the red house mystery-第36章

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or　anybody　knew；　Mark　might　have　had　two　brown　suits。　He　probably　
had；　I　should　think。〃　

〃Probably。　But　I　doubt　if　that　would　reassure　Cayley。　The　brown　
suit　hid　a　secret；　and　therefore　the　brown　suit　had　to　be　hidden。　We　all　
know　that　in　theory　the　safest　hiding…place　is　the　most　obvious；　but　in　
practice　very　few　people　have　the　nerve　to　risk　it。〃　

Bill　looked　rather　disappointed。　

〃Then　we　just　come　back　to　where　we　were；〃　he　complained。　〃Mark　
killed　his　brother；　and　Cayley　helped　him　to　escape　through　the　passage；　
either　in　order　to　compromise　him；　or　because　there　was　no　other　way　out　
of　it。　And　he　helped　him　by　telling　a　lie　about　his　brown　suit。〃　

Antony　smiled　at　him　in　genuine　amusement。　

〃Bad　luck；　Bill；〃　he　said　sympathetically。　〃There's　only　one　murder；　
after　all。　I'm　awfully　sorry　about　it。　It　was　my　fault　for　…〃　

〃Shut　up；　you　ass。　You　know　I　didn't　mean　that。〃　

〃Well；　you　seemed　awfully　disappointed。〃　

Bill　said　nothing　for　a　little；　and　then　with　a　sudden　laugh　confessed。　

〃It　was　so　exciting　yesterday；〃　he　said　apologetically；　〃and　we　seemed　
to　be　just　getting　there；　and　discovering　the　most　wonderful　things；　and　
now　…〃　

〃And　now？〃　

〃Well；　it's　so　much　more　ordinary。〃　

Antony　gave　a　shout　of　laughter。　

〃Ordinary！〃　he　cried。　〃Ordinary！　Well；　I'm　dashed！　Ordinary！　If　
only　one　thing　would　happen　in　an　ordinary　way；　we　might　do　something；　
but　everything　is　ridiculous。〃　Bill　brightened　up　again。　

〃Ridiculous？　How？〃　

〃Every　way。　Take　those　ridiculous　clothes　we　found　last　night。　You　
can　explain　the　brown　suit；　but　why　the　under　clothes。　You　can　explain　
the　underclothes　in　some　absurd　way；　if　you　like　…　you　can　say　that　Mark　
always　changed　his　underclothes　whenever　he　interviewed　anybody　from　

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Australia　…　but　why；　in　that　case；　my　dear　Watson；　why　didn't　he　change　

his　collar？〃　

〃His　collar？〃　said　Bill　in　amazement。　

〃His　collar；　Watson。〃　

〃I　don't　understand。〃　

〃And　it's　all　so　ordinary；〃　scoffed　Antony。　

〃Sorry；　Tony；　I　didn't　mean　that。　Tell　me　about　the　collar。〃　

〃Well；　that's　all。　There　was　no　collar　in　the　bag　last　night。　Shirt；　
socks；　tie　…　everything　except　a　collar。　Why？〃　

〃Was　that　what　you　were　looking　for　in　the　cupboard？〃　said　Bill　
eagerly。　

〃Of　course。　'Why　no　collar？'　I；　said。　For　some　reason　Cayley　
considered　it　necessary　to　hide　all　Mark's　clothes；　not　just　the　suit；　but　
everything　which　he　was　wearing；　or　supposed　to　be　wearing；　at　the　time　
of　the　murder。　But　he　hadn't　hidden　the　collar。　Why？　Had　he　left　it　out　
by　mistake？　So　I　looked　in　the　cupboard。　It　wasn't　there。　Had　he　left　
it　out　on　purpose？　If　so；　why？　…　and　where　was　it？　Naturally　I　began　to　
say　to　myself；　'Where　have　I　seen　a　collar　lately？　A　collar　all　by　itself？'　
And　I　remembered　…　what；　Bill？〃　

Bill　frowned　heavily　to　himself；　and　shook　his　head。　

Don't　ask　me；　Tony。　I　can't　…　By　Jove！〃　He　threw　up　his　head；　〃In　
the　basket　in　the　office　bedroom！〃　

〃Exactly。〃　

〃But　is　that　the　one？〃　

〃The　one　that　goes　with　the　rest　of　the　clothes？　I　don't　know。　Where　
else　can　it　be？　But　if　so；　why　send　the　collar　quite　casually　to　the　wash　in　
the　ordinary　way；　and　take　immense　trouble　to　hide　everything　else？　
Why；　why；　why？〃　

Bill　bit　hard　at　his　pipe；　but　could　think　of　nothing　to　say。　

〃Anyhow；〃　said　Antony；　getting　up　restlessly；　〃I'm　certain　of　one　thing。　
Mark　knew　on　the　Monday　that　Robert　was　coming　here。〃　

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CHAPTER　XIX　

The　Inquest　

The　Coroner；　having　made　a　few　commonplace　remarks　as　to　the　
terrible　nature　of　the　tragedy　which　they　had　come　to　investigate　that　
afternoon；　proceeded　to　outline　the　case　to　the　jury。　Witnesses　would　be　
called　to　identify　the　deceased　as　Robert　Ablett；　the　brother　of　the　owner　
of　the　Red　House；　Mark　Ablett。　It　would　be　shown　that　he　was　something　
of　a　ne'er…do…well；　who　had　spent　most　of　his　life　in　Australia；　and　that　he　
had　announced；　in　what　might　almost　be　called　a　threatening　letter；　his　
intention　of　visiting　his　brother　that　afternoon。　There　would　be　evidence　
of　his　arrival；　of　his　being　shown　into　the　scene　of　the　tragedy　…　a　room　
in　the　Red　House；　commonly　called　〃the　office〃　…　and　of　his　brother's　
entrance　into　that　room。　The　jury　would　have　to　form　their　own　opinion　
as　to　what　happened　there。　But　whatever　happened；　happened　almost　
instantaneously。　Within　two　minutes　of　Mark　Abletts　entrance；　as　would　
be　shown　in　the　evidence；　a　shot　was　heard；　and　when　…　perhaps　five　
minutes　later　…　the　room　was　forced　open；　the　dead　body　of　Robert　Ablett　
was　found　stretched　upon　the　floor。　As　regards　Mark　Ablett；　nobody　had　
seen　him　from　the　moment　of　his　going　into　the　room；　but　evidence　would　
be　called　to　show　that　he　had　enough　money　on　him　at　the　time　to　take　
him　to　any　other　part　of　the　country；　and　that　a　man　answering　to　his　
description　had　been　observed　on　the　platform　of　Stanton　station；　
apparently　waiting　to　catch　the　3。55　up　train　to　London。　As　the　jury　
would　realize；　such　evidence　of　identity　was　not　always　reliable。　
Missing　men　had　a　way　of　being　seen　in　a　dozen　different　places　at　once。　
In　any　case；　there　was　no　doubt　that　for　the　moment　Mark　Ablett　had　
disappeared。　

〃Seems　a　sound　man；〃　whispered　Antony　to　Bill。　〃Doesn't　talk　too　
much。〃　

Antony　did　not　expect　to　learn　much　from　the　evidence　…　he　knew　the　
facts　of　the　case　so　well　by　now　…　but　he　wondered　if　Inspector　Birch　had　
developed　any　new　theories。　If　so；　they　would　appear　in　he　Coroner's　
examination；　for　the　Coroner　would　certainly　have　been　coached　by　the　

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police　as　to　the　important　facts　to　be　extracted　from　each　witness。　Bill　
was　the　first　to　be　put　through　it。　

〃Now；　about　this　letter；　Mr。　Beverley？〃　he　was　asked　when　his　chief　
evidence　was　over。　〃Did　you　see　it　at　all？〃　

〃I　didn't　see　the　actual　writing。　I　saw　the　back　of　it。　Mark　was　
holding　it　up　when　he　told　us　about　his　brother。〃　

〃You　don't　know　what　was　in　it；　then？〃　

Bill　had　a　sudden　shock。　He　had　read　the　letter　only　that　morning。　
He　knew　quite　well　what　was　in　it。　But　it　wouldn't　do　to　admit　this。　And　
then；　just　as　he　was　about　to　perjure　himself；　he　remembered：　Antony　had　
heard　Cayley　telling　the　Inspector。　

〃I　knew　afterwards。　I　was　told。　But　Mark　didn't　read　it　out　at　
breakfast。〃　

〃You　gathered；　however；　that　it　was　an　unwelcome　letter？〃　

〃Oh；　yes！〃　

〃Would　you　say　that　Mark　was　frightened　by　it？〃　

〃Not　frightened。　Sort　of　bitter　…　and　resigned。　Sort　of　'Oh；　Lord；　
here　we　are　again！'〃　

There　was　a　titter　here　and　there。　The　Coroner　smiled；　and　tried　to　
pretend　that　he　hadn't。　

〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Beverley。〃　

The　next　witness　was　summoned　by　the　name　of　Andrew　Amos；　and　
Antony　looked　up　with　interest；　wondering　who　he　was。　

〃He　lives　at　the　inner　lodge；〃　whispered　Bill　to　him。　

All　that　Amos　had　to　say　was　that　a　stranger　had　passed　by　his　lodge　at　
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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〃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。　Ab