Only Nigel Chapman, Valerie Hobhouse and Mrs. Hubbard could be excluded. It would mean long and exhaustive questioning. Who had been in the Common Room, who had left it? And when? Who could vouch for whom? Add to that, that many of the students, especially the Asiatic and African ones, were constitutionally vague about times, and the task was no enviable one.
But it would have to be done.
In Mrs. Hubbard’s room the atmosphere was unhappy. Mrs. Hubbard herself, still in her outdoor things, her nice round face strained and anxious, sat on the sofa. Sharpe and Sergeant Cobb at a small table.
“I think she telephoned from in here,” said Sharpe. “Around about 6ccjh several people left or entered the Common Room, or so they say-and nobody saw or noticed or heard the hall telephone being used. Of course, their times aren’t reliable, half these people never seem to look at a clock. But I think that anyway she’d come in here if she wanted to telephone the police station. You were out, Mrs. Hubbard, but I don’t suppose you lock your door?” Mrs. Hubbard shook her head.
“Mrs. Nicoletis always did, but I never do” “Well then, Patricia Lane comes in here to telephone, all agog with what she’s remembered.
Then, whilst she was talking, the door opened and somebody looked in or came in. Patricia stalled and hung up. Was that because she recognised the intruder as the person whose name she was just about to say? Or was it just a general precaution?
Might be either. I incline myself to the first supposition.” Mrs. Hubbard nodded emphatically.
“Whoever it was may have followed her here, perhaps listened outside the door. Then came in to stop Pat from going on.” “And then-was Sharpe’s face darkened. “That person went back to Patricia’s room with her, talking quite normally and easily. Perhaps Patricia taxed her with removing the bicarbonate, and perhaps the other gave a plausible explanation.” Mrs. Hubbard said sharply, “Why do you say’her”?” “Funny thing-a pronoun! When we found the body, Nigel Chapman said, “I’ll kill whoever did this. I’ll kill him.” ‘Him,” you notice. Nigel Chapman clearly believed the murder was done by a man. It may be because he associated the idea of violence with a man. It may be that he’s got some particular suspicion pointing to a man, to some particular man. If the latter, we must find out his reasons for thinking so. But speaking for myself, I plump for a woman.” “Why?” “Just tills. Somebody went into Patricia’s room with her-someone with whom she felt quite at home. That points to another girl. The men don’t go to the girls’ bedroom floors unless it’s for some special reason. That’s right, isn’t it, Mrs.
Hubbard?” “Yes. It’s not exactly a hard and fast rule, but it’s fairly generally observed.” “The other side of the house is cut off from this side, except on the ground floor. Taking it that the conversation earlier between Nigel and Pat was overheard, it would in all probability be a woman who overheard it.” “Yes, I see what you mean. And some of the girls seem to spend half their time here listening at keyholes.” She flushed and added apologetically, “That’s rather too harsh. Actually, although these houses are solidly built, they’ve been cut up and partitioned, and all the new work is flimsy as anything, like paper. You can’t help hearing through it.
Jean, I must admit, does do a good deal of snooping. She’s the type. And of course, when Genevieve heard Nigel tell Pat his father had murdered his mother, she stopped and listened for all she was worth.” The Inspector nodded. He had listened to the evidence of Sally Finch and Jean Tomlinson and Genevieve. He said: “Who occupies the rooms on either side of Patricia’s?” “Genevieve’s is beyond it-but that’s a good original wall. Elizabeth Johnston’s is on the other side, nearer the stairs. That’s only a partition wall.” “The narrows it down a bit,” said the Inspector.
“The French girl heard the end of the conversation, Sally Finch was present earlier on, before she went out to post her letter. But the fact that those two girls were there automatically excludes anybody else having been able to snoop, except for a very short period.