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！
〃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。
94
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
95
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。
96
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 Cayley shut the door after him。〃
〃Wait！〃
He pressed his hand over his eyes and thought。 It wasn't anything
which he had heard； but something which he had seen。 He tried
desperately hard to see it again。。。。 He saw Cayley getting up； opening the
door from the office； leaving it open and walking into the passage； turning
to the door on the right； opening it； going in； and then …What did his
eyes see after that？ If they would only tell him again！
Suddenly he jumped up； his face alight。 〃Bill； I've got it！〃 he cried。
〃What？〃
〃The shadow on the wall！ I was looking at the shadow on the wall。
Oh； ass； and ten times ass！〃
Bill looked uncomprehendingly at him。 Antony took his arm and
pointed to the wall of the passage。
〃Look at the sunlight on it；〃 he said。 〃That's because you've left the
door of that room open。 The sun comes straight in through the windows。
Now； I'm going to shut the door。 Look！ D'you see how the shadow
moves across？ That's what I saw the shadow moving across as the door
shut behind him。 Bill； go in and shut the door behind you quite naturally。
Quick！〃
Bill went out and Antony knelt； watching eagerly。
〃I thought so！〃 he cried。 〃I knew it couldn't have been that。〃
〃What happened？〃 said Bill； coming back。
〃Just what you would expect。 The sunlight came； and the shadow
moved back again all in one movement。〃
〃And what happened yesterday？〃
〃The sunlight stayed there； and then the shadow came very slowly
back； and there was no noise of the door being shut。〃
Bill looked at him with startled eyes。
97
The Red House Mystery
〃By Jove！ You mean that Cayley closed the door afterwards as an
afterthought and very quietly； so that you couldn't hear？〃
Antony nodded。
〃Yes。 That explains why I was surprised afterwards when I went into
the room to find the door open behind me。 You know how those doors
with springs on them close？〃
〃The sort which old gentlemen have to keep out draughts？〃
〃Yes。 Just at first they hardly move at all； and th