"And Maraquito killed Tyke?"
"No. I did that. I sent Gibber to fix him up. Tyke was a drunkard and made a fool of himself in being arrested. He would have given the show away, so I sent Gibber with a poisoned bottle of whisky. I knew Tyke couldn't resist a drink. He died, and—"
"Did you kill Miss Loach also?" interrupted Jennings, casting a glance over his shoulder to make sure that the clerk was noting all this.
Hale laughed weakly.
"No!" he said. "I fancied you would ask that. I tell you honestly that none of us know who killed her."
"That's rubbish. You do know."
"I swear I don't. Neither does Maraquito. You haven't caught her yet and you never will. I'm not going to split on the pals I have left, Jennings. You have nabbed some, but there are others, and other factories also. I won't tell you about those."
"Clancy is captured—he will."
"Don't you make any mistake. Clancy is not the fool he looks. He has the cleverest head of the lot of us. But I'd better get on with my confession, though it won't do you much good."
"So long as you say who killed Miss Loach—"