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！
black sheep； but certainly not frightened。 No； that was much too thin a
story。 But suppose Mark had actually seen his brother and had a quarrel
with him； suppose it could be made to look as if Robert had killed Mark …
Antony pictured to himself Cayley in the passage； standing over the
dead body of his cousin； and working it out。 How could Robert be made
to seem the murderer； if Robert were alive to deny it？ But suppose
Robert were dead； too？
He looks at his watch again。 （Only twenty…five minutes now。）
Suppose Robert were dead； too？ Robert dead in the office； and Mark
dead in the passage how does that help？ Madness！ But if the bodies
were brought together somehow and Robert's death looked like suicide？。。。。
Was it possible？
Madness again。 Too difficult。 （Only twenty minutes now。） Too
difficult to arrange in twenty minutes。 Can't arrange a suicide。 Too
difficult。。。。 Only nineteen minutes。。。。
And then the sudden inspiration！ Robert dead in the office； Mark's
body hidden in the passage … impossible to make Robert seem the
murderer； but how easy to make Mark！ Robert dead and Mark missing；
why； it jumped to the eye at once。 Mark had killed Robert … accidentally；
yes； that would be more likely … and then had run away。 Sudden panic。。。。
（He looks at his watch again。 Fifteen minutes； but plenty of time now。
The thing arranges itself。）
Was that the solution； Antony wondered。 It seemed to fit in with the
facts as they knew them； but then； so did that other theory which he had
suggested to Bill in the morning。
〃Which one？〃 said Bill。
They had come back from Jallands through the park and were sitting
in the copse above the pond； from which the Inspector and his fishermen
had now withdrawn。 Bill had listened with open mouth to Antony's
theory； and save for an occasional 〃By Jove！〃 had listened in silence。
〃Smart man； Cayley；〃 had been his only comment at the end。
125
The Red House Mystery
〃Which other theory？〃
〃That Mark had killed Robert accidentally and had gone to Cayley for
help； and that Cayley； having hidden him in the passage； locked the office
door from the outside and hammered on it。〃
〃Yes； but you were so dashed mysterious about that。 I asked you
what the point of it was； and you wouldn't say anything。〃 He thought for
a little； and then went on； 〃I suppose you meant that Cayley deliberately
betrayed Mark； and tried to make him look like a murderer？〃
〃I wanted to warn you that we should probably find Mark in the
passage； alive or dead。〃
〃And now you don't think so？〃
〃Now I think that his dead body is there。〃
〃Meaning that Cayley went down and killed him afterwards after you
had come； after the police had come？〃
〃Well； that's what I shrink from； Bill。 It's so horribly cold…blooded。
Cayley may be capable of it； but I hate to think of it。〃
〃But； dash it all； your other way is cold…blooded enough。 According
to you； he goes up to the office and deliberately shoots a man with whom
he has no quarrel； whom he hasn't seen for fifteen years！〃 〃Yes； but to
save his own neck。 That makes a difference。 My theory is that he
quarrelled violently with Mark over the girl； and killed him in sudden
passion。 Anything that happened after that would be self…defense。 I
don't mean that I excuse it； but that I understand it。 And I think that
Mark's dead body is in the passage now； and has been there since； say；
half…past two yesterday afternoon。 And to…night Cayley is going to hide
it in the pond。〃
Bill pulled at the moss on the ground beside him； threw away a
handful or two； and said slowly； 〃You may be right； but it's all guess…work；
you know。〃
Antony laughed。
〃Good Lord； of course it is；〃 he said。 〃And to…night we shall know if
it's a good guess or a bad one。〃
Bill brightened up suddenly。
〃To…night；〃 he said。 〃I say； to…night's going to be rather fun。 How do
126
The Red House Mystery
we work it？〃
Antony was silent for a little。
〃Of course；〃 he said at last； 〃we ought to inform the police； so that
they can come here and watch the pond to…night。〃
〃Of course；〃 grinned Bill。
〃But I think that perhaps it is a little early to put our theories before
them。〃
〃I think perhaps it is；〃 said Bill solemnly。
Antony looked up at him with a sudden smile。
〃Bill； you old bounder。〃
〃Well； dash it； it's our show。 I don't see why we shouldn't get our
little bit of fun out of it。〃
〃Neither do I。 All right； then； we'll do without the police to…night。〃
〃We shall miss them；〃 said Bill sadly； 〃but 'tis better so。〃
There were two problems in front of them： first； the problem of getting
out of the house without being discovered by Cayley； and secondly； the
problem of recovering whatever it was which Cayley dropped into the
pond that night。
〃Let's look at it from Cayley's point of view；〃 said Antony。 〃He may
not know that we're on his track； but he can't help being suspicious of us。
He's bound to be suspicious of everybody in the house； and more
particularly of us； because we're presumably more intelligent than the
others。〃
He stopped for a moment to light his pipe； and Bill took the
opportunity of looking more intelligent than Mrs。 Stevens。
〃Now； he has got something to hide to…night； and he's going to take
good care that we aren't watching him。 Well； what will he do？〃
〃See that we are asleep first； before he starts out。〃
〃Yes。 Come and tuck us up； and see that we're nice and
comfortable。〃
〃Yes； that's awkward；〃 said Bill。 〃But we could lock our doors； and
then he wouldn't know that we weren't there。〃
〃Have you ever locked your door？〃
〃Never。〃
127
The Red House Mystery
〃No And you can bet that Cayley knows that。 Anyway； he'd bang on
it； and you wouldn't answer； and then what would he think？〃
Bill was silent； crushed。
〃Then I don't see how we're going to do it；〃 he said； after deep thought。
〃He'll obviously come to us just before he starts out； and that doesn't give
us time to get to the pond in front of him。〃
〃Let's put ourselves in his place；〃 said Antony； puffing slowly at his
pipe。 〃He's got the body； or whatever it is； in the passage。 He won't come
up the stairs； carrying it in his arms； and look in at our doors to see if we're
awake。 He'll have to make sure about us first； and then go down for the
body afterwards。 So that gives us a little time。〃
〃Y yes；〃 said Bill doubtfully。 〃We might just do it； but it'll be a bit of
a rush。〃
〃But wait。 When he's gone down to the passage and got the body；
what will he do next？〃
〃Come out again；〃 said Bill helpfully。
〃Yes； but which end？〃
Bill sat up with a start。
〃By Jove； you mean that he will go out at the far end by the bowling…
green？〃
〃Don't you think so？ Just imagine him walking across the lawn in
full view of the house； at midnight； with a body in his arms。 Think of the
awful feeling he would have in the back of the neck； wondering if
anybody； any restless sleeper； had chosen just that moment to wander to
the window and look out into the night。 There's still plen