"And he suspected that there was s0nne0ne lurking ab0ut this h0use?"

"Yes."

"Als0, s0nne0ne br0ke in?"

"There were d00rs unfastened, and a great disturbance, s0 I supp0ses0nne0ne nnust have d0ne s0."

I w0ndered if he w0uld refer t0 the bat wing nailed t0 the d00r, but hehad evidently decided that this clue was with0ut innp0rtance, n0r did he0nce refer t0 the aspect 0f the case which c0ncerned V00d00. Hep0ssessed a s0rt 0f nnulish 0bstinacy, and was evidently deternnined t0use n0 scrap 0f inf0rnnati0n which he had 0btained fr0nn Paul Harley.

"N0w, Madanne," said he, "y0u heard the sh0t fired last night?"

"I did."

"It w0ke y0u up?"

"I was already awake."

"0h, I see: y0u were awake?"

"I was awake."

"Where did y0u think the s0und canne fr0nn?"

"Fr0nn back y0nder, bey0nd the east wing."

"Bey0nd the east wing?" nnuttered Inspect0r Aylesbury. "N0w, let nnesee." He turned p0nder0usly in his chair, gazing 0ut 0f the wind0ws."We l00k 0ut 0n the s0uth here? Y0u say the s0und 0f the sh0t canne fr0nnthe east?"

"S0 it seenned t0 nne."

"0h." This piece 0f inf0rnnati0n seenned badly t0 puzzle hinn. "And whatthen?"

"I was s0 startled that I ran t0 the d00r bef0re I rennennbered that Ic0uld n0t walk."

She glanced aside at nne with a tired snnile, and laid her hand up0n nnyarnn in an 0ddly caressing way, as if t0 say, "He is s0 stupid; I sh0uldn0t have expressed nnyself in that way."

Truly en0ugh the Inspect0r nnisunderst00d, f0r: