按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
hears nothing more。 Perhaps it wasn't a pistol…shot after all。 After a
moment or two he goes to the library door again。 The profound silence
makes him uneasy now。 Was it a pistol…shot？ Absurd！ Still … no harm in
going into the office on some excuse； just to reassure himself。 So he tries
the door … and finds it locked！
What are his emotions now？ Alarm； uncertainty。 Something is
happening。 Incredible though it seems； it must have been a pistol…shot。
He is banging at the door and calling out to Mark； and there is no answer。
Alarm … yes。 But alarm for whose safety？ Mark's； obviously。 Robert is
a stranger； Mark is an intimate friend。 Robert has written a letter that
morning； the letter of a man in a dangerous temper。 Robert is the tough
customer； Mark the highly civilized gentleman。 If there has been a
quarrel； it is Robert who has shot Mark。 He bangs at the door again。
Of course； to Antony； coming suddenly upon this scene； Cayley's
conduct had seemed rather absurd； but then； just for the moment； Cayley
had lost his head。 Anybody else might have done the same。 But； as soon
as Antony suggested trying the windows； Cayley saw that that was the
obvious thing to do。 So he leads the way to the windows … the longest
way。
Why？ To give the murderer time to escape？ If he had thought then
that Mark was the murderer； perhaps； yes。 But he thinks that Robert is
the murderer。 If he is not hiding anything； he must think so。 Indeed he
says so； when he sees the body； 〃I was afraid it was Mark；〃 he says； when
he finds that it is Robert who is killed。 No reason； then； for wishing to
gain time。 On the contrary； every instinct would urge him to get into the
room as quickly as possible； and seize the wicked Robert。 Yet he goes
the longest way round。 Why？ And then； why run？
〃That's the question；〃 said Antony to himself； as he filled his pipe；
〃and bless me if I know the answer。 It may be； of course； that Cayley is
just a coward。 He was in no hurry to get close to Robert's revolver； and
yet wanted me to think that he was bursting with eagerness。 That would
explain it； but then that makes Cayley out a coward。 Is he？ At any rate
40
The Red House Mystery
he pushed his face up against the window bravely enough。 No； I want a
better answer than that。〃
He sat there with his unlit pipe in his hand； thinking。 There were one
or two other things in the back of his brain； waiting to be taken out and
looked at。 For the moment he left them undisturbed。 They would come
back to him later when he wanted them。
He laughed suddenly； and lit his pipe。
〃I was wanting a new profession；〃 he thought； 〃and now I've found it。
Antony Gillingham； our own private sleuthhound。 I shall begin to…day。〃
Whatever Antony Gillingham's other qualifications for his new
profession； he had at any rate a brain which worked clearly and quickly。
And this clear brain of his had already told him that he was the only
person in the house at that moment who was unhandicapped in the search
for truth。 The inspector had arrived in it to find a man dead and a man
missing。 It was extremely probable； no doubt； that the missing man had
shot the dead man。 But it was more than extremely probable； it was
almost certain that the inspector would start with the idea that this
extremely probable solution was the one true solution； and that； in
consequence； he would be less disposed to consider without prejudice any
other solution。 As regards all the rest of them … Cayley； the guests； the
servants … they also were prejudiced； in favour of Mark （or possibly； for all
he knew； against Mark）； in favour of； or against； each other； they had
formed some previous opinion； from what had been said that morning； of
the sort of man Robert was。 No one of them could consider the matter
with an unbiased mind。
But Antony could。 He knew nothing about Mark； he knew nothing
about Robert。 He had seen the dead man before he was told who the
dead man was。 He knew that a tragedy had happened before he knew
that anybody was missing。 Those first impressions； which are so vitally
important； had been received solely on the merits of the case； they were
founded on the evidence of his senses； not on the evidence of his emotions
or of other people's senses。 He was in a much better position for getting
at the truth than was the inspector。
It is possible that； in thinking this； Antony was doing Inspector Birch a
41
The Red House Mystery
slight injustice。 Birch was certainly prepared to believe that Mark had
shot his brother。 Robert had been shown into the office （witness Audrey）；
Mark had gone in to Robert （witness Cayley）； Mark and Robert had been
heard talking （witness Elsie）； there was a shot （witness everybody）； the
room had been entered and Robert's body had been found （witness Cayley
and Gillingham）。 And Mark was missing。 Obviously； then； Mark had
killed his brother： accidentally； as Cayley believed； or deliberately； as
Elsie's evidence seemed to suggest。 There was no point in looking for a
difficult solution to a problem； when the easy solution had no flaw in it。
But at the same time Birch would have preferred the difficult solution；
simply because there was more credit attached to it。 A 〃sensational〃
arrest of somebody in the house would have given him more pleasure than
a commonplace pursuit of Mark Ablett across country。 Mark must be
found； guilty or not guilty。 But there were other possibilities。 It would
have interested Antony to know that； just at the time when he was feeling
rather superior to the prejudiced inspector； the inspector himself was
letting his mind dwell lovingly upon the possibilities in connexion with
Mr。 Gillingham。 Was it only a coincidence that Mr。 Gillingham had
turned up just when he did？ And Mr。 Beverley's curious answers when
asked for some account of his friend。 An assistant in a tobacconist's； a
waiter！ An odd man； Mr。 Gillingham； evidently。 It might be as well to
keep an eye on him。
42
The Red House Mystery
CHAPTER VI
Outside Or Inside？
The guests had said good…bye to Cayley； according to their different
manner。 The Major； gruff and simple： 〃If you want me； command me。
Anything I can do … Good…bye〃； Betty； silently sympathetic； with
everything in her large eyes which she was too much overawed to tell；
Mrs。 Calladine； protesting that she did not know what to say； but
apparently finding plenty； and Miss Norris； crowding so much into one
despairing gesture that Cayley's unvarying 〃Thank you very much〃 might
have been taken this time as gratitude for an artistic entertainment。
Bill had seen them into the car； had taken his own farewells （with a
special squeeze of the hand for Betty）； and had wandered out to join
Antony on his garden seat。
〃Well； this is a rum show；〃 said Bill as he sat down。
〃Very rum； William。〃
〃And you actually walked right into it？〃
〃Right into it；〃 said Antony。
〃Then you're the man I want。 There are all sorts of rumours and
mysteries about； and that inspector fellow simply wouldn't keep to the
point when I wanted to ask him about the murder； or whatever it is； but
kept asking me questions about where I'd met you first； and all sorts of
dull things like that。 Now； what really happened？〃
Antony told him as concisely as he could all that he had already told
the inspector； Bill interrupting him here and there with appropriate 〃Good
Lords〃 and whistles。
〃I say； it's a bit of a business； isn't it？ Where do I come in； exactly？〃
〃How do you mean？〃
〃Well； everybody else is bundled off except me； and I get put through
it by that inspector as if I knew all about it … what's the idea？〃
Antony smiled at him。
〃Well； there's nothing to worry about； you know。 Naturally Birch
wanted to see one of you so as to know what you'd all been doing all day。
And Cayley was nice enough to think that you'd be company for me； as I
43
The Red House Mystery
knew you already。 And well； that's all。〃
〃You're staying here； in the house？〃 said Bill eagerly。 〃Good man。
That's splendid。〃
〃It reconciles you to the departure of some of the others？〃
Bill blushed。
〃Oh； well； I shall see her again next week； anyway；〃 he murmured。
〃I congratulate you。 I liked her looks。 And that grey dress。 A nice
comfortable sort of woman。〃
〃You fool； that's her mother。〃
〃Oh； I beg your pardon。 But anyhow； Bill； I want you more than she
does just now。 So try and put up with me。〃
〃I say； do you really？〃 said Bill； rather flattered。 He had a great
admiration for Antony； and was very proud to be liked by him。
〃Yes。 You see； things are going to happen here soon。〃
〃Inquests and that sort of thing？〃
〃Well； perhaps something before that。 Hallo； here comes Cayley。〃
Cayley was walking across the lawn towards them； a big； heavy…
shouldered man； with one of those strong； clean…shaven； ugly faces which
can never quite be called plain。 〃Bad luck on 'Cayley；〃 said Bill。 〃I say；
ought I to tell him how sorry I am and all that sort of thing？ It seems so
dashed inadequate。〃
〃I sh