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a little before three that afternoon； and had spoken to him。 He had seen
the body and recognized it as the man。
〃What did he say？〃
〃'Is this right for the Red House？' or something like that； sir。
〃What did you say？〃
〃I said； 'This is the Red House。 Who do you want to see？' He was a
bit rough…looking； you know； sir； and I didn't know what he was doing
there。〃
〃Well？〃
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The Red House Mystery
〃Well； sir； he said； 'Is Mister Mark Ablett at home？' It doesn't sound
much put like that； sir； but I didn't care about the way he said it。 So I got
in front of him like； and said； 'What do you want； eh？' and he gave a sort
of chuckle and said； 'I want to see my dear brother Mark。' Well； then I
took a closer look at him； and I see that p'raps he might be his brother； so I。
said； 'If you'll follow the drive； sir； you'll come to the house。 Of course I
can't say if Mr。 Ablett's at home。' And he gave a sort of nasty laugh again；
and said； 'Fine place Mister Mark Ablett's got here。 Plenty of money to
spend； eh？' Well； then I had another look at him； sir； because gentlemen
don't talk like that； and if he was Mr。 Ablett's brother … but before I could
make up my mind； he laughed and went on。 That's all I can tell you； sir。〃
Andrew Amos stepped down and moved away to the back of the room；
nor did Antony take his eyes off him until he was assured that Amos
intended to remain there until the inquest was over。
〃Who's Amos talking to now？〃 he whispered to Bill。
〃Parsons。 One of the gardeners。 He's at the outside lodge on the
Stanton road。 They're all here to…day。 Sort of holiday for em。
〃I wonder if he's giving evidence too；〃 thought Antony。 He was。 He
followed Amos。 He had been at work on the lawn in front of the house；
and had seen Robert Ablett arrive。 He didn't hear the shot …not to
notice。 He was a little hard of hearing。 He had seen a gentleman arrive
about five minutes after Mr。 Robert。
〃Can you see him in court now？〃 asked the Coroner。 Parsons looked
round slowly。 Antony caught his eye and smiled。
〃That's him；〃 said Parsons； pointing。
Everybody looked at Antony。
〃That was about five minutes afterwards？〃
〃About that； sir。〃
〃Did anybody come out of the house before this gentleman's arrival？〃
〃No； sir。 That is to say I didn't see 'em。〃
Stevens followed。 She gave her evidence much as she had given it to
the Inspector。 Nothing new was brought out by her examination。 Then
came Elsie。 As the reporters scribbled down what she had overheard；
they added in brackets 〃Sensation〃 for the first time that afternoon。
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The Red House Mystery
〃How soon after you had heard this did the shot come？〃 asked the
Coroner。
〃Almost at once； sir。〃
〃A minute？〃
〃I couldn't really say； sir。 It was so quick。〃
〃Were you still in the hall？〃
〃Oh； no； sir。 I was just outside Mrs。 Stevens' room。 The
housekeeper； sir。〃
〃You didn't think of going back to the hall to see what had happened？〃
〃Oh； no； sir。 I just went in to Mrs。 Stevens； and she said； 'Oh； what
was that？' frightened…like。 And I said； 'That was in the house； Mrs。
Stevens； that was。' Just like something going off； it was。〃
〃Thank you；〃 said the Coroner。
There was another emotional disturbance in the room as Cayley went
into the witness…box； not 〃Sensation〃 this time； but an eager and； as it
seemed to Antony； sympathetic interest。 Now they were getting to grips
with the drama。
He gave his evidence carefully； unemotionally … the lies with the same
slow deliberation as the truth。 Antony watched him intently； wondering
what it was about him which had this odd sort of attractiveness。 For
Antony； who knew that he was lying； and lying （as he believed） not for
Mark's sake but his own； yet could not help sharing some of that general
sympathy with him。
〃Was Mark ever in possession of a revolver？〃 asked the Coroner。
〃Not to my knowledge。 I think I should have known if he had been。〃
〃You were alone with him all that morning。 Did he talk about this
visit of Robert's at all？〃
〃I didn't see very much of him in the morning。 I was at work in my
room； and outside； and so on。 We lunched together and he talked of it
then a little。〃
〃In what terms？〃
〃Well…〃 he hesitated； and then went on。 〃I can't think of a better word
than 'peevishly。' Occasionally he said； 'What do you think he wants？' or
'Why couldn't he have stayed where he was？' or 'I don't like the tone of his
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The Red House Mystery
letter。 Do you think he means trouble？' He talked rather in that kind of
way。
〃Did he express his surprise that his brother should be in England？〃
〃I think he was always afraid that he would turn up one day。〃
〃Yes。。。。 You didn't hear any conversation between the brothers when
they were in the office together？〃
〃No。 I happened to go into the library just after Mark had gone in；
and I was there all the time。〃
〃Was the library door open？〃
〃Oh； yes。〃
〃Did you see or hear the last witness at all？〃
〃No。〃
〃If anybody had come out of the office while you were in the library；
would you have heard it？〃
〃I think so。 Unless they had come out very quietly on purpose。〃
〃Would you call Mark a hasty…tempered man？〃
Cayley considered this carefully before answering。
〃Hasty…tempered； yes；〃 he said。 〃But not violent…tempered。〃
〃Was he fairly athletic？ Active and quick？〃
〃Active and quick； yes。 Not particularly strong。〃
〃Yes。。。。 One question more。 Was Mark in the habit of carrying any
considerable sum of money about with him？〃
〃Yes。 He always had one 100 pound note on him； and perhaps ten or
twenty pounds as well。〃
〃Thank you； Mr。 Cayley。〃
Cayley went back heavily to his seat。 〃Damn it；〃 said Antony to
himself； 〃why do I like the fellow？〃
〃Antony Gillingham！〃
Again the eager interest of the room could be felt。 Who was this
stranger who had got mixed up in the business so mysteriously？
Antony smiled at Bill and stepped up to give his evidence。
He explained how he came to be staying at the 〃George〃 at Waldheim；
how he had heard that the Red House was in the neighbourhood； how he
had walked over to see his friend Beverley； and had arrived just after the
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The Red House Mystery
tragedy。 Thinking it over afterwards be was fairly certain that he had
heard the shot； but it had not made any impression on him at the time。
He had come to the house from the Waldheim end and consequently had
seen nothing of Robert Ablett； who had been a few minutes in front of him。
From this point his evidence coincided with Cayley's。
〃You and the last witness reached the French windows together and
found them shut？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃You pushed them in and came to the body。 Of course you had no
idea whose body it was？〃
〃No。〃
〃Did Mr。 Cayley say anything？〃
〃He turned the body over； just so as to see the face； and when he saw it；
he said； 'Thank God。'
Again the reporters wrote 〃Sensation。〃 〃Did you understand what he
meant by that？〃
〃I asked him who it was； and he said that it was