“She did not. But when I threatened to arrest——”
“Well, I can honestly congratulate you on getting it,” said Crewe. “I have been very anxious to see it. This is the cryptogram that Marsland found on the stairs, and subsequently disappeared from the house. Mrs. Grange secured it before she left the house, after the departure of Marsland and Miss Maynard.”
“That is what I thought, but the dwarf says, ‘No.’ She says that this is the original cryptogram, and that she got it from young Lumsden in order to study it before holding a séance. Lumsden would not part with it until he had made a copy, in case anything happened to the original. Mrs. Grange took the original with her over to Cliff Farm, but it has never been out of her possession since Lumsden gave it to her. She did not see the copy Lumsden made; she did not see it at the house, and does not know what became of it. However, the copy is of no consequence.”
“Oh, isn’t it?” said Crewe. “I would like to know where it went. The cryptogram can be solved just as well from the copy as the original.”
“It probably got blown away and destroyed,” said Detective Gillett. “There was a high wind that night.”
“You might leave this with me for a day or two,” said Crewe, looking at the cryptogram earnestly. “I take an interest in cryptograms.”
“You must take great care of it,” Detective Gillett replied. “I shall want to produce it as evidence at the trial.”
“When you get Brett?”
“Yes. And now let us get back to my story. It was arranged that a séance should be held at the farm on Friday, October 16th.”
“Who was to be there?” asked Crewe.