the red house mystery-第43章
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which explained all the things which were puzzling us。 Well； I happened
to guess the right one。 Got a match？〃
Bill handed him a box； and he lit his pipe。
〃Yes； but that doesn't quite do； old boy。 Something must have put
you on to it suddenly。 By the way； I'll have my matches back； if you
don't mind。〃
Antony laughed and took them out of his pocket。
〃Sorry。。。。 Well then； let's see if I can go through my own mind again；
and tell you how I guessed it。 First of all； the clothes。〃
〃Yes？〃
〃To Cayley the clothes seemed an enormously important clue。
didn't quite see why； but I did realize that to a man in Cayley's position the
smallest clue would have an entirely disproportionate value。 For some
reason； then； Cayley attached this exaggerated importance to the clothes
which Mark was wearing on that Tuesday morning； all the clothes； the
inside ones as well as the outside ones。 I didn't know why； but I did feel
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certain that； in that case； the absence of the collar was unintentional。 In
collecting the clothes he had overlooked the collar。 Why？〃
〃It was the one in the linen…basket？〃
〃Yes。 It seemed probable。 Why had Cayley put it there？ The
obvious answer was that he hadn't。 Mark had put it there。
remembered what you told me about Mark being finicky； and having lots
of clothes and so on； and I felt that he was just the sort of man who would
never wear the same collar twice。〃 He paused； and then asked； 〃Is that
right； do you think？〃
〃Absolutely；〃 said Bill with conviction。
〃Well； I guessed it was。 So then I began to see an x which would fit
just this part of the problem … the clothes part。 I saw Mark changing his
clothes； I saw him instinctively dropping the collar in the linen…basket； just
as he had always dropped every collar he had ever taken off； but leaving
the rest of the clothes on a chair in the ordinary way； and I saw Cayley
collecting all the clothes afterwards … all the visible clothes … and not
realizing that the collar wasn't there。〃
〃Go on；〃 said Bill eagerly。
〃Well； I felt pretty sure about that； and I wanted an explanation of it。
Why had Mark changed down there instead of in his bedroom？ The only
answer was that the fact of his changing had to be kept secret。 When did
he change？ The only possible time was between lunch （when he would
be seen by the servants） and the moment of Robert's arrival。 And when
did Cayley collect the clothes in a bundle？ Again； the only answer was
'Before Robert's arrival。' So another x was wanted …to fit those three
conditions。〃
〃And the answer was that a murder was intended； even before Robert
arrived？〃
〃Yes。 Well now； it couldn't be intended on the strength of that letter；
unless there was very much more behind the letter than we knew。 Nor
was it possible a murder could be intended without any more preparation
than the changing into a different suit in which to escape。 The thing was
too childish。 Also； if Robert was to be murdered； why go out of the way
to announce his existence to you all … even； at the cost of some trouble； to
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The Red House Mystery
Mrs。 Norbury？ What did it all mean？ I didn't know。 But I began to
feel now that Robert was an incident only； that the plot was a plot of
Cayley's against Mark … either to get him to kill his brother； or to get his
brother to kill him … and that for some inexplicable reason Mark seemed to
be lending himself to the plot。〃 He was silent for a little； and then said；
almost to himself； 〃I had seen the empty brandy bottles in that cupboard。〃
〃You never said anything about them〃 complained Bill。
〃I only saw them afterwards。 I was looking for the collar； you
remember。 They came back to me afterwards； I knew how Cayley would
feel about it。。。。 Poor devil！〃
〃Go on；〃 said Bill。
〃Well； then； we had the inquest； and of course I noticed； and I suppose
you did too； the curious fact that Robert had asked his way at the second
lodge and not at the first。 So I talked to Amos and Parsons。 That made
it more curious。 Amos told me that Robert had gone out of his way to
speak to him； had called to him； in fact。 Parsons told me that his wife was
out in their little garden at the first lodge all the afternoon； and was certain
that Robert had never come past it。 He also told me that Cayley had put
him on to a job on the front lawn that afternoon。 So I had another guess。
Robert had used the secret passage … the passage which comes out into the
park between the first and second lodges。 Robert； then； had been in the
house； it was a put…up job between Robert and Cayley。 But how could
Robert be there without Mark knowing？ Obviously； Mark knew too。
What did it all mean？〃
〃When was this？〃 interrupted Bill。 〃Just after the inquest …after
you'd seen Amos and Parsons； of course？〃
〃Yes。 I got up and left them； and came to look for you。 I'd got back
to the clothes then。 Why did Mark change his clothes so secretly？
Disguise？ But then what about his face？ That was much more
important than clothes。 His face； his beard … he'd have to shave off his
beard … and then …oh； idiot！ I saw you looking at that poster。 Mark
acting； Mark made…up； Mark disguised。 Oh； priceless idiot！ Mark was
Robert。。。。 Matches； please。〃
Bill passed over the matches again； waited till Antony had relit his
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pipe； and then held out his hand for them； just as they were going into the
other's pocket。
〃Yes；〃 said Bill thoughtfully。 〃Yes。。。。 But wait a moment。 What
about the 'Plough and Horses'？〃 Antony looked comically at him。
〃You'll never forgive me； Bill；〃 he said。 〃You'll never come clue…
hunting with me again。〃
〃What do you mean？〃
Antony sighed。
〃It was a fake； Watson。 I wanted you out of the way。 I wanted to be
alone。 I'd guessed at my x； and I wanted to test it … to test it every way；
by everything we'd discovered。 I simply had to be alone just then； So …〃
he smiled and added； 〃Well； I knew you wanted a drink。〃
〃You are a devil；〃 said Bill； staring at him。 〃And your interest when I
told you that a woman had been staying there …〃
〃Well； it was only polite to be interested when you'd taken so much
trouble。〃
〃You brute！ You … you Sherlock！ And then you keep trying to steal
my matches。 Well； go on。〃
〃That's all。 My x fitted。〃
〃Did you guess Miss Norris and all that？〃
〃Well； not quite。 I didn't realize that Cayley had worked for it from
the beginning … had put Miss Norris up to frightening Mark。 I thought
he'd just seized the opportunity。〃
Bill was silent for a long time。 Then； puffing at his pipe； he said
slowly； 〃Has Cayley shot himself？〃
Antony shrugged his shoulders。
〃Poor devil；〃 said Bill。 〃It was decent of you to give him a chance。
I'm glad you did。〃
〃I couldn't help liking Cayley in a kind of way； you know。〃
〃He's a clever devil。 If you hadn't turned up just when you did； he
would never have been found out。〃
〃I wonder。 It was ingenious； but it's often the ingenious thing which
gets found out。 The awkward thing from Cayley's point of view was that；
though Mark was missing； neither he nor his body could ever be found。
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Well； that doesn't often happen with a missing man。 He generally gets
discovered in the end； a professional criminal； perhaps not … but an
amateur like Mark！ He might have kept the secret of how he killed Mark；
but I think it would have become obvious sooner or later that he had killed
him。〃
〃Yes； there's something in that。。。。 Oh； just tell me one thing。 Why
did Mark tell Miss Norbury about his imaginary brother？〃
〃That's puzzled me rather； too； Bill。 It may be that he was just doing
the Othello business … painting himself black all over。 I mean he may
have been so full of his appearance as Robert that he had almost got to
believe in Robert； and had to tell everybody。 More likely； though； he felt
that； having told all of you at the house； he had better tell Miss Norbury； in
case she met one of you； in which case； if you mentioned the approaching
