The Mystery at Underwood House (An Angela Marchmont Mystery) by Clara Benson Read Free Book Online

must have been dead or at least unconscious when he was put in the boat. But why did the killer take him out into the middle of the lake?’
    ‘ To make it look like an accident, of course,’ said Guy. ‘Don’t you agree, Mrs. Marchmont?’
    ‘ Yes, that seems the most likely answer,’ replied Angela. ‘Assuming all three deaths are connected, then whoever was responsible has taken some care to make them look accidental.’ She walked slowly back towards the jetty, trying to imagine the scene. ‘Very well, let’s say he was drowned here by the shore, and that whoever killed him then bundled him into the boat, rowed him out into the middle of the lake and threw him overboard,’ she said. ‘How did the murderer return to shore?’
    ‘ Must he necessarily have gone out in the boat with Edward?’ asked Stella. ‘Perhaps he merely put the body in the boat and set it loose.’ She shook her head and laughed. ‘Oh! How silly of me—someone had to be there to throw him overboard, of course.’
    ‘ Yes,’ agreed Angela. ‘If it was murder, then someone went out on the lake with him, alive or dead.’
    ‘ He must have swum back to shore,’ said Guy. ‘Or perhaps there was another boat.’
    ‘ Are there any other boats hereabouts?’ asked Stella.
    ‘ Not that I know of,’ admitted Guy.
    ‘ Then whoever it was must have returned to the house drenched.’
    ‘ And with chattering teeth too,’ said Guy feelingly. ‘The water is as cold as ice.’
    ‘ Yes, I think we must look for someone who arrived back at the house with wet clothes,’ said Angela.
    ‘ Not necessarily,’ said Stella. ‘It would make much more sense for him to strip before going out in the boat, and leave his clothes by the shore.’
    ‘ Ye-es,’ said Angela. She looked as though she were about to say something else, but thought better of it.
    Guy picked up a pebble and aimed it idly at the boat. It glanced off a rowlock and entered the water with a gentle splash.
    ‘ Supposing it was an accident,’ said Angela. ‘Let us assume that for some reason Edward acted so far out of character as to go out voluntarily in a rowing-boat on a cold night. Why did he do it?’
    ‘ Perhaps as a means of calming down and collecting his thoughts,’ said Stella. ‘Some people like to work off a bad temper with vigorous exercise.’
    ‘ Was he the type?’
    ‘ I shouldn’t have said so, but people are odd. Sometimes they do totally unexpected things.’
    ‘ How did the accident happen, then?’
    ‘ That’s easy enough,’ said Guy. ‘If he really was such a duffer on the water then he probably went out dragging the painter behind him or something, then when it got tangled up in weeds he fell overboard and drowned while trying to free it.’
    ‘ There’s something in that,’ agreed Angela. She looked absently down at the ground, turning over the various possibilities in her head.
    ‘ I’ve always thought this was such a pretty spot,’ said Stella, ‘but it’s been spoilt now. I shall never look at it in the same way again.’ She stood up and shivered. ‘Let’s go back to the house.’
    ‘ My shoe-buckle has come undone,’ said Angela suddenly. She bent over to fasten it, then gave an impatient exclamation. ‘I think it might be broken. Do go ahead. I shall catch you up.’
    Angela busied herself with her shoe as Guy and Stella disappeared into the woods. As soon as they were out of sight she straightened up and went cautiously over to the fallen tree trunk. Something was sticking out a little way from a crack underneath it. With a little difficulty she succeeded in extracting the thing carefully and brushed the dirt off it. She stared at it, puzzled. Although it was damp and faded and part of it was torn away, it was unmistakably a photograph of a pretty young woman. The picture had evidently been trapped in the crevice of the tree trunk for some time, and was so damaged that it was impossible to judge how old it was, but Angela