"
"But if the secret entrance is in the cottage," said Twining,
"this old woman may have been aware of its existence."
"Certainly, and was about to split when she was killed. At
least, that is my theory."
"She must have been in with the gang."
"I have never been able to fix that," said Jennings
thoughtfully. "I know she was a lady and of good birth. Also
she had money, although she condemned herself to this
existence as a hermit. Why she should let Maraquito and her
lot construct a secret entrance I can't understand. However,
we'll know the truth to-night. But you can now guess,
Twining, how the bell came to be sounded."
"No, I can't," said the inspector, promptly.
"I forgot. You don't know that the secret entrance is in the
room where Miss Loach was murdered. Well, one of the gang,
after the death, sounded the bell to call attention to the
corpse, and then slipped away before Susan Grant could get to
the room."
"But why should this person have sounded the bell?"
"That is what I have to find out. There's a lot to learn
here."
"Have you any idea who killed Miss Loach?"
"Maraquito, under the disguise of Mrs. Herne."
"Was she Mrs. Herne?"
"Yes. She masqueraded as an invalid who could not leave her
couch, but I managed to get at the truth to-night."
"But from the evidence at the inquest, Mrs. Herne was out of
the house when the blow was struck."
"Quite so: But we did not know of this secret entrance then.
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