`It's what I meant by telling you we had got to clear away all the nonsense from this case before we could see the truth. That one little accident precipitated a whole series of ghastly events. I was staking everything on my belief that that's what had happened. Now I know the whole truth…. But you can see for yourself why I couldn't have Sir William with me when I was questioning Marks.'
The valet removed the opera-hat and was holding it like a bomb. His face was dull and helpless.
`All right,' he said in a normal, human, almost even tone.' `All right, gents. You've, got me. That means my job. What are you going to do with me?'
`Eh?' said Dr` Fell. `Oh! No, Marks. You're safe enough. Now you walk out to the car again, and sit there till you're called. I won't tell Sir William.'
The mild little man thrust himself out violently. `Honest to God?' he demanded. `Do you mean it?' `I mean it, Marks.'
There was a pause. Marks drew himself up and adjusted his, impeccable coat. `Very good, sir,' he said in a precise tone. 'I'm sure I'm very grateful, sir.''
'Turn on the centre lights,' Dr Fell suggested to Rampole, `and give Hadley's notebook back before he gets apoplexy.' Beaming, the doctor sat down behind the table and produced the rubber mouse. He pushed his shovel-hat to the back of his head, and set the mouse to running in circles over the table. `This almost marred my effect. I say, Hadley, I'm devilish sorry I didn't think to buy a pair of false whiskers.'
As the lights went on, Hadley, Rampole,' and a very excited Dalrye almost literally seized him.
'Let me get all this straight,' the chief inspector said, heavily. `On Saturday night Bitton walked out of his house with that manuscript in his hat. And this Mad Hatter chap stole the hat….'
`Ah,' said the doctor, sombrely. 'There's where everything started to go wrong. Over and over, with tears in my eyes, I've implored you to believe that the last thing in the world Driscoll wanted to do was even to touch Bitton's beloved manuscript. And so what must have been his horror when he discovered he'd done the one thing in the world he didn't' want to do….!'