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 question of Cayley or the Law； he was quite decided as to
which side he was taking。 Previous to the tragedy of yesterday he had
got on well enough with both of the cousins； without being in the least
intimate with either。 Indeed； of the two he preferred； perhaps； the silent；
solid Cayley to the more volatile Mark。 Cayley's qualities； as they
appeared to Bill； may have been chiefly negative； but even if this merit lay
in the fact that he never exposed whatever weaknesses he may have had；
this is an excellent quality in a fellow…guest （or； if you like； fellow…host） in
a house where one is continually visiting。 Mark's weaknesses； on the
other hand； were very plain to the eye； and Bill had seen a good deal of
them。
Yet； though he had hesitated to define his position that morning in
regard to Mark； he did not hesitate to place himself on the side of the Law
against Cayley。 Mark； after all； had done him no harm； but Cayley had
committed an unforgivable offence。 Cayley had listened secretly to a
private conversation between himself and Tony。 Let Cayley hang； if the
Law demanded it。
Antony looked at his watch and stood up。
〃Come along；〃 he said。 〃It's time for that job I spoke about。〃
〃The passage？〃 said Bill eagerly。
〃No； the thing which I said that I had to do this afternoon。〃
〃Oh； of course。 What is it？〃
Without saying anything； Antony led the way indoors to the office。
It was three o'clock； and at three o'clock yesterday Antony and Cayley
had found the body。 At a few minutes after three； he had been looking
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out of the window of the adjoining room； and had been surprised suddenly
to find the door open and Cayley behind him。 He had vaguely wondered at
the time why he had expected the door to be shut； but he had had no time
then to worry the thing out； and he had promised himself to look into it at
his leisure afterwards。 Possibly it meant nothing； possibly； if it meant
anything； he could have found out its meaning by a visit to the office that
morning。 But he had felt that he would be more likely to recapture the
impressions of yesterday if he chose as far as possible the same conditions
for his experiment。 So he had decided that three o'clock that afternoon
should find him once more in the office；
As he went into the room； followed by Bill； he felt it almost as a shock
that there was now no body of Robert lying there between the two doors。
But there was a dark stain which showed where the dead man's head had
been； and Antony knelt down over it； as he had knelt twenty…four hours
before。
〃I want to go through it again；〃 he said。 〃You must be Cayley。
Cayley said he would get some water。 I remember thinking that water
wasn't much good to a dead man； and that probably he was only too glad
to do anything rather than nothing。 He came back with a wet sponge and
a handkerchief。 I suppose he got the handkerchief from the chest of
drawers。 Wait a bit。〃
He got up and went into the adjoining room； looked round it； pulled
open a drawer or two； and； after shutting all the doors； came back to the
office。
〃The sponge is there； and there are handkerchiefs in the top right…hand
drawer。 Now then； Bill； just pretend you're Cayley。 You've just said
something about water； and you get up。
Feeling that it was all a little uncanny； Bill； who had been kneeling
beside his friend； got up and walked out。 Antony； as he had done on the
previous day； looked up after him as he went。 Bill turned into the room
on the right； opened the drawer and got the handkerchief； damped the
sponge and came back。
〃Well？〃 he said wonderingly。
Antony shook his head。
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〃It's all different；〃 he said。 〃For one thing； you made a devil of a
noise and Cayley didn't。〃
〃Perhaps you weren't listening when Cayley went in？〃
〃I wasn't。 But I should have heard him if I could have heard him； and
I should have remembered afterwards。〃
〃Perhaps Cayley shut th