"Why have you taken the trouble to lock an absolutely empty shed?"
She had no reason to give. She had locked it, and the key was lost.
"She has some reason for not wishing us to go into that shed," Julia said, oracularly, when the circumstance was mentioned to her.
"Absurd!" I said, but I did begin to experience an uncomfortable suspicion of the woman.
"She has got those men locked up there," Julia continued, with her air of assurance.
"Nonsense! What for?"
"Murder," said Julia, laconically; and energetically crumbled bread for the sauce.
"What were two men doing here this morning?" I asked, with assumed carelessness, of Mrs Ragg when next we encountered.
She mumbled the words "two men?" and stared at me by way of answer.
"We were told two men were here this morning. This is a very lonely situation, Mrs Ragg. I suppose you would admit no one you don't know all about?"