Picture Dictionary & Books : Free for English Learner!

It explains why he wasted so much time banging on the door.

Why should he try to break a lock when it's so much easier to break a window? Of course he might just have lost his head; on the other hand, he might-well, he might have wanted to give his cousin a chance of getting away.

The same about the police, and-oh, lots of things.

Why, for instance, did we run all the way round the house in order to get to the windows? Surely there's a back way out through the hall.

I must have a look later on."

Antony, it will be observed, had by no means lost his head.

There was a step in the passage outside, and he turned round, to see Cayley in the doorway. He remained looking at him for a moment, asking himself a question. It was rather a curious question. He was asking himself why the door was open.

Well, not exactly why the door was open; that could be explained easily enough.

But why had he expected the door to be shut? He did not remember shutting it, but somehow he was surprised to see it open now, to see Cayley through the doorway, just coming into the room.

Something working sub-consciously in his brain had told him that it was surprising.

Why?

He tucked the matter away in a corner of his mind for the moment; the answer would come to him later on.

He had a wonderfully retentive mind.

Everything which he saw or heard seemed to make its corresponding impression somewhere in his brain; often without his being conscious of it; and these photographic impressions were always there ready for him when he wished to develop them.

Cayley joined him at the window.

"I've telephoned," he said. "They're sending an inspector or some one from Middleston, and the local police and doctor from Stanton." He shrugged his shoulders. "We're in for it now."

"How far away is Middleston?" It was the town for which Antony had taken a ticket that morning-only six hours ago. How absurd it seemed.

"About twenty miles. These people will be coming back soon."

"Beverley, and the others?"

"Yes. I expect they'll want to go away at once."

"Much better that they should."

"Yes." Cayley was silent for a little. Then he said, "You're staying near here?"

"I'm at 'The George,' at Waldheim."

"If you're by yourself, I wish you'd put up here. You see," he went on awkwardly, "you'll have to be here-for the-the inquest and-and so on. If I may offer you my cousin's hospitality in his-I mean if he doesn't-if he really has-"

Antony broke in hastily with his thanks and acceptance.

Table of Contents