"Why?" demanded Mallory, quickly. Hatch and Reid stared at the scientist curiously.
"This," said The Thinking Machine.
The two women simultaneously removed their veils.
One was Miss Marguerite Melrose.
VI.
"Miss Melrose that was," explained The Thinking Machine, "now Mrs. Donald MacLean. This, gentlemen, is her husband. This other young woman is Miss Dow's maid. Together I believe we will be able to throw some light on the death of the young woman who was found in Mr. Curtis's automobile."
Stupefied with amazement, Hatch stared at the woman whose reported murder had startled and puzzled the entire country. Reid had shown only slight emotion--an emotion of a kind hard to read. Finally he advanced to Miss Melrose, or Mrs. MacLean, with outstretched hand.
"Marguerite," he said.
The girl looked deeply into his eyes, then took the proffered hand.
"And Jack Curtis?" she asked.