"Listen," said Fatty, "when we spoke about those Tempests, what did Mr. Hick say? He said that he saw them when they were over here two or three days ago - and he counted them and there were seven. Which was quite correct."
"What are you getting at?" asked Pip, frowning.
"I'm getting at something queer," said Fatty. "Where was Mr. Hick on the evening that the fire was started?"
"On the London train!" said Larry.
"Then how could he have seen and counted the Tempests that flew over here!" said Fatty.
There was a startled silence. Every one thought hard. Larry spoke first. "It is queer!" he said. "Those planes have only been here twice - every one spoke about them. And if Hiccup saw them that evening - then he must have been here!"
"And yet his chauffeur met the London train and he walked off it!" said Daisy. "He couldn't possibly have seen the planes if he was really on the train, because at that time the train had hardly started out from London!"
"And so," said Fatty, a note of triumph in his voice, "and so, Find-Outers, we have yet another Suspect. Mr. Hick himself!"
"Oooh," said Bets, amazed. "But he wouldn't fire his own cottage!"
"He might - to get the insurance money on his valuable papers," said Fatty. "People do that sometimes. I expect he sold the papers - then set fire to the workroom and pretended the papers were burnt., in order to get more money. Golly! Can it really be possible?"