the red house mystery-第22章

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what　lay　behind　it。　Which　side　was　he　on；　if　it　came　to　choosing　sides　
Mark's　or　the　Law's？　

〃You　know；　you　can't　just　say；　'Oh　er　hallo！'　to　him；〃　said　Antony；　
breaking　rather　appropriately　into　his　thoughts。　

Bill　looked　up　at　him　with　a　start。　

〃Nor；〃　went　on　Antony；　〃can　you　say；　'This　is　my　friend　Mr。　
Gillingham；　who　is　staying　with　you。　We　were　just　going　to　have　a　game　
of　bowls。'〃　

〃Yes；　it's　dashed　difficult。　I　don't　know　what　to　say。　I've　been　rather　
forgetting　about　Mark。〃　He　wandered　over　to　the　window　and　looked　out　
on　to　the　lawns。　There　was　a　gardener　clipping　the　grass　edges。　No　
reason　why　the　lawn　should　be　untidy　just　because　the　master　of　the　house　
had　disappeared。　It　was　going　to　be　a　hot　day　again。　Dash　it；　of　course　
he　had　forgotten　Mark。　How　could　he　think　of　him　as　an　escaped　
murderer；　a　fugitive　from　justice；　when　everything　was　going　on　just　as　it　
did　yesterday；　and　the　sun　was　shining　just　as　it　did　when　they　all　drove　
off　to　their　golf；　only　twenty…four　hours　ago？　How　could　he　help　feeling　
that　this　was　not　real　tragedy；　but　merely　a　jolly　kind　of　detective　game　
that　he　and　Antony　were　playing？　

He　turned　back　to　his　friend。　

〃All　the　same；〃　he　said；　〃you　wanted　to　find　the　passage；　and　now　
you've　found　it。　Aren't　you　going　into　it　at　all？〃　

Antony　took　his　arm。　

〃Let's　go　outside　again；〃　he　said。　〃We　can't　go　into　it　now；　anyhow。　
It's　too　risky；　with　Cayley　about。　Bill；　I　feel　like　you　…　just　a　little　bit　

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frightened。　But　what　I'm　frightened　of　I　don't　quite　know。　Anyway；　you　

want　to　go　on　with　it；　don't　you？〃　

〃Yes；〃　said　Bill　firmly。　〃We　must。〃　

〃Then　we'll　explore　the　passage　this　afternoon；　if　we　get　the　chance。　
And　if　we　don't　get　the　chance；　then　we'll　try　it　to…night。〃　

They　walked　across　the　hall　and　out　into　the　sunlight　again。　

〃Do　you　really　think　we　might　find　Mark　hiding　there？〃　asked　Bill。　

〃It's　possible；〃　said　Antony。　〃Either　Mark　or　…〃　He　pulled　himself　
up　quickly。　〃No；〃　he　murmured　to　himself；　〃I　won't　let　myself　think　that　
not　yet；　anyway。　It's　too　horrible。〃　

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CHAPTER　XII　

A　Shadow　on　the　Wall　

In　the　twenty　hours　or　so　at　his　disposal　Inspector　Birch　had　been　
busy。　He　had　telegraphed　to　London　a　complete　description　of　Mark　in　
the　brown　flannel　suit　which　he　had　last　been　seen　wearing；　he　had　made　
inquiries　at　Stanton　as　to　whether　anybody　answering　to　this　description　
had　been　seen　leaving　by　the　4。20；　and　though　the　evidence　which　had　
been　volunteered　to　him　had　been　inconclusive；　it　made　it　possible　that　
Mark　had　indeed　caught　that　train；　and　had　arrived　in　London　before　the　
police　at　the　other　end　had　been　ready　to　receive　him。　But　the　fact　that　it　
was　market…day　at　Stanton；　and　that　the　little　town　would　be　more　full　than　
usual　of　visitors；　made　it　less　likely　that　either　the　departure　of　Mark　by　
the　4。20；　or　the　arrival　of　Robert　by　the　2。10　earlier　in　the　afternoon；　
would　have　been　particularly　noticed。　As　Antony　had　said　to　Cayley；　
there　would　always　be　somebody　ready　to　hand　the　police　a　circumstantial　
story　of　the　movements　of　any　man　in　whom　the　police　were　interested。　

That　Robert　had　come　by　the　2。10　seemed　fairly　certain。　To　find　out　
more　about　him　in　time　for　the　inquest　would　be　difficult。　All　that　was　
known　about　him　in　the　village　where　he　and　Mark　had　lived　as　boys　bore　
out　the　evidence　of　Cayley。　He　was　an　unsatisfactory　son；　and　he　had　
been　hurried　off　to　Australia；　nor　had　he　been　seen　since　in　the　village。　
Whether　there　were　any　more　substantial　grounds　of　quarrel　between　the　
two　brothers　than　that　the　younger　one　was　at　home　and　well…to…do；　while　
the　elder　was　poor　and　an　exile；　was　not　known；　nor；　as　far　as　the　inspector　
could　see；　was　it　likely　to　be　known　until　Mark　was　captured。　

The　discovery　of　Mark　was　all　that　mattered　immediately。　Dragging　
the　pond　might　not　help　towards　this；　but　it　would　certainly　give　the　
impression　in　court　to…morrow　that　Inspector　Birch　was　handling　the　case　
with　zeal。　And　if　only　the　revolver　with　which　the　deed　was　done　was　
brought　to　the　surface；　his　trouble　would　be　well　repaid。　〃Inspector　
Birch　produces　the　weapon〃　would　make　an　excellent　headline　in　the　local　
paper。　

He　was　feeling　well…satisfied　with　himself；　therefore；　as　he　walked　to　

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the　pond；　where　his　men　were　waiting　for　him；　and　quite　in　the　mood　for　a　
little　pleasant　talk　with　Mr。　Gillingham　and　his　friend；　Mr。　Beverley。　He　
gave　them　a　cheerful　〃Good　afternoon；〃　and　added　with　a　smile；　〃Coming　
to　help　us？〃　

〃You　don't　really　want　us；〃　said　Antony；　smiling　back　at　him。　

〃You　can　come　if　you　like。〃　

Antony　gave　a　little　shudder。　

〃You　can　tell　me　afterwards　what　you　find；〃　he　said。　〃By　the　way；〃　
he　added；　〃I　hope　the　landlord　at　the　'George'　gave　me　a　good　character？〃　

The　Inspector　looked　at　him　quickly。　

〃Now　how　on　earth　do　you　know　anything　about　that？〃　

Antony　bowed　to　him　gravely。　

〃Because　I　guessed　that　you　were　a　very　efficient　member　of　the　
Force。〃　

The　inspector　laughed。　

〃Well；　you　came　out　all　right；　Mr。　Gillingham。　You　got　a　clean　bill。　
But　I　had　to　make　certain　about　you。　

〃Of　course　you　did。　Well；　I　wish　you　luck。　But　I　don't　think　you'll　
find　much　at　the　pond。　It's　rather　out　of　the　way；　isn't　it；　for　anybody　
running　away？〃　

〃That's　just　what　I　told　Mr。　Cayley；　when　he　called　my　attention　to　the　
pond。　However；　we　shan't　do　any　harm　by　looking。　It's　the　unexpected　
that's　the　most　likely　in　this　sort　of　case。〃　

〃You're　quite　right；　Inspector。　Well；　we　mustn't　keep　you。　Good　
afternoon；〃　and　Antony　smiled　pleasantly　at　him。　

〃Good　afternoon；　sir。〃　

〃Good　afternoon；〃　said　Bill。　

Antony　stood　looking　after　the　Inspector　as　he　strode　off；　silent　for　so　
long　that　Bill　shook　him　by　the　arm　at　last；　and　asked　him　rather　crossly　
what　was　the　matter。　

Antony　shook　his　head　slowly　from　side　to　side。　

〃I　don't　know；　really　I　don't　know。　It's　too　devilish　what　I　keep　
thinking。　He　can't　be　as　cold…blooded　as　that。〃　

〃Who？〃　

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Without　answering；　Antony　led　the　way　back　to　the　garden…seat　on　
which　they　had　been　sitting。　He　sat　there　with　his　head　in　his　hands。　

〃Oh；　I　hope　they　find　something；〃　he　murmured。　〃Oh；　I　hope　they　
do。〃　

〃In　the　pond？〃　

〃Yes。〃　

〃But　what？〃　

〃Anything；　Bill；　anything。〃　

Bill　was　annoyed。　〃I　say；　Tony；　this　won't　do。　You　really　mustn't　
be　so　damn　mysterious。　What's　happened　to　you　suddenly？〃　

Antony　looked　up　at　him　in　surprise。　

〃Didn't　you　hear　what　he　said？〃　

〃What；　particularly？〃　

〃That　it　was　Cayley's　idea　to　drag　the　pond。〃　

〃Oh！　Oh；　'I　say！〃　Bill　was　rather　excited　again。　〃You　mean　that　
he's　hidden　something　there？　Some　false　clue　which　he　wants　the　police　
to　find？〃　

〃I　hope　so；〃　said　Antony　earnestly；　〃but　I'm　afraid　…〃　He　stopped　
short。　

〃Afraid　of　what？〃　

〃Afraid　that　he　hasn't　hidden　anything　there。　Afraid　that　…〃　

〃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。　

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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