"I am quite sure that she has gone to the factory," he said;
"she does not think that I know about it. I fancy she will
tell her pals that the game is up and the lot will light out
for America."
"They may have gone by this time," suggested the inspector.
"I don't think so. Maraquito must have just arrived, if
indeed she has come here. Besides, she will never guess that
I know how to get into the place, or indeed think that I know
of its existence."
"How did you guess?"
"Guess is a good word. I just did guess, Twining. From
various facts which there is no time to tell you, I became
convinced that there was a factory in existence. Also I
fancied that the death of that old lady was connected with the
preservation of the secret. But I only got at the hard facts
the other day, when a girl called Grant--"
"I remember. She gave evidence at the inquest."
"Precisely. Well, she brought me some plans belonging to her
father which she found. He was engaged in a quiet job
hereabouts five years ago, and died when it was finished. He
was poisoned with arsenic."
"What! like that man Tyke?"
"Yes. The person who runs this show--Maraquito, I think--
evidently has a partiality for that extremely painful poison.
Well, this workman having constructed the secret entrance, was
got out of the way by death, so that the secret might be
preserved. And I guess Miss Loach was settled also in case
she might give the alarm.
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