? Excuse me, I can't stand that noise."
As Lieutenant Durkin watched, Lois Bellamy's houseguest reached over to the alarm buttons, pressed a sequence of numbers, and the sound stopped.
"That's better," she sighed. "I can't tell you how glad I am to see you." She laughed shakily. "I was just getting ready for bed when the alarm went off. I was sure there were burglars in the house, and I'm all alone here. The servants left at noon."
"Do you mind if we look around?"
"Please, I insist!"
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