Evening journal., 1922-08-04
CHAPTER V

what she said. The details werl
not quite established yet, but thi
much at least was certain; that Mr.
Marks brother had shot himself and
spirited Mr.. Mark away, and tina
Audrey had seen at once that n
was that sort OF man when she open.
ed the door TO him. Elsie had q
contribution OF her own 10 make
She had actually heard Mr.. Mari
in the office, threatening his brother
HE said. heard him say It with
my own ears. It's my turn now ht
said, triumphant-like."
well. II you think that's a threat
dear. you're very particular, I mus
say"
But Audrey remembered Elsie's
words when she was in front OF In
spector Birch. She gave her OWE
evidence with the readiness OF one
who had already repeated It several
times.
Then you didn't see Mr.. Mark at
all?"
NO, sir; he must have come in
before and gone up 10 his room"
well, I think that's all that
want TO know. Now what about the
other servants?"
ELSIE heard the master and Mr..
Robert talking together" said Au-
drey eagerly. HE was saying-MT.
Mark, mean"
"Ahl Who is Elsie, by the way?"
zone of the housemaids. Shah I
send her 10 you. sir?"
please"
All that interested Inspector Birch
was that Elsie was passing through
the hall, and heard voices in the
office.
And stopped 20 listen?"
Certainly not" said Elsie with
dignity, 81 was Just passing through
the hall. just as you might have been
yourself, and not supposing they
was talking secrets, didn't think 70
stop my ears, as no doubt I ought 70
have done" And she shifted slight
ly.
Come. come" said the inspector
soothingly. Now then, what was 1t
YOU heard7 Try TO remember the
exact words"
Something about working in a
passage. thought Elsie.
HIN. Working a passage over
could that have been it?"
That's right, sir" said Elsie
eagerly He'd worked his passage
over"
"Well7"
And then Mr.. Mark said loudly
sort Of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS my
turn now. You wait.
"Triumphantly
las much as TO say his chance
had come"
And that's all you heard?"
That's all, sir-not standing there
listening. but Just passing through
the hall, as It might be any time.
yes. Well. that's really very i'm
portant, Elsie. Thank you
Elsie gave him a smile. and re
turned eagerly 10 the kitchen.
Meanwhile Antony had been ex-
ploring a little on his own. There
was a point which was puzzling him.
He went through the hall TO the
front of the house and stood at the
open door. He and Cayley had run
round the house TO the left. surely
It would have been quicker 10 have
run round to the right? Undoubted-
~ they went the longest way round.
"Why?" he asked himself was
II TO give Mark more time in which
10 escape? Only. IN that case--why
rum Also, how did Cayley know
then that It was Mark who was try
ing TO escape? II he had guessed
that one had shot the other, 1t was
much more likely that Robert had
shot Mark. Indeed. he had admitted
that this was what he thought. The
first thing he had said when he
turned the body over was, Thank
Godl was afraid It was Mark But
why should he want TO give Robert
time in which to get away7 And
again-why run, IL he did want to
give him timer" 1
Antony went out OF the house
again to the lawns at the back. and
sat down op a bench in view of the
Office windows.
Now then" he said, Tets go
through Caley's mind carefully, and
see what we get"
Cayley had been in the hall when |
Robert was shown into the office. |
The servant goes off to look for |
MdThf anu NdJ4ey cues on Win MS
book. Mark comes down the stairs |
warns Cayley to stand by in case
he is wanted, and goes TO meet his |
brother. What does Cayley expect? |
Possibly that he won't be wanted |
after all; possibly that his advice
may be wanted in the matter. say,
of paying Roberts debts, or getting
him a passage back to Australia;
possibly that his physical assistance
may be wanted to get an obstreper-
Gus Robert out of the house. Well,
he sits there for a moment, and then
goes into the library. Suddenly he1
hears a pistol-shot. For the moment I
he would hardly realize what it was.
He listens. Perhaps It wasn't a
pistol-shot after all. After a mo-
ment or two he goes to the library
door again. The profound silence
makes him uneasy now. No harm
in going into the Office Just to re-
assure himself. So he tries the door
and finds Il locked
What are his emotions now?
Alarm, uncertainty. Something is