"
"Don't you think," I said, "that we are attaching perhaps undue
importance to the fact that some kind of fittings have been removed
from the doors? They may have been removed by the late occupier, and
the call to the police depot may have been made with the idea of
securing a witness, and a credible one, to the presence of the crate
here on the night of the murder."
"At the moment," replied Gatton, musingly, "I cannot see that this
would have served any useful purpose; but nevertheless you may be
right. I am going to assume, however, that you are wrong, and that the
object of sending Bolton here last night was to open and shut these
doors. I propose now to return again to the scene of the interrupted
supper."
Leaving the garage not very much wiser than when we had entered it,
we paced once more up the drive in the shade of the big trees and
were greeted again by the malarious smell of rotting leaves. Entering
the Red House, Gatton and I proceeded first to that incredible oasis
in the desert of empty rooms and my companion made a detailed
examination of everything in the place, even sounding the walls,
examining the fittings of the door, and finally proceeding through the
hall in the direction of the south wing of the house--that nearest to
the garage.
What he expected to find I had no idea, but his attention seemed to be
more particularly directed towards the wainscot and the picture-rails
of the empty and uncarpeted rooms which we entered.
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