Know anything about the other three?"
The girl shook her head.
"I've never seen any of them before."
"What do you think of them?
Any likely murderers among them?"
"I can't believe it.
I just can't believe it.
It couldn't be Major Despard.
And I don't believe it could be the doctor.
After all a doctor could kill anyone in so much easier ways.
A drug - something like that."
"Then, if it's anyone, you think it's Mrs. Lorrimer."
"Oh, I don't.
I'm sure she wouldn't.
She's so charming - and so kind to play bridge with.
She's so good herself and yet she doesn't make one feel nervous, or point out one's mistakes."
"Yet you left her name to the last," said Battle.
"Only because stabbing seems somehow more like a woman."
Battle did his conjuring trick.
Anne Meredith shrank back.
"Oh, horrible!
Must I - take it?"
"I'd rather you did."
He watched her as she took the stiletto gingerly, her face contracted with repulsion.
"With this tiny thing - with this -"
"Go in like butter," said Battle with gusto. "A child could do it."
"You mean - you mean," wide, terrified eyes fixed themselves on his face, "that I might have done it.
But I didn't. Oh! I didn't!
Why should I?"
"That's just the question we'd like to know," said Battle. "What's the motive?
Why did anyone want to kill Shaitana?
He was a picturesque person but he wasn't dangerous as far as I can make out."
Was there a slight indrawing of her breath - a sudden lifting of her breast?
"Not a blackmailer, for instance, or anything of that sort," went on Battle. "And anyway, Miss Meredith, you don't look the sort of girl who's got a lot of guilty secrets."
For the first time she smiled, reassured by his geniality.
"No, indeed I haven't.
I haven't got any secrets at all."
"Then don't you worry, Miss Meredith.
We shall have to come round and ask you a few more questions, I expect, but it will be all a matter of routine." He got up. "Now you go off.
My constable will get you a taxi, and don't you lie awake worrying yourself.
Take a couple of aspirins."
He ushered her out. As he came back Colonel Race said in a low, amused voice,
"Battle, what a really accomplished liar you are!
Your fatherly air was unsurpassed."
"No good dallying about with her, Colonel Race.
Either the poor kid is dead scared - in which case it's cruelty, and I'm not a cruel man; I never have been - or she's a highly accomplished little actress and we shouldn't get any farther if we were to keep her here half the night."
Mrs. Oliver gave a sigh and ran her hands freely through her fringe until it stood upright and gave her a wholly drunken appearance.
"Do you know," she said, "I rather believe now that she did it!
It's lucky it's not in a book.
They don't really like the young and beautiful girl to have done it.