The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-08-08

OA1CC.
For a moment Bill did not I'M
derstand..
Key of the office?" he said
vaguely. You don't meal
Tony! What do you mean? Good
God!f do you mean that Cayley
But what about Mark"
don't know where Mark is
that's another thing I want to
know-but I'm quite certain that
he hasn't got the key of the office
with him Because Cayley's got
it,
care you sure?" !.
.Of course, don't really
know that he's got it, but do
know that he had it. know
that when came on him this aft
ernoon, he had just locked the
door and put the key in his
pocket
/ You mean you saw him atithe:
time, but that you've only just
rem EN- bered it-reconstructed it
lin the way you were explaining
just now VS.
mo. I didn't see him. But I
did see something saw the
key Of the billiard-room.
..Where?''
"outside the Dilliard-room
door"
"outside2 But it was inside
when we looked just now
T Exactly"
Who put it there2"
obviously Cayley.''
''But-''
Lets go back to this after
noon. 1 don't remember noticing
the biIliard-room key at the time.
must, have done SO without
knowing. Probably when saw
Cayley banging at the door may
have wondered Sub-conSiOuSly
whether the key Of the room next
to it would fit. Well, when l was
sitting out by myself on that seat
just before you came along, went
over the whole scene in my mind,
and i suddenly saw the billiard
room key there-outSide. And I
began to wonder if the office key
had been outside too When Cay
ley came up. told you my idea
and you We're both interested. But
tCayley was just shade too in
terested. daresay you didn't
notice it, but he was
by JOVe.
well, of course that proved
nothing; and the key business
didn't really prove anything. be-
cause whatever side of the door
the other keys were, Mark might
have locked his own private room
from the inside sometimes. But
piled it on, and pretended that
1T was enorm ously important, and
quito altered the case altogether.
and having got Cayley thoroughly
anxious about it, as expected, he
couldn't resist. He altered the
keys and gave himself away en-
tirely''
But the library key was still
outside Why didn't he alter
that?'
Because he's a clever devil
For one thing, the inspector had
been in the library, and might
possibly have noticed it already
And for another" Antony hesi-
tated
'.what?" said Bill. after wait
ing for him to go on.
Its only guesswork. But
fancy that Cayley was thoroughly
upset about the key business, He
didn't want to commit himself
definitely to the statement that
the key was either outside or in
side. He wanted to leave it vague
It was safest that way
II see," said Bill slowly.
But his mind was elsewhere.
He was wondering suddenly about
Cayley.
Now then, Watson" said An
tony suddenly. Its time you
said something"
= say: Tony. do you really
mean it?''
II mean what I said, Bill NO
more
well. what does it amount to 2
Simply that Robert Albeit
died in the office this afternoon,
and that Cayley knows exactly
how he died. That's all. 1t doesn't
follow that Cayley killed him.
NO No, course it doesn't" Bill
gave a. sigh of relief. Hes just
shielding Mark, whaf?"
That's the simplest explanat-
ion if you're friend of Cayley
and want to let him down ligh thy.
But then I'm not you see."
why isn't it simple, anyhow
well let's have the explain
alton then, and III undertake to
give you-a simpler one afterwar6.
Only remem berthe key is on
the outside Of the door to start
with
yes: well, 1 don't mind that.
Mark goes in TO see his brother.
and they quarrel and all the rest
of it, just as Cay1ey was saying.
Cayley hears the shot, and in ord
er to give Mark time to get away.
locks the door. and that he can't
get in How's pretends that Mark
has locked the door, and that he
can't get in. How's that?"
''Why?''
How does CayIey know that it
Is Mark who has shot Robert, and
not the other way round
OH" said Bill, rather upset.
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