The Red House Mystery

round suddenly

?" said Ant

ot-I was in the library. A loud bang-I didn't know what it was. And the door's locked." He rattled

urpose," said Antony. "So why should h

e turned to the door again. "We must break it in

there a

ned to him

ow? W

ollected, as he stood just inside the hall, leaning on his stick, and thinking, no doubt,

urse! What an

he front of the house, down a path to the left, and then to the left again over the grass, Cayley

," he

he followed Cayley's example, and put his face close up to the glass. For the first time he wondered if there really had been a revolver shot in this mysterious room. It had all seemed so absurd and m

said Cayley in a shaking

on the floor at the far end of the room, his

it?" sai

w," the othe

nt. "I should think, if you put your weight into it, just where they

he room. Cayley walked quickly to the body, and dropped on his knees by it. For the moment he

urmured, and let

it?" sai

rt Ab

is name was Mark," he added, mo

t is his brother." He shuddered, an

in the r

as if resenting suddenly these ques

ning the handle. "I suppose he put the key in his p

ho

ugged his

id, pointing to the man o

said Cayl

horror Antony felt a sudden pity for the man beside him, and a sudden remorse for the careless, easy way in which he had treated the affair. But then one alway

aid Antony quietly. He mea

y cousin. I mean, Mark is

r co

pose he is. Will you-do you know anything about-about

d the door on the right. The door from the office, through which he had gone, remained open. The door, at the end of the short passage was shut. Antony, kneeling by the body, followed Cayley with his e

mself, "but the feeling that you're doing something, when

ooked at Antony. Antony nodded. Cayley murmured something, and knelt down to bathe the dead man

and looked a

elp to you," said Ant

ors-I don't know. But you mustn't let me trespass on your kindness

erley. He is an ol

rectly." Then, as if he had only just real

if I can be

" He hesitated, and gave Antony a timid little smile, pathetic in so big and s

aid cheerfully, "Well, then, I'll begin by su

e looked doubtfully at

spoke f

ok here,

Ablett's cousin.

before. Well now, Mr. Cayley, we shan't do any good by pr

shot himself,"

the time, and that somebody isn't here now. And that somebody took a revolver

lent, looking

th you, but we can't be children about it. If your cousin Mark Able

Cayley, jerking his he

u d

e may have come out again-I know noth

that he had nothing to do with it. But somebody was in the room when this man was shot, and-well, the

s shoulders and we

a bit?" Antony nodded

ances for me, Mr. Gillingham. You see, I've known Mark for a very long time. But, o

e breadth of the room (some fifteen feet), is that other door, by which Cayley went out and returned a few minutes ago. In the right-hand wall, thirty feet away from us, are the French windows. Crossing the room and going out by the opposite door, we come into a passage, from which two rooms lead. The one on the right, into which Cayley went, is less than half the length of the office, a small, square room, which has evidently been used some

te suite; used, perhaps, during the occupation of the previous owner, by some invalid, who could not manage the

The window was open, and he looked out at the well-kept grass beneath him, and the peaceful stretch of

break a window? Of course he might just have lost his head; on the other hand, he might-well, he might have wanted to give his cousin a chance of getting away. The same about the police, a

observed, had by no

the doorway. He remained looking at him for a moment, asking himself a question

shut? He did not remember shutting it, but somehow he was surprised to see it open now, to see Cayley through the doorw

etentive mind. Everything which he saw or heard seemed to make its corresponding impression somewhere in his brain; often witho

ned him at

some one from Middleston, and the local police and doctor fro

for which Antony had taken a ticket that mor

These people will b

, and the

hey'll want to g

er that th

or a little. Then he said,

e George,'

rdly, "you'll have to be here-for the-the inquest and-and so on. If I may of

stily with his tha

will stay on, if he's a frien

that Mark Ablett was a murderer. Revolvers go off accidentally; and when they have gone off, people lose their heads and run away, fearing that t

said Antony aloud, loo

d Cayley s

imself. "The murderer. Or, let us say, the man wh

won

ay? He didn't go by the windows in t

hat rath

he shrubbery. If you go out at the French windows, I imagine you're much more visible. All that part of the house-" he waved his right hand-"the west, well, north-west almost, where the k

ed at him t

now the house pretty well, considering that

y lau

I was born noticing. But I'm right, ar

y-towards the shrubbery. "Do you want to

the police," said Antony gentl

had been holding his breath for the

Mr. Gillingh