The Red Redmaynes

midst stood a carpenter's bench, and the floor, the boards of which had already been laid, was littered with shavings and tools. Under the tarpaulin a great red stain soaked to the walls, where much

orning?" asked Brendon, and Inspector

ith an electric torch and found the blood. One came back; the other stopped on the spot all night. I was out here myself before the masons and carpent

was done last night-in the

bt they

rk of himself and his mate, the mason, pointing to a wall which was destined to inclose the garden, declared that

the new work,"

no evidence of any struggle. A sheep might as easily have been killed in the chamber as a man; but he judged the blood to be human and Halfyard had made one discovery of possible i

the ground and presently found indications of a motor bicycle. It had stood here-ten yards from the bungalow-and the marks of the wheels and the rest lowered to support it were clear enough in the peat. He traced the impressions as the machi

on, says that a sack is missing. It was a big sack, in the corner of the shed out

rolled in the immediate neighbourhood of the bungalow and examined the adjacent entrance to the quarries. Not the least spark of light rewarded the search. He came back presen

ntly been flung down alight and had smouldered for some time, scorching the wooden floor before it went out. He found also the end of a broken, brown boot lace with a brass tag. The lace had evidently frayed away and probably had broken when being tied. But he attached not th

same," he said. "We need waste no more time here, inspector-at any

s your

ut his throat, then, fondly hoping to hide the crime, got away with the body. Why I judge him to be mad is because Mrs. Pendean, who has told me the full story of the past, was able to assure me that the men had become exceedingly friendly, and that certain differences

aniac and probably plotted the job beforehand with a madman's limited cunning; and if that is so, there's pretty sure to be news waiting for us at Princetown. Before d

the operations of Robert Redmayne defined up to a point. A man was waiting at

from the garage and suddenly, without warning, a motor bike came over the bridge. I heard the rush of it and only got out of the way by a yard. There was no l

tiff hill that rises out of Two Bridges. He was gone like a puff of smoke and must have been running terrible fast-fifty

knew the Dartmoor country well. "The road forks above Two Bridges. Did he

ge could

he told Mark, "and I don't know from Adam w

ybody w

; but he carried a big sack behin

constable, and he took them one by one, read them, and handed them to Brendon. The first came from the post office at Post Bridge, and the post-mistress reported that a man, one Samuel Whi

alfyard; "but, no. He must have branched under Hameldow

cription of the purchaser corresponded to Redmayne and the message added that the bicycle had a large sack tied behind it. The rider was in no hurry; he smoked a

the police station at Brixham and

l out of Brixham, the way he came. Inquiries to-day show that he passed the Brixham coast-guard station about a quarter after two o'clock, and he must have lifted his machine over the barrier at the end of the coast-guard road, because he was seen by a boy, from Berry Head lighthouse, pushing it up the steep path that runs to the downs. The b

until Brendon had read the

as shelling pea

nswered the detective. "I

ell rang and Halfyard rose and entered t

eft supper for him, as usual when he is expected, and went to bed. Didn't hear him return, but found on going down house next morning that he had come-supper eaten, motor bike in tool hou

on's here and has th

d the statement and Brendo

endon speakin

r Reece,

t has been made. Failing arrest I wil

expect to hear he's

from Be

ere and all round under th

l come down if I don't hea

up the r

outing, I reckon

e it. He's ma

ead man I'm

lt both surprise and shame that they could do so. Certain realities were clear enough to his mind, however future deta

impatiently and

ct proved that it is human. And keep the cigar and boot lace here for the minute, though I attach no importance to either. Now I'll go and get so

t going to spoil you

said no more and prepared to go on his way. It was now thr

ink of Mrs. Pen

t it's hard to believe she's just flesh and blood, like other women; and I think I never s

e passing of a dearly loved husband would change the life of Mrs. Pendean. He suddenly felt

t of a ma

sh-a pacifist at heart I reckon;

was hi

ve and thirty-five. A man with weak eyes and a brown beard. He wore do

and she already knew most of what he had to tell. A change had come over her; she was very silent an

to learn if Brendon could

with any such thing

ng degrees-some lasting, some fleeting. I'm afraid your uncle went out of his mind and, in a moment of madness, may have done a dreadful thing. Then he set out, while he was still insane, to cover up his action. So far

he answered, "because the

to upset Redmayne. When he comes to his senses, he will probably thin

esented a man of meditative countenance, wide forehead, and steadfast ey

at lik

pression. It is not quite natural

old w

ndon, but he looked

udied the

you wish to do so. I have ano

dean's body was thrown into the sea and may already be recovered. That appears to have been Cap

ame and address. But

husband

ss Flora Reed and she is stopping with her mother and father at the Singer Hote

hear nothing further, I g

hy

t of mind could make no successful attempt to evade a professional search for long. Nor, so far as we know, has he apparently attempted to escape. After going to Ber

see Flor

all not go if Robert Re

very simple and str

e back to his senses and give a clear account of everything. And may I ask wha

estion. She lifted her face to Brendon's

more, I shall probably leave here. If my husband has indeed lost his

u have friends who

ook he

hing to him also. You know my story-I told you all there was to tell this morning. There remain to me onl

k r

he said, "and if I do not go to Paig

-you are v

ple can endure anything, but often they find afterwards that they have put too heavy

husband should be-as we think, then my own lif

be happy in the world, that is not to deny us the power and privilege of being useful in it. Think what you

dean quietly. "I appreciate what yo

dean that seemed to shut out any likelihood of self-destruction. She was young and time could be trusted to do its inevitable work. But he perceived the quality of her love for the man who was too

orted; but there came a minor item of information from the searchers at Berry Head. The cement sack had been found in the mouth of a rabb

rrested. He explained that fishermen and coast guards were dragging the sea, as far as it was possible to do so, beneath the cliff on which the sack had been found; but the tide ran strongly here and local men suspe

he landlady, a Mrs. Medway, could say little. Captain Redmayne was a genial, kind-hearted, but hot-headed gentleman, she told Mark. He was irregular in his hours and they never expected him until they saw him. He often thus returned fro

tough string tied to the rest was also stained. It had been cut-no doubt when Redmayne cast his burden loose on reaching the cliffs. Nothing offered any difficulty in th

stone, whereon grew thistles and the white rock-rose, sea pinks and furze. Rabbits dwelt here and the bloodstained sack

broke the face of the shining precipice, where green things made shift to live and the gulls built their rough nests with scurvy grass. No sign marked the cl

. Mr. and Mrs. Reed were quiet, elderly people who kept a draper shop in London; their daughter revealed more character. She was a head taller than her father and cast in a generous mould. She exhibited a good deal of manner and less actual sorrow than might have been expected; but Brendon discovered that she had only known Robert Redmayn

eak of his niece and her husband?" Bre

fore Bob went to Princetown, six days ago. From there he wrote quite a different story. He had met them by chance and he found that Mr. Pendean had not shirked but done good work in the war and got th

seen nor heard of

it he merely said he would be back yesterday and meet me to bathe as usu

blem and the situation, as it appears at present, may be illusive and quite unlike the real facts. Captain Redmayne, I hear, had suff

an of great good temper, but the war had made him rough and cynical in some respects. He was impatient, yet, after

quarre

ual war. It had made him a little callous and he would sometimes say th

for him? Forgi

d honesty. Yes, I loved him and was proud of him. I think he would have become calmer and less exc

e of as capable of striking o

dy hes

e been possible to him, in a moment of passion, to strike down a man. He had seen much death and was himself absolutely indifferent to danger. Yes, I can imagine him

has tried to conceal a murder-whether committed

d him," she replied, "but if, indeed, he has been betrayed

What is in your mind has already passed

ut her handkerch

ent man in a moment of passion, he would, if I know him, do one of two things-either give himsel

xplanation. But how a man of the Pendean type could have provoked such a storm I have yet to learn. So far the testimony of Mrs. Pendean and the assurances of Inspector Halfyard at Princetown indicate an amiable an

of their meeting by the quarry pools. For some reason this personal anecdote t

ose and left them. Her parents were able

ing somewhat silent and

teady, married man. He was a rover and the war had made him-not exactly inhuman, but apparently unconscious of his own obligations to society and his own duty, as a reasonable being, to help build up the broken organization of social life. He only lived for pleasure and sport or spending money; and tho

nd repeated his growing conviction that the subje

ing to happen; for the alternative can at best be Broadmoor; and it is a hateful thought that a man

ncetown or elsewhere. Portraits of Robert Redmayne were printed and soon hung on the notice board of every police station in the west and south; but one or two mistaken arrests alone resulted from this publicity. A tramp with a big red mustac

ion Cottages on the following evening. It happened, however, that his letter crossed another and his plans were altered, for Je

declines. Uncle Bendigo is on Captain Redmayne's side I can see. He would not, I am sure, do anything to interfere with the law, but he is convinced that we do not know all there is to be told about this terri

m and a regret that his holiday

significance of her letter. He had expected to see her that night at Princetown.

n he had leisure to be annoyed that the letter from Robert

doubt this old sailor's home would offer a ver