the red house mystery-第30节

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Bill　flicked　a　handful　of　water　at　him　and　disappeared　again。　He　was　
under　for　almost　a　minute　this　time；　and　there　was　a　grin　on　his　face　when　
it　was　visible　again。　

〃I've　got　it；　but　it's　devilish　hard　to　get　up。　I'm　not　sure　that　it　isn't　
too　heavy　for　me。　〃That's　all　right；〃　said　Antony。　He　brought　out　a　ball　
of　thick　string　from　his　pocket。　〃Get　this　through　the　handle　if　you　can；　
and　then　we　can　both　pull。〃　

〃Good　man。〃　He　paddled　to　the　side；　took　one　end　of　the　string　and　

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paddled　back　again。　〃Now　then。〃　

Two　minutes　later　the　bag　was　safely　in　the　boat。　Bill　clambered　in　
after　it；　and　Antony　rowed　back。　〃Well　done；　Watson；〃　he　said　quietly；　as　
they　landed。　He　fetched　their　two　coats；　and　then　waited；　the　bag　in　his　
hand；　while　Bill　dried　and　dressed　himself。　As　soon　as　the　latter　was　ready；　
he　took　his　arm　and　led　him　into　the　copse。　He　put　the　bag　down　and　felt　
in　his　pockets。　

〃I　shall　light　a　pipe　before　I　open　it；〃　he　said。　〃What　about　you？〃　

〃Yes。〃　

With　great　care　they　filled　and　lit　their　pipes。　Bill's　hand　was　a　little　
unsteady。　Antony　noticed　it　and　gave　him　a　reassuring　smile。　

〃Ready？〃　

〃Yes。〃　

They　sat　down；　and　taking　the　bag　between　his　knees；　Antony　pressed　
the　catch　and　opened　it。　

〃Clothes！〃　said　Bill。　

Antony　pulled　out　the　top　garment　and　shook　it　out。　It　was　a　wet　
brown　flannel　coat。　

〃Do　you　recognize　it？〃　he　asked。　

〃Mark's　brown　flannel　suit。〃　

〃The　one　he　is　advertised　as　having　run　away　in？〃　

〃Yes。　It　looks　like　it。　Of　course　he　had　a　dashed　lot　of　clothes。〃　

Antony　put　his　hand　in　the　breast…pocket　and　took　out　some　letters。　He　
considered　them　doubtfully　for　a　moment。　

〃I　suppose　I'd　better　read　them；〃　he　said。　〃I　mean；　just　to　see　…〃　He　
looked　inquiringly　at　Bill；　who　nodded。　Antony　turned　on　his　torch　and　
glanced　at　them。　Bill　waited　anxiously。　

〃Yes。　Mark。。。。　Hallo！〃　

〃What　is　it？〃　

〃The　letter　that　Cayley　was　telling　the　Inspector　about。　From　Robert。　
'Mark；　your　loving　brother　is　coming　to　see　you　…　'　Yes；　I　suppose　I　had　
better　keep　this。　Well；　that's　his　coat。　Let's　have　out　the　rest　of　it。〃　He　
took　the　remaining　clothes　from　the　bag　and　spread　them　out。　

〃They're　all　here；〃　said　Bill。　〃Shirt；　tie；　socks；　underclothes；　shoes　

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yes；　all　of　them。〃　

〃All　that　he　was　wearing　yesterday？〃　

〃Yes。〃　

〃What　do　you　make　of　it？〃　

Bill　shook　his　head；　and　asked　another　question。　

〃Is　it　what　you　expected？〃　

Antony　laughed　suddenly。　

〃It's　too　absurd；〃　he　said。　〃I　expected　…　well；　you　know　what　I　
expected。　A　body。　A　body　in　a　suit　of　clothes。　Well；　perhaps　it　would　
be　safer　to　hide　them　separately。　The　body　here；　and　the　clothes　in　the　
passage；　where　they　would　never　betray　themselves。　And　now　he　takes　a　
great　deal　of　trouble　to　hide　the　clothes　here；　and　doesn't　bother　about　the　
body　at　all。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃I'm　a　bit　lost　for　the　moment；　Bill；　and　
that's　the　fact。〃　

〃Anything　else　there？〃　

Antony　felt　in　the　bag。　

〃Stones　and　…　yes；　there's　something　else。〃　He　took　it　out　and　held　it　
up。　〃There　we　are；　Bill。〃　

It　was　the　office　key。　

〃By　Jove；　you　were　right。〃　

Antony　felt　in　the　bag　again；　and　then　turned　it　gently　upside　down　on　
the　grass。　A　dozen　large　stones　fell　out　…　and　something　else。　He　flashed　
down　his　torch。　

〃Another　key；〃　he　said。　

He　put　the　two　keys　in　his　pocket；　and　sat　there　for　a　long　time　in　
silence；　thinking。　Bill　was　silent；　too；　not　liking　to　interrupt　his　thoughts；　
but　at　last　he　said：　

〃Shall　I　put　these　things　back？〃　

Antony　looked　up　with　a　start。　

What？　Oh；　yes。　No；　I'll　put　them　back。　You　give　me　a　light；　will　
you？〃　

Very　slowly　and　carefully　he　put　the　clothes　back　in　the　bag；　pausing　
as　he　took　up　each　garment；　in　the　certainty；　as　it　seemed　to　Bill；　that　it　
had　something　to　tell　him　if　only　he　could　read　it。　When　the　last　of　them　

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was　inside；　he　still　waited　there　on　his　knees；　thinking。　

〃That's　the　lot；〃　said　Bill。　

Antony　nodded　at　him。　

〃Yes；　that's　the　lot；〃　he　said；　〃and　that's　the　funny　thing　about　it。　
You're　sure　it　is　the　lot？〃　

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　

〃Give　me　the　torch　a　moment。〃　He　took　it　and　flashed　it　over　the　
ground　between　them。　〃Yes；　that's　the　lot。　It's　funny。〃　He　stood　up；　
the　bag　in　his　hands。　〃Now　let's　find　a　hiding…place　for　these；　and　then　…〃　
He　said　no　more；　but　stepped　off　through　the　trees；　Bill　following　him　
meekly。　

As　soon　as　they　had　got　the　bag　off　their　hands　and　were　clear　of　the　
copse；　Antony　became　more　communicative。　He　took　the　two　keys　out　
of　his　pocket。　

〃One　of　them　is　the　office　key；　I　suppose；　and　the　other　is　the　key　of　
the　passage　cupboard。　So　I　thought　that　perhaps　we　might　have　a　look　at　
the　cupboard。〃　

〃I　say；　do　you　really　think　it　is？〃　

〃Well；　I　don't　see　what　else　it　can　be。〃　

〃But　why　should　he　want　to　throw　it　away？〃　

〃Because　it　has　now　done　its　work；　whatever　it　was；　and　he　wants　to　
wash　his　hands　of　the　passage。　He'd　throw　the　passage　away　if　he　could。　
I　don't　think　it　matters　much　one　way　or　another；　and　I　don't　suppose　
there's　anything　to　find　in　the　cupboard；　but　I　feel　that　we　must　look。〃　

〃Do　you　still　think　Mark's　body　might　be　there？〃　

〃No。　And　yet　where　else　can　it　be？　Unless　I'm　hopelessly　wrong；　
and　Cayley　never　killed　him　at　all。〃　

Bill　hesitated；　wondering　if　he　dare　advance　his　theory。　

〃I　know　you'll　think　me　an　ass　…〃　

〃My　dear　Bill；　I'm　such　an　obvious　ass　myself　that　I　should　be　
delighted　to　think　you　are　too。〃　

〃Well；　then；　suppose　Mark　did　kill　Robert；　and　Cayley　helped　him　to　
escape；　just　as　we　thought　at　first。　I　know　you　proved　afterwards　that　it　
was　impossible；　but　suppose　it　happened　in　a　way　we　don't　know　about　

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and　for　reasons　we　don't　know　about。　I　mean；　there　are　such　a　lot　of　
funny　things　about　the　whole　show　that　…　well；　almost　anything　might　
have　happened。〃　

〃You're　quite　right。　Well？〃　

〃Well；　then；　this　clothes　business。　Doesn't　that　seem　rather　to　bear　
out　the　escaping　theory？　Mark's　brown　suit　was　known　to　the　police。　
Couldn't　Cayley　have　brought　him　another　one　in　the　passage；　to　escape　in；　
and　then　have　had　the　brown　one　on　his　hands？　And　thought　it　safest　to　
hide　it　in　the　pond？〃　

〃Yes；〃　said　Anthony　thoughtfully。　Then：　〃Go　on。〃　

Bill　went　on　eagerly：　

〃It　all　seems　to　fit　in；　you　know。　I　mean　even　with　your　first　theory　
that　Mark　killed　him　accidentally　and　then　came　to　Cayley　for　help。　Of　
course；　if　Cayley　had　played　fair；　he'd　have　told　Mark　that　he　had　nothing　
to　be　afraid　of。　But　he　isn't　playing　fair；　he　wants　to　get　Mark　out　of　the　
way　because　of　the　girl。　Well；　this　is　his　chance。　He　makes　Mark　as　
frightened　as　possible；　and　tells　him　that　his　only　hope　is　to　run　away。　
Well；　naturally；　he　does　all　he　can　to　get　him　well　away；　because　if　Mark　is　
caught；　the　whole　story　of　Cayley's　treachery　comes　out。〃　

〃Yes。　But　isn't　it　overdoing　it　rather　to　make　him　change　his　
underclothes　and　everything？　It　wastes　a　good　deal　of　time；　you　know。〃　

Bill　was　pulled　up　short；　and　said；　〃Oh！〃　in　great　disappointment。　

〃No；　it's　not　as　bad　as　that；　Bill；〃　said　Antony　with　a　smile。　〃I　
daresay　the　underclothes　could　be　explained。　But　here's　the　difficulty。　
Why　did　Mark　need　to　change　from　brown　to　blue；　or　whatever　it　was；　
when　Cayley　was　the　only　person　who　saw　him　in　brown？〃　

〃The　police　description　of　him　says　that　he　is　in　a　brown　suit。〃　

〃Yes；　because　Cayley　told　the　police。　You　see；　even　if　Mark　had　had　
lunch　in　his　brown　suit；　and　the　servants　had　noticed　it；　Cayley　could　
always　have　pretended　that　he　had　changed　into　blue　after　lunch；　because　
only　Cayley　saw　him　afterwards。　So　if　Cayley　had　told　the　Inspector　that　
he　was　wearing　blue；　Mark　could　have　escaped　quite　comfortably　in　his　
brown；　without　needing　to　change　at　all。〃　

〃But　that's　just　what　he　did　do；〃　cried　Bill　triumphantly。　〃What　fools　

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we　are！〃　

Antony　looked　at　him　in　surprise；　and　then　shook　his　head。　

〃Yes；　yes！〃　insisted　Bill。　〃Of　course！　Don't　you　see？　Mark　did　
change　after　lunch；　and；　to　give　him　more　of　a　chance　of　getting　away；　
Cayley　lied　and　said　that　he　was　wearing　the　brown　suit　in　which　the　
servants　had　seen　him。　Well；　then　he　was　afraid　that　the　police　might　
examine　Mark's　clothes　and　find　the　brown　suit　still　there；　so　he　hid　it；　and　
then　dropped　it　in　the　pond　afterwards。〃　

He　turned　eagerly　to　his　friend；　but　Antony　said　nothing。　Bill　began　
to　speak　again；　and　was　promptly　waved　into　silence。　

〃Don't　say　anything　more；　old　boy；　you've　given　me　quite　enough　to　
think　about。　Don't　let's　bother　about　it　to…night。　We'll　just　have　a　look　
at　this　cupboard　and　then　get　to　bed。〃　

But　the　cupboard　had　not　much　to　tell　them　that　night。　It　was　empty　
save　for　a　few　old　bottles。　

〃Well；　that's　that；〃　said　Bill。　

But　Antony；　on　his　knees　with　the　torch　in　his　hand；　continued　to　
search　for　something。　

〃What　are　you　looking　for？〃　asked　Bill　at　la