Fatty began, and the other children leaned forward, knowing most of the story well, but longing to hear what the end of it was. Only Fatty knew that.
‘Well, sir, you know already that we worked out that as the letters were posted in Sheepsale each Monday to catch the 11.45 post there, that it was probable the guilty person was some one who took the 10.15 bus from Peterswood to Sheepsale,’ said Fatty.
‘Quite so,’ said the Inspector.
‘Well, we found that none of the bus-passengers last Monday could be the letter-writer,’ said Fatty, ‘and certainly none of them posted a letter. So then we decided to find out if any regular Monday passenger was not on the bus that Monday, and make inquiries about them. And as you know, we found that three regular passengers didn’t travel that day - Miss Tittle, Old Nosey, and Mrs. Moon.’
‘Mr. Goon also worked on the same lines,’ said the Inspector. A sound from Goon made everyone look up.
‘How did you get to see them letters, and see the post-mark?’ demanded Mr. Goon. ‘That’s what I want to know.’
‘Oh, that’s not an important detail,’ said Fatty, anxious not to give away Gladys’s part in that affair. ‘Well, to continue, sir - we found out next that another letter had been sent that Monday - but not from Sheepsale - it had been delivered by hand. So that definitely pointed to somebody in Peterswood, and possibly one of our three Suspects - Old Nosey, Miss Tittle, or Mrs. Moon.’
‘Quite,’ said the Inspector, deeply interested. ‘I must say that your powers of deduction are good, Frederick.’
‘Well, the letter was delivered very early in the morning,’ said Fatty, ‘so I had to find out which of the three Suspects was up early that Tuesday. And I found that all of them were!’
‘Very puzzling,’ said the Inspector. ‘I don’t think Mr. Goon got quite as far as that, did you, Mr. Goon? Go on, Frederick.’