He had made inquiries at Stanton station. It had been market-day
at Stanton and the station had been more full of arrivals than
usual. Nobody had particularly noticed the arrival of Robert
Ablett; there had been a good many passengers by the 2.10 train
that afternoon, the train by which Robert had undoubtedly come
from London. A witness, however, would state that he noticed a
man resembling Mark Ablett at the station at 3.53 p.m. that
afternoon, and this man caught the 3.55 up train to town.

There was a pond in the grounds of the Red House. He had dragged
this, but without result ....

Antony listened to him carelessly, thinking his own thoughts all
the time. Medical evidence followed, but there was nothing to be
got from that. He felt so close to the truth; at any moment
something might give his brain the one little hint which it
wanted. Inspector Birch was just pursuing the ordinary.
Whatever else this case was, it was not ordinary. There was
something uncanny about it.

John Borden was giving evidence. He was on the up platform
seeing a friend off by the 3.55 on Tuesday afternoon. He had
noticed a man on the platform with coat collar turned up and a
scarf round his chin. He had wondered why the man should do this
on such a hot day. The man seemed to be trying to escape
observation. Directly the train came in, he hurried into a
carriage. And so on.

"There's always a John Borden at every murder case," said Antony
to himself.