"What do you think it is?"
"The girl Agnes, unless I'm very much mistaken."
As I went out of the door, Joanna called after me,
"Wait.
I'll get up and drive you down."
"No need.
I'll drive myself."
"You can't drive the car."
"Yes, I can."
I did, too.
It hurt, but not too much.
I'd washed, shaved, dressed, got the car out and driven to the Symmingtons' in half an hour.
Not bad going.
Megan must have been watching for me.
She came out of the house at a run and clutched me.
Her poor little face was white and twitching.
"Oh, you've come - you've come!"
"Hold up, funny-face," I said.
"Yes, I've come.
Now what is it?"
She began to shake.
I put my arm around her.
"I - I found her."
"You found Agnes?
Where?"
The trembling grew.
"Under the stairs.
There's a cupboard there. It has fishing rods and golf clubs and things.
You know."
I nodded.
It was the usual cupboard.
Megan went on:
"She was there - all huddled up - and - and cold - horribly cold.
She was - she was dead, you know!"
I asked curiously, "What made you look there?"
"I - I don't know.
You telephoned last night. And we all began wondering where Agnes was.
We waited up some time, but she didn't come in, and at last we went to bed.
I didn't sleep very well and I got up early.
There was only Rose (the cook, you know) about.
She was very cross about Agnes not having come back.
She said she'd been before somewhere when a girl did a flit like that.
I had some milk and bread and butter in the kitchen - and then suddenly Rose came in looking queer and she said that Agnes' outdoor things were still in her room. Her best ones that she goes out in.
And I began to wonder if - if she'd ever left the house, and I started looking around, and I opened the cupboard under the stairs and - and she was there..."
"Somebody's rung up the police, I suppose?"
"Yes, they're here now.
My stepfather rang them up straightaway.
And then I - I felt I couldn't bear it, and I rang you up.
You don't mind?"
"No," said.