which said: > ‘Don’t try and speak to me tonight. Arthur suspects.’ He couldn’t produce the piece of paper, though, and it doesn’t sound a very likely story. Anyway, you and I know he was with her at the Ace of Spades because we saw
Tuppence nodded and pored over the two photographs.
One was a tiny fragment with the legend Daily Le —and the rest torn off.
The other was the front sheet of the Daily Leader with the small round tear at the top of it.
There was no doubt about it. The two fitted together perfectly.
“What are all those marks down the side?” asked Tommy.
“Stitches,” said Tuppence. “Where it was sewn to the others, you know.”
“I thought it might be a new scheme of dots,” said Tommy. Then he gave a slight shiver. “My word, Tuppence, how creepy it makes one feel. To think that you and I were discussing dots and puzzling over that advertisement—all as lighthearted as anything.”
Tuppence did not answer. Tommy looked at her, and was startled to observe that she was staring ahead of her, her mouth slightly open, and a bewildered expression on her face.
“Tuppence,” said Tommy gently, shaking her by the arm. “What’s the matter with you? Are you just going to have a stroke or something?”
But Tuppence remained motionless. Presently she said in a far away voice.