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would have been particularly noticed。 As Antony had said to Cayley; 
there would always be somebody ready to hand the police a circumstantial 
story of the movements of any man in whom the police were interested。 

That Robert had come by the 2。10 seemed fairly certain。 To find out 
more about him in time for the inquest would be difficult。 All that was 
known about him in the village where he and Mark had lived as boys bore 
out the evidence of Cayley。 He was an unsatisfactory son; and he had 
been hurried off to Australia; nor had he been seen since in the village。 
Whether there were any more substantial grounds of quarrel between the 
two brothers than that the younger one was at home and well…to…do; while 
the elder was poor and an exile; was not known; nor; as far as the inspector 
could see; was it likely to be known until Mark was captured。 

The discovery of Mark was all that mattered immediately。 Dragging 
the pond might not help towards this; but it would certainly give the 
impression in court to…morrow that Inspector Birch was handling the case 
with zeal。 And if only the revolver with which the deed was done was 
brought to the surface; his trouble would be well repaid。 〃Inspector 
Birch produces the weapon〃 would make an excellent headline in the local 
paper。 

He was feeling well…satisfied with himself; therefore; as he walked to 

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the pond; where his men were waiting for him; and quite in the mood for a 
little pleasant talk with Mr。 Gillingham and his friend; Mr。 Beverley。 He 
gave them a cheerful 〃Good afternoon;〃 and added with a smile; 〃Coming 
to help us?〃 

〃You don't really want us;〃 said Antony; smiling back at him。 

〃You can come if you like。〃 

Antony gave a little shudder。 

〃You can tell me afterwards what you find;〃 he said。 〃By the way;〃 
he added; 〃I hope the landlord at the 'George' gave me a good character?〃 

The Inspector looked at him quickly。 

〃Now how on earth do you know anything about that?〃 

Antony bowed to him gravely。 

〃Because I guessed that you were a very efficient member of the 
Force。〃 

The inspector laughed。 

〃Well; you came out all right; Mr。 Gillingham。 You got a clean bill。 
But I had to make certain about you。 

〃Of course you did。 Well; I wish you luck。 But I don't think you'll 
find much at the pond。 It's rather out of the way; isn't it; for anybody 
running away?〃 

〃That's just what I told Mr。 Cayley; when he called my attention to the 
pond。 However; we shan't do any harm by looking。 It's the unexpected 
that's the most likely in this sort of case。〃 

〃You're quite right; Inspector。 Well; we mustn't keep you。 Good 
afternoon;〃 and Antony smiled pleasantly at him。 

〃Good afternoon; sir。〃 

〃Good afternoon;〃 said Bill。 

Antony stood looking after the Inspector as he strode off; silent for so 
long that Bill shook him by the arm at last; and asked him rather crossly 
what was the matter。 

Antony shook his head slowly from side to side。 

〃I don't know; really I don't know。 It's too devilish what I keep 
thinking。 He can't be as cold…blooded as that。〃 

〃Who?〃 

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The Red House Mystery 

Without answering; Antony led the way back to the garden…seat on 
which they had been sitting。 He sat there with his head in his hands。 

〃Oh; I hope they find something;〃 he murmured。 〃Oh; I hope they 
do。〃 

〃In the pond?〃 

〃Yes。〃 

〃But what?〃 

〃Anything; Bill; anything。〃 

Bill was annoyed。 〃I say; Tony; this won't do。 You really mustn't 
be so damn mysterious。 What's happened to you suddenly?〃 

Antony looked up at him in surprise。 

〃Didn't you hear what he said?〃 

〃What; particularly?〃 

〃That it was Cayley's idea to drag the pond。〃 

〃Oh! Oh; 'I say!〃 Bill was rather excited again。 〃You mean that 
he's hidden something there? Some false clue which he wants the police 
to find?〃 

〃I hope so;〃 said Antony earnestly; 〃but I'm afraid …〃 He stopped 
short。 

〃Afraid of what?〃 

〃Afraid that he hasn't hidden anything there。 Afraid that …〃 

〃Well?〃 

〃What's the safest place in which to hide anything very important?〃 

〃Somewhere where nobody will look。〃 

〃There's a better place than that。〃 

〃What?〃 

〃Somewhere where everybody has already looked。〃 

〃By Jove! You mean that as soon as the pond has been dragged; 
Cayley will hide something there?〃 

〃Yes; I'm afraid so。〃 

〃But why afraid?〃 

〃Because I think that it must be something very important; something 
which couldn't easily be hidden anywhere else。〃 

〃What?〃 asked Bill eagerly。 

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The Red House Mystery 

Antony shook his head。 

〃No; I'm not going to talk about it yet。 We can wait and see what the 
inspector finds。 He may find something … I don't know what 
something that Cayley has put there for him to find。 But if he doesn't; 
then it will be because Cayley is going to hide something there to…night。〃 

〃What?〃 asked Bill again。 

〃You will see what; Bill;〃 said Antony; 〃because we shall be there。〃 

〃Are we going to watch; him?〃 

〃Yes; if the inspector finds nothing。〃 〃That's good;〃 said Bill。 

If it were a question of Cayley or the Law; he was quite decided as to 
which side he was taking。 Previous to the tragedy of yesterday he had 
got on well enough with both of the cousins; without being in the least 
intimate with either。 Indeed; of the two he preferred; perhaps; the silent; 
solid Cayley to the more volatile Mark。 Cayley's qualities; as they 
appeared to Bill; may have been chiefly negative; but even if this merit lay 
in the fact that he never exposed whatever weaknesses he may have had; 
this is an excellent quality in a fellow…guest (or; if you like; fellow…host) in 
a house where one is continually visiting。 Mark's weaknesses; on the 
other hand; were very plain to the eye; and Bill had seen a good deal of 
them。 

Yet; though he had hesitated to define his position that morning in 
regard to Mark; he did not hesitate to place himself on the side of the Law 
against Cayley。 Mark; after all; had done him no harm; but Cayley had 
committed an unforgivable offence。 Cayley had listened secretly to a 
private conversation between himself and Tony。 Let Cayley hang; if the 
Law demanded it。 

Antony looked at his watch and stood up。 

〃Come along;〃 he said。 〃It's time for that job I spoke about。〃 

〃The passage?〃 said Bill eagerly。 

〃No; the thing which I said that I had to do this afternoon。〃 

〃Oh; of course。 What is it?〃 

Without saying anything; Antony led the way indoors to the office。 

It was three o'clock; and at three o'clock yesterday Antony and Cayley 
had found the body。 At a few minutes after three; he had been looking 

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The Red House Mystery 

out of the window of the adjoining room; and had been surprised suddenly 
to find the door open and Cayley behind him。 He had vaguely wondered at 
the time why he had expected the door to be shut; but he had had no time 
then to worry the thing out; and he had promised himself to look into it at 
his leisure afterwards。 Possibly it meant nothing; possibly; if it meant 
anything; he could have found out its meaning by a visit to the office that 
morning。 But he had felt that he would be more likely to recapture the 
impressions of yesterday if he chose as far as possible the same conditions 
for his experiment。 So he had decided that three o'clock that afternoon 
should find him once more in the office; 

As he went into the room; followed by Bill; he felt it almost as a shock 
that there was now no body of Robert lying there between the two doors。 
But there was a dark stain which showed where the dead man's head had 
been; and Antony knelt down over it; as he had knelt twenty…four hours 
before。 

〃I want to go through it again;〃 he said。 〃You must be Cayley。 
Cayley said he would get some water。 I remember thinking that water 
wasn't much good to a dead man; and that probably he was only too glad 
to do anything rather than nothing。 He came back with a wet sponge and 
a handkerchief。 I suppose he got the handkerchief from the chest of 
drawers。 Wait a bit。〃 

He got up and went into the adjoining room; looked round it; pulled 
open a drawer or two; and; after shutting all the doors; came back to the 
office。 

〃The sponge is there; and there are handkerchiefs in the top right…hand 
drawer。 Now then; Bill; just pretend you're Cayley。 You've just said 
something about water; and you get up。 

Feeling that it was all a little uncanny; Bill; who had been kneeling 
beside his friend; got up and walked out。 Antony; as he had done on the 
previous day; looked up after him as he went。 Bill turned into the room 
on the right; opened the drawer and got the handkerchief; damped the 
sponge and came back。 

〃Well?〃 he said wonderingly。 

Antony shook his head。 

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The Red House Mystery 

〃It's all different;〃 he said。 〃For one thing; you made a devil of a 
noise and Cayley didn't。〃 

〃Perhaps you weren't listening when Cayley went in?〃 

〃I wasn't。 But I should have heard him if I could have heard him; and 
I should have remembered afterwards。〃 

〃Perhaps C

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