Three o'clock
What if the lodger did make a certain amount of mess -- a certain amount of smell -- in her nice clean kitchen ? Was he not -- was he not an almost perfect lodger ? If they did anything to upset him , where could they ever hope to get another like him ? Three o'clock struck before Mrs. Bunting heard slow , heavy steps creaking up the kitchen stairs . But Mr. Sleuth did not go straight up to his own quarters , as she had expected him to do . Instead , he went to the front door , and , opening it , put on the chain . Then he came past her door , and she thought -- but could not be sure -- that he sat down on the stairs .