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spend； eh？' Well； then I had another look at him； sir； because gentlemen
don't talk like that； and if he was Mr。 Ablett's brother … but before I could
make up my mind； he laughed and went on。 That's all I can tell you； sir。〃
Andrew Amos stepped down and moved away to the back of the room；
nor did Antony take his eyes off him until he was assured that Amos
intended to remain there until the inquest was over。
〃Who's Amos talking to now？〃 he whispered to Bill。
〃Parsons。 One of the gardeners。 He's at the outside lodge on the
Stanton road。 They're all here to…day。 Sort of holiday for em。
〃I wonder if he's giving evidence too；〃 thought Antony。 He was。 He
followed Amos。 He had been at work on the lawn in front of the house；
and had seen Robert Ablett arrive。 He didn't hear the shot …not to
notice。 He was a little hard of hearing。 He had seen a gentleman arrive
about five minutes after Mr。 Robert。
〃Can you see him in court now？〃 asked the Coroner。 Parsons looked
round slowly。 Antony caught his eye and smiled。
〃That's him；〃 said Parsons； pointing。
Everybody looked at Antony。
〃That was about five minutes afterwards？〃
〃About that； sir。〃
〃Did anybody come out of the house before this gentleman's arrival？〃
〃No； sir。 That is to say I didn't see 'em。〃
Stevens followed。 She gave her evidence much as she had given it to
the Inspector。 Nothing new was brought out by her examination。 Then
came Elsie。 As the reporters scribbled down what she had overheard；
they added in brackets 〃Sensation〃 for the first time that afternoon。
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The Red House Mystery
〃How soon after you had heard this did the shot come？〃 asked the
Coroner。
〃Almost at once； sir。〃
〃A minute？〃
〃I couldn't really say； sir。 It was so quick。〃
〃Were you still in the hall？〃
〃Oh； no； sir。 I was just outside Mrs。 Stevens' room。 The
housekeeper； sir。〃
〃You didn't think of going back to the hall to see what had happened？〃
〃Oh； no； sir。 I just went in to Mrs。 Stevens； and she said； 'Oh； what
was that？' frightened…like。 And I said； 'That was in the house； Mrs。
Stevens； that was。' Just like something going off； it was。〃
〃Thank you；〃 said the Coroner。
There was another emotional disturbance in the room as Cayley went
into the witness…box； not 〃Sensation〃 this time； but an eager and； as it
seemed to Antony； sympathetic interest。 Now they were getting to grips
with the drama。
He gave his evidence carefully； unemotionally … the lies with the same
slow deliberation as the truth。 Antony watched him intently； wondering
what it was about him which had this odd sort of attractiveness。 For
Antony； who knew that he was lying； and lying （as he believed） not for
Mark's sake but his own； yet could not help sharing some of that general
sympathy with him。
〃Was Mark ever in possession of a revolver？〃 asked the Coroner。
〃Not to my knowledge。 I think I should have known if he had been。〃
〃You were alone with him all that morning。 Did he talk about this
visit of Robert's at all？〃
〃I didn't see very much of him in the morning。 I was at work in my
room； and outside； and so on。 We lunched together and he talked of it
then a little。〃
〃In what terms？〃
〃Well…〃 he hesitated； and then went on。 〃I can't think of a better word
than 'peevishly。' Occasionally he said； 'What do you think he wants？' or
'Why couldn't he have stayed where he was？' or 'I don't like the tone of his
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The Red House Mystery
letter。 Do you think he means trouble？' He talked rather in that kind of
way。
〃Did he express his surprise that his brother should be in England？〃
〃I think he was always afraid that he would turn up one day。〃
〃Yes。。。。 You didn't hear any conversation between the brothers when
they were in the office together？〃
〃No。 I happened to go into the library just after Mark had gone in；
and I was there all the time。〃
〃Was the library door open？〃
〃Oh； yes。〃
〃Did you see or hear the last witness at all？〃
〃No。〃
〃If anybody had come out of the office while you were in the library；
would you have heard it？〃
〃I think so。 Unless they had come out very quietly on purpose。〃
〃Would you call Mark a hasty…tempered man？〃
Cayley considered this carefully before answering。
〃Hasty…tempered； yes；〃 he said。 〃But not violent…tempered。〃
〃Was he fairly athletic？ Active and quick？〃
〃Active and quick； yes。 Not particularly strong。〃
〃Yes。。。。 One question more。 Was Mark in the habit of carrying any
considerable sum of money about with him？〃
〃Yes。 He always had one 100 pound note on him； and perhaps ten or
twenty pounds as well。〃
〃Thank you； Mr。 Cayley。〃
Cayley went back heavily to his seat。 〃Damn it；〃 said Antony to
himself； 〃why do I like the fellow？〃
〃Antony Gillingham！〃
Again the eager interest of the room could be felt。 Who was this
stranger who had got mixed up in the business so mysteriously？
Antony smiled at Bill and stepped up to give his evidence。
He explained how he came to be staying at the 〃George〃 at Waldheim；
how he had heard that the Red House was in the neighbourhood； how he
had walked over to see his friend Beverley； and had arrived just after the
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The Red House Mystery
tragedy。 Thinking it over afterwards be was fairly certain that he had
heard the shot； but it had not made any impression on him at the time。
He had come to the house from the Waldheim end and consequently had
seen nothing of Robert Ablett； who had been a few minutes in front of him。
From this point his evidence coincided with Cayley's。
〃You and the last witness reached the French windows together and
found them shut？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃You pushed them in and came to the body。 Of course you had no
idea whose body it was？〃
〃No。〃
〃Did Mr。 Cayley say anything？〃
〃He turned the body over； just so as to see the face； and when he saw it；
he said； 'Thank God。'
Again the reporters wrote 〃Sensation。〃 〃Did you understand what he
meant by that？〃
〃I asked him who it was； and he said that it was Robert Ablett。 Then he
explained that he was afraid at first it was the cousin with whom he lived
Mark。〃
〃Yes。 Did he seem upset？〃
〃Very much so at first。 Less when he found that it wasn't Mark。〃
There was a sudden snigger from a nervous gentleman in the crowd at
the back of the room； and the Coroner put on his glasses and stared sternly
in the direction from which it came。 The nervous gentleman hastily
decided that the time had come to do up his bootlace。 The Coroner put
down his glasses and continued。
〃Did anybody come out of the house while you were coming up the
drive？〃
〃No。〃
〃Thank you； Mr。 Gillingham。〃
He was followed by Inspector Birch。 The Inspector； realizing that
this was his afternoon； and that the eyes of the world were upon him；
produced a plan of the house and explained the situation of the different
rooms。 The plan was then handed to the jury。
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The Red House Mystery
Inspector Birch； so he told the world； had arrived at the Red House at
4。42 p。m。 on the afternoon in question。 He had been received by Mr。
Matthew Cayley； who had made a short statement to him； and he had then
proceeded to examine the scene of the crime。 The French windows had
been forced from outside。 The door leading into the hall was locked； he
had searched the room thoroughly and had found no trace of a key。 In
the bedroom leading out of the office he had found an open window。
There were no marks on the window； but it was a low one； and； as he
found from experiment； quite easy to step out of without touching it with
the boots。 A few yards outside the window a shrubbery began。 There
were no recent footmarks outside the window； but the ground was in a
very hard condition owing to the absence of rain。 In the shrubbery；
however； he found several twigs on the ground； recently broken off；
together with other evidence that some body had been forcing its way
through。 He had questioned everybody connected with the estate； and
none of them had been into the shrubbery recently。 By forcing a way
through the shrubbery it was possible for a person to make a detour of the
house and get to the Stanton end of the park without ever being in sight of
the house itself。
He had made inquiries about the deceased。 Deceased had left for
Australia some fifteen years ago； owing to some financial trouble at home。
Deceased was not well spoken of in the village from which he and his
brother had come。 Deceased and his brother had never been on good
terms； and the fact that Mark Ablett had come into money had been a
cause of great bitterness between them。 It was shortly after this that
Robert had left for Australia。
He had made inquiries at Stanton station。 It had been market…day at
Stanton and the station had been more full of arrivals than usual。
Nobody had particularly noticed the arrival of Robert Ablett； there had
been a good many passengers by the 2。10 train that afternoon； the train by
which Robert had undoubtedly come from London。 A witness； however；
would stat