No one of them could consider the matter with an
unbiased mind.
But Antony could. He knew nothing about Mark; he knew nothing
about Robert. He had seen the dead man before he was told who
the dead man was. He knew that a tragedy had happened before he
knew that anybody was missing. Those first impressions, which
are so vitally important, had been received solely on the merits
of the case; they were founded on the evidence of his senses, not
on the evidence of his emotions or of other people's senses. He
was in a much better position for getting at the truth than was
the Inspector.
It is possible that, in thinking this, Antony was doing Inspector
Birch a slight injustice. Birch was certainly prepared to
believe that Mark had shot his brother. Robert had been shown
into the office (witness Audrey); Mark had gone in to Robert
(witness Cayley); Mark and Robert had been heard talking (witness
Elsie); there was a shot (witness everybody); the room had been
entered and Robert's body had been found (witness Cayley and
Gillingham).
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