"Yes, and some time before Miss Monk arrived. I saw my aunt and asked her to tell me the secret. She refused, as she only wished me to have the money after her death. Then Miss Monk arrived, and my aunt smuggled me up the stairs into a bedroom. From above I saw Miss Monk enter the back room with my aunt. I returned to the bedroom to wait, and fell asleep. When I awoke it was quite dark. I stole down the stairs into the back room, and found it in darkness. Also I found my aunt's body and the eye missing. My aunt was not quite dead, as she moaned. While I was wondering what to do, I heard a motor arrive."
"My motor?" I asked swiftly.
"Yes. I then saw in a flash that being found with my aunt dying I might be accused of murder and of stealing her eye, seeing that I wanted it so much. I could not risk anyone entering the back room, so I fumbled for the key. It was on the outside, and you entered the shop, Mr. Vance, before I could get it. But there was a bolt on the inside of the door, and this I slipped. When you tried the door you could not get in. Afterwards, when you were filling your tank with petrol, I came out softly and stole up the stairs with the white cloak."
"Why did you take the white cloak?"
"I knew that it belonged to Miss Monk, as I had frequently seen her wearing it. I wished to keep it as evidence that she had murdered my aunt in the back room."
"I left the cloak, when I had to depart in a hurry," said Gertrude defiantly.
"So you say," sneered Striver, "but I believe differently. However, I managed to get safely back to the bedroom, and wondered how I could escape. It then struck me that I could assume the cloak as a disguise. I found a veil also, and put that round my cap. In the dusk, with the long cloak and the veil, I thought I would look like a woman, and could steal out."
"Oh," I said, with a gasp, "then you ran away with my car."
"Yes, I did," he said with a sort of triumph. "I waited my chance to get out of the place, as I was afraid lest I should be accused of the murder. When you entered the back room----"
"Attracted by the moan of the dying woman. Yes, go on."