five o'clock
said Harleston . `` Now wait one moment . '' He went to the telephone and asked for Mrs. Clephane 's apartment . Her maid answered -- with the information that Mrs. Clephane had been out since five o'clock and had not yet returned . Harleston thanked her , hung up the receiver , and turned to Banks . `` I have reason to believe that Mrs. Clephane , who is a guest of the hotel , has disappeared . I was talking to her in the red-room at about 6:30 , when I was called to the telephone .