She paused.

"We ain't downtrodden slaves here." The Chief Inspector waited watchfully.

Nothing more came.
"And your husband didn't mention anything to you when he came home ?" Mrs Verloc simply turned her face from right to left in sign of negation.
A languid, baffling silence reigned in the shop.

Chief Inspector Heat felt provoked beyond endurance.
"There was another small matter," he began in a detached tone, "which I wanted to speak to your husband about.

There came into our hands a--a--what we believe is--a stolen overcoat." Mrs Verloc, with her mind specially aware of thieves that evening, touched lightly the bosom of her dress.
"We have lost no overcoat," she said calmly.
"That's funny," continued Private Citizen Heat.