the red house mystery-第20节

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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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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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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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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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〃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