the red house mystery-第15章
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〃Are you prepared to be the complete Watson？〃 he asked。
〃Watson？〃
〃Do…you…follow…me…Watson； that one。 Are you prepared to have
quite obvious things explained to you； to ask futile questions； to give me
chances of scoring off you； to make brilliant discoveries of your own two
or three days after I have made them myself all that kind of thing？
Because it all helps。〃
〃My dear Tony；〃 said Bill delightedly； 〃need you ask？〃 Antony said
nothing； and Bill went on happily to himself； 〃I perceive from the
strawberry…mark on your shirt…front that you had strawberries for dessert。
Holmes； you astonish me。 Tut； tut； you know my methods。 Where is the
tobacco？ The tobacco is in the Persian slipper。 Can I leave my practice
for a week？ I can。〃
Antony smiled and went on smoking。 After waiting hopefully for a
minute or two； Bill said in a firm voice：
〃Well then； Holmes； I feel bound to ask you if you have deduced
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anything。 Also whom do you suspect？〃
Antony began to talk。
〃Do you remember；〃 he said； 〃one of Holmes's little scores over
Watson about the number of steps up to the Baker Street lodging？ Poor old
Watson had been up and down them a thousand times； but he had never
thought of counting them； whereas Holmes had counted them as a matter
of course； and knew that there were seventeen。 And that was supposed to
be the difference between observation and non…observation。 Watson was
crushed again； and Holmes appeared to him more amazing than ever。
Now； it always seemed to me that in that matter Holmes was the ass； and
Watson the sensible person。 What on earth is the point of keeping in your
head an unnecessary fact like that？ If you really want to know at any
time the number of steps to your lodging； you can ring up your landlady
and ask her。 I've been up and down the steps of the club a thousand times；
but if you asked me to tell you at this moment how many steps there are I
couldn't do it。 Could you？〃
〃I certainly couldn't；〃 said Bill。
〃But if you really wanted to know；〃 said Antony casually； with a
sudden change of voice； 〃I could find out for you without even bothering
to ring up the hall…porter。〃
Bill was puzzled as to why they were talking about the club steps； but
he felt it his duty to say that he did want to know how many they were。
〃Right；〃 said Antony。 〃I'll find out。〃
He closed his eyes。
〃I'm walking up St James' Street；〃 he said slowly。 〃Now I've come to
the club and I'm going past the smoking…room windows…one…two three
four。 Now I'm at the steps。 I turn in and begin going up them。 One
two three…four…five six； then a broad step； six seven eight nine； another
broad step； nine ten eleven。 Eleven I'm inside。 Good morning； Rogers。
Fine day again。〃 With a little start he opened his eyes and came back
again to his present surroundings。 He turned to Bill with a smile。
〃Eleven；〃 he said。 Count them the next time you're there。 Eleven and
now I hope I shall forget it again。〃
Bill was distinctly interested。
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〃That's rather hot；〃 he said。 〃Expound。〃
〃Well； I can't explain it； whether it's something in the actual eye； or
something in the brain； or what； but I have got rather an uncanny habit of
recording things unconsciously。 You know that game where you look at
a tray full of small objects for three minutes； and then turn away and try to
make a list of them。 It means a devil of a lot of concentration for the
ordinary person； if he wants to get his list complete； but in some odd way I
manage to do it without concentration at all。 I mean that my eyes seem
to do it without the brain consciously taking any part。 I could look at the
tray； for instance； and talk to you about golf at the same time； and still get
my list right。〃
〃I should think that's rather a useful gift for an amateur detective。 You
ought to have gone into the profession before。〃
〃Well； it is rather useful。 It's rather surprising； you know； to a
stranger。 Let's surprise Cayley with it； shall we？〃
〃How？〃
〃Well； let's ask him …〃 Antony stopped and looked at Bill comically
〃let's ask him what he's going to do with the key of the office。〃
For a moment Bill did not understand。
〃Key of the office？〃 he said vaguely。 〃You don't mean … Tony！
What do you mean？ Good God！ do you mean that Cayley … But what
about Mark？〃
〃I don't know where Mark is … that's another thing I want to know
but I'm quite certain that he hasn't got the key of the office with him。
Because Cayley's got it。〃
〃Are you sure？〃
〃Quite。〃
Bill looked at him wonderingly。
〃I say；〃 he said； almost pleadingly； 〃don't tell me that you can see into
people's pockets and all that sort of thing as well。〃
Antony laughed and denied it cheerfully。
〃Then how do you know？〃
〃You're the perfect Watson； Bill。 You take to it quite naturally。
Properly speaking； I oughtn't to explain till the last chapter； but I always
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think that that's so unfair。 So here goes。 Of course； I don't really know
that he's got it； but I do know that he had it。 I know that when I came on
him this afternoon； he had just locked the door and put the key in his
pocket。〃
〃You mean you saw him at the time； but that you've only just
remembered it … reconstructed it in the way you were explaining just
now？〃
〃No。 I didn't see him。 But I did see something。 I saw the key of
the billiard…room。〃
〃Where？
〃Outside the billiard…room door。〃
〃Outside？ But it was inside when we looked just now。〃
〃Exactly。〃
〃Who put it there？〃
〃Obviously Cayley。〃
〃But …〃
〃Let's go back to this afternoon。 I don't remember noticing the
billiard…room key at the time； I must have done so without knowing。
Probably when I saw Cayley banging at the door I may have wondered
subconsciously whether the key of the room next to it would fit。
Something like that； I daresay。 Well； when I was sitting out by myself on
that seat just before you came along； I went over the whole scene in my
mind； and I suddenly saw the billiard…room key there outside。 And I
began to wonder if the office…key had been outside too。 When Cayley
came up； I told you my idea and you were both interested。 But Cayley
was just a shade too interested。 I daresay you didn't notice it； but he was。
〃By Jove！〃
〃Well； of course that proved nothing； and the key business didn't really
prove anything； because whatever side of the door the other keys were；
Mark might have locked his own private room from the inside sometimes。
But I piled it on； and pretended that it was enormously important； and
quite altered the case altogether； and having got Cayley thoroughly
anxious about it； I told him that we should be well out of the way for the
next hour or so； and that he would be alone in the house to do what he
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liked about it。 And； as I expected； he couldn't resist it。 He altered the
keys and gave himself away entirely。〃
〃But the library key was still outside。 Why didn't he alter that？〃
〃Because he's a clever devil。 For one thing； the inspector had been in
the library； and might possibly have noticed it already。 And for another …〃
Antony hesitated。
〃What？〃 said Bill； after waiting for him to go on。
〃It's only guesswork。 But I fancy that Cayley was thoroughly upset
about the key business。 He suddenly realized that he had been careless；
and he hadn't got time to think it all over。 So he didn't want to commit
himself definitely to the statement that the key was either outside or inside。
He wanted to leave it vague。 It was safest that way。〃
〃I see；〃 said Bill slowly。
But his mind was elsewhere。 He was wondering suddenly about
Cayley。 Cayley was just an ordinary man … like himself。 Bill had had
little jokes with him sometimes； not that Cayley was much of a hand at
joking。 Bill had helped him to sausages； played tennis with him；
borrowed his tobacco； lent him a putter。。。。 and here was Antony saying that
he was what？ Well； not an ordinary man； anyway。 A man with a secre
