The Red House Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page B

you wished it."
    Bill gazed with open mouth at Antony. He had no words in his vocabulary
to express what he wanted to say, other than those the Major had
already used. Betty was leaning across to Miss Norris and saying, "Who's
killed?" in an awe-struck voice, and Miss Norris, who was instinctively
looking as tragic as she looked on the stage when a messenger announced
the death of one of the cast, stopped for a moment in order to explain.
Mrs. Calladine was quietly mistress of herself.
    "We shall be in the way, yes, I quite understand," she said; "but we
can't just shake the dust of the place off our shoes because something
terrible has happened there. I must see Mark, and we can arrange later
what to do. He must know how very deeply we feel for him. Perhaps we—"
she hesitated.
    "The Major and I might be useful anyway," said Bill. "Isn't that what
you mean, Mrs. Calladine?"
    "Where is Mark?" said the Major suddenly, looking hard at Antony.
    Antony looked back unwaveringly—and said nothing.
    "I think," said the Major gently, leaning over to Mrs. Calladine, "that
it would be better if you took Betty back to London to-night."
    "Very well," she agreed quietly. "You will come with us, Ruth?"
    "I'll see you safely there," said Bill in a meek voice. He didn't quite
know what was happening, and, having expected to stay at the Red House
for another week, he had nowhere to go to in London, but London seemed
to be the place that everyone was going to, and when he could get Tony
alone for a moment, Tony no doubt would explain.
    "Cayley wants you to stay, Bill. You have to go anyhow, to-morrow, Major
Rumbold?"
    "Yes. I'll come with you, Mrs. Calladine."
    "Mr. Cayley would wish me to say again that you will please not hesitate
to give your own orders, both as regard the car and as regard any
telephoning or telegraphing that you want done." He smiled again and
added, "Please forgive me if I seem to have taken a good deal upon
myself, but I just happened to be handy as a mouthpiece for Cayley." He
bowed to them and went into the house.
    "Well!" said Miss Norris dramatically.
    As Antony re-entered the hall, the Inspector from Middleston was just
crossing into the library with Cayley. The latter stopped and nodded to
Antony.
    "Wait a moment, Inspector. Here's Mr. Gillingham. He'd better come with
us." And then to Antony, "This is Inspector Birch."
    Birch looked inquiringly from one to the other.
    "Mr. Gillingham and I found the body together," explained Cayley.
    "Oh! Well, come along, and let's get the facts sorted out a bit. I like
to know where I am, Mr. Gillingham."
    "We all do."
    "Oh!" He looked at Antony with interest. "D'you know where you are in
this case?"
    "I know where I'm going to be."
    "Where's that?"
    "Put through it by Inspector Birch," said Antony with a smile.
    The inspector laughed genially.
    "Well, I'll spare you as much as I can. Come along."
    They went into the library. The inspector seated himself at a
writing-table, and Cayley sat in a chair by the side of it. Antony made
himself comfortable in an armchair and prepared to be interested.
    "We'll start with the dead man," said the Inspector. "Robert Ablett,
didn't you say?" He took out his notebook.
    "Yes. Brother of Mark Ablett, who lives here."
    "Ah!" He began to sharpen a pencil. "Staying in the house?"
    "Oh, no!"
    Antony listened attentively while Cayley explained all that he knew
about Robert. This was news to him. "I see. Sent out of the country in
disgrace. What had he done?"
    "I hardly know. I was only about twelve at the time. The sort of age
when you're told not to ask questions."
    "Inconvenient questions?"
    "Exactly."
    "So you don't really know whether he had been merely wild or—or
wicked?"
    "No. Old Mr. Ablett was a clergyman," added Cayley. "Perhaps what might
seem wicked to a clergyman might seem only wild to a man of the world."
    "I daresay, Mr. Cayley," smiled the Inspector. "Anyhow, it was more
convenient to have him in Australia?"
    "Yes."
    "Mark