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Page 38
"I mean what I said, Bill. No more."
"Well, what does it amount to?"
"Simply that Robert Ablett died in the office this afternoon, and
that Cayley knows exactly how he died. That's all. It doesn't
follow that Cayley killed him."
"No. No, of course it doesn't." Bill gave a sigh of relief.
"He's just shielding Mark, what?"
"I wonder."
"Well, isn't that the simplest explanation?"
"It's the simplest if you're a friend of Cayley and want to let
him down lightly. But then I'm not, you see."
"Why isn't it simple, anyhow?"
"Well, let's have the explanation then, and I'll undertake to
give you a simpler one afterwards. Go on. Only remember the key
is on the outside of the door to start with."
"Yes; well, I don't mind that. Mark goes in to see his brother,
and they quarrel and all the rest of it, just as Cayley was
saying. Cayley hears the shot, and in order to give Mark time to
get away, locks the door, puts the key in his pocket and pretends
that Mark has locked the door, and that he can't get in. How's
that?"
"Hopeless, Watson, hopeless."
"Why?"
"How does Cayley know that it is Mark who has shot Robert, and
not the other way round?"
"Oh!" said Bill, rather upset. "Yes." He thought for a moment,
"All right. Say that Cayley has gone into the room first, and
seen Robert on the ground."
"Well?"
"Well, there you are."
"And what does he say to Mark? That it's a fine afternoon; and
could he lend him a pocket-handkerchief? Or does he ask him
what's happened?"
"Well, of course, I suppose he asks what happened," said Bill
reluctantly.
"And what does Mark say?"
"Explains that the revolver went off accidentally during a
struggle."
"Whereupon Cayley shields him by doing what, Bill? Encouraging
him to do the damn silliest thing that any man could possibly do
confess his guilt by running away!"
"No, that's rather hopeless, isn't it?" Bill thought again.
"Well," he said reluctantly, "suppose Mark confessed that he'd
murdered his brother?"
"That's better, Bill. Don't be afraid of getting away from the
accident idea. Well then, your new theory is this. Mark
confesses to Cayley that he shot Robert on purpose, and Cayley
decides, even at the risk of committing perjury, and getting into
trouble himself, to help Mark to escape. Is that right?"
Bill nodded.
"Well then, I want to ask you two questions. First, is it
possible, as I said before dinner, that any man would commit such
an idiotic murder--a murder that puts the rope so very tightly
round his neck? Secondly, if Cayley is prepared to perjure
himself for Mark (as he has to, anyway, now), wouldn't it be
simpler for him to say that he was in the office all the time,
and that Robert's death was accidental?"
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