the hour of 1 a.m.
This he put into his mouth , and returned the packet to its resting-place . A slim , trim figure , he stood looking round him reflectively . `` Now , '' he muttered , `` what about it ? '' The clock of Brixton Town Hall was striking the hour of 1 a.m. as Chief Inspector Kerry inserted his key in the lock of the door of his house in Spenser Road . A light was burning in the hallway , and from the little dining-room on the left the reflection of a cheerful fire danced upon the white paint of the half-open door . Kerry deposited his hat , cane , and overall upon the rack , and moving very quietly entered the room and turned on the light . A modestly furnished and scrupulously neat apartment was revealed .