‘Yes.’
Inspector Curry was pleased by her conciseness. He went on:
‘Mr Serrocold was away in Liverpool. He returned this evening by the 6.30 train.’
‘Yes.’
‘After dinner this evening, Mr Gulbrandsen announced his intention of working in his own room and left the rest of the party here after coffee had been served.
Correct?’
‘Yes.’
‘Now, Miss Believer, please tell me in your own words how you came to discover him dead.’
‘There was a rather unpleasant incident this evening. A young man, a psychopathic case, became very unbal-anced and threatened Mr Serrocold with a revolver.
They were locked in this room. The young man eventu-ally fired the revolver – you can see the bullet holes in the wall there. Fortunately Mr $errocold was unhurt. After firing the shots, this young man went completely to pieces. Mr Serrocold sent me to find Dr Maverick. I got through on the house phone but he was not in his room.
I found him with one of his colleagues and gave him the message and he came here at once. On my own way back I went to Mr Gulbrandsen’s room. I wanted to ask him if there was anything he would like – hot milk, or whisky, before settling for the night. I knocked, but there was no response, so I opened the door. I saw that Mr Gulbrandsen was dead. I then rang you up.’ ‘What entrances and exits are there to the house? And how are they secured? Could anyone have come in from outside without being heard or seen?’ ‘Anyone could have come in by the side door to the terrace. That is not locked until we all go to bed, as people come in and out that way to go to the College buildings.’ ‘And you have, I believe, between two hundred and two hundred and fifty juvenile delinquents in the College?’ ‘Yes. But the College buildings are well secured and patrolled. I should say it was most unlikely that anyone could leave the College unsponsored.’ ‘We shall have to check up on that, of course. Had Mr Gulbrandsen given any cause for – shall we say, rancour?
Any unpopular decisions as to policy?’ Miss Believer shook her head.
‘Oh no, Mr Gulbrandsen had nothing whatever to do with the running of the College, or with administrative matters.’ ‘What was the purpose of his visit?’ ‘I have no idea.’ ‘But he was annoyed to find Mr Serrocold absent, and immediately decided to wait until he returned?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘So his business here was definitely with Mr Serrocold?’ ‘Yes. But it would be – because it would be almost certainly business to do with the Institute.’ ‘Yes, presumably that is so. Did he have a conference with Mr Serrocold?’
‘No, there was no time. Mr Serrocold only arrived just before dinner this evening.’
‘But after dinner, Mr Gulbrandsen said he had important letters to write and went away to do so. He didn’t suggest a session with Mr Serrocold?’ Miss Believer hesitated.
‘No. No, he didn’t.’
‘Surely that was rather odd – if he had waited on at inconvenience to himself to see Mr Serrocold?’
‘Yes, it was odd.’
The oddness of it seemed to strike Miss Bellever for the first time.
‘Mr Serrocold did not accompany him to his room?’ ‘No. Mr Serrocold remained in the Hall.’
‘And you have no idea at what time Mr Gulbrandsen was killed?’
‘I think it is possible that we heard the shot. If so, it was at twenty-three minutes past nine.’
‘You heard a shot? And it did not alarm you?’
‘The circumstances were peculiar.’
She explained in rather more detail the scene between Lewis Serrocold and Edgar Lawson which had been in progress.
‘So it occurred to no one that the shot might actually have come from within the house?’
‘No. No, I certainly don’t think so. We were all so relieved, you know, that the shot didn’t come from in here.’
Miss Bellever added rather grimly:
‘You don’t expect murder and attempted murder in the same house on the same night.’
Inspector Curry acknowledged the truth of that.
‘All the same,’ said Miss Believer, suddenly, ‘you know, I believe that’s what made me go along to Mr Gulbrandsen’s room later. I did mean to ask him if he would like anything, but it was a kind of excuse to reassure myself that everything was all right.’ Inspector Curry stared at her for a moment.