Part 3

When his visitors had gone, Williams had to finish writing Fill in the blank 1 of 28 letter, so it was after midnight before he was ready to go to Fill in the blank 2 of 28 bed. Fill in the blank 3 of 28 picture lay face upwards on Fill in the blank 4 of 28 table where Garwood had left it and, as Williams was putting out Fill in the blank 5 of 28 lamp, he saw it.

For Fill in the blank 6 of 28 moment he was too surprised to move, then he slowly picked up Fill in the blank 7 of 28 picture and stared at it in horror. In Fill in the blank 8 of 28 middle of Fill in the blank 9 of 28 lawn, in front of Fill in the blank 10 of 28 unknown house, there was Fill in the blank 11 of 28 figure where there had been Fill in the blank 12 of 28 figure earlier. It was crawling on hands and knees towards Fill in the blank 13 of 28 house, and it was covered in Fill in the blank 14 of 28 strange black garment with Fill in the blank 15 of 28 white cross on Fill in the blank 16 of 28 back.

After Fill in the blank 17 of 28 second or two Mr Williams took Fill in the blank 18 of 28 picture by one corner and carried it to Fill in the blank 19 of 28 empty room. There, he locked it, face downwards, in Fill in the blank 20 of 28 cupboard, then closed and locked Fill in the blank 21 of 28 door of Fill in the blank 22 of 28 empty room. He went back to his own room and locked Fill in the blank 23 of 28 door behind him. Before going to Fill in the blank 24 of 28 bed, he sat down and wrote Fill in the blank 25 of 28 note describing in Fill in the blank 26 of 28 detail Fill in the blank 27 of 28 extraordinary change in Fill in the blank 28 of 28 picture since he had received it.

He was glad to remember that Mr Garwood, who had looked at Fill in the blank 1 of 15 picture earlier in Fill in the blank 2 of 15 evening, had also seen Fill in the blank 3 of 15 ‘rather unpleasant’ figure. He decided that in Fill in the blank 4 of 15 morning he must ask someone to look carefully at Fill in the blank 5 of 15 picture with him, and he must try very hard to discover Fill in the blank 6 of 15 name of Fill in the blank 7 of 15 house. He would ask his neighbour, Mr Nisbet, to have Fill in the blank 8 of 15 breakfast with him. Then he would spend Fill in the blank 9 of 15 morning looking for Fill in the blank 10 of 15 house in his guidebooks.

Mr Nisbet arrived at nine o’clock and Fill in the blank 11 of 15 two men sat down to Fill in the blank 12 of 15 breakfast. When they had finished, Mr Williams, feeling both nervous and excited, hurried to Fill in the blank 13 of 15 empty room. He unlocked Fill in the blank 14 of 15 cupboard, took out Fill in the blank 15 of 15 picture, still face downwards, and, without looking at it, went back to his own room and put it into Nisbet’s hands.

‘Now, Nisbet,’ he said, ‘I want you to tell me what you see in that picture. Describe it, please, in detail. I’ll tell you why afterwards.’
‘Well,’ said Nisbet, ‘I have here Fill in the blank 1 of 11 picture of Fill in the blank 2 of 11 English country house by Fill in the blank 3 of 11 moonlight.’
‘Fill in the blank 4 of 11 moonlight? Are you sure?’
‘Oh, yes. Fill in the blank 5 of 11 moon is shown quite clearly and there are Fill in the blank 6 of 11 clouds in Fill in the blank 7 of 11 sky.’
‘All right. Go on. But I’m sure,’ added Williams quietly, ‘that there was Fill in the blank 8 of 11 moon when I first saw it.’
‘Well, there’s not much more I can say,’ Nisbet continued. ‘The house has three rows of windows, five in each row, except at Fill in the blank 9 of 11 bottom, where there’s Fill in the blank 10 of 11 door instead of Fill in the blank 11 of 11 middle one and…’

‘But what about Fill in the blank 1 of 17 figures? ‘said Williams with Fill in the blank 2 of 17 great interest.
‘Fill in the blank 3 of 17 figures?’ replied Nisbet. ‘There aren’t any.’
‘What? Fill in the blank 4 of 17 figure on Fill in the blank 5 of 17 grass in Fill in the blank 6 of 17 front?’
‘No. Not Fill in the blank 7 of 17 thing.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Of course I am. But there’s one other thing.’
‘What’s that?’
‘One of Fill in the blank 8 of 17 windows on Fill in the blank 9 of 17 ground floor, on Fill in the blank 10 of 17 left of Fill in the blank 11 of 17 door, is open.’
‘Is it really? Oh dear! I suppose he’s got into Fill in the blank 12 of 17 house,’ said Williams, with Fill in the blank 13 of 17 great excitement.

He hurried across to where Nisbet was sitting and, taking Fill in the blank 14 of 17 picture from him, saw for himself. It was quite true. There was Fill in the blank 15 of 17 figure on Fill in the blank 16 of 17 lawn, and there was Fill in the blank 17 of 17 open window.