The Classic Mystery Collection - Arthur Conan Doyle [4428]
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?"