He was very fond of Ruby."
Colonel Melchett said, "It was Mr Jefferson, I understand, who reported her disappearance to the police." He wanted to see exactly how she would react to that.
There was a flicker, just a flicker of- annoyance?
Concern?
He could not say what exactly, but there was something, and it seemed to him that she had definitely to brace herself, as though to an unpleasant task, before going on.
She said, "Yes, that is so. Being an invalid, he gets easily upset and worried.
We tried to persuade him that it was all right, that there was some natural explanation, and that the girl herself would not like the police being notified.
He insisted. Well -" she made a slight gesture - "he was right and we were wrong!"
Melchett asked, "Exactly how well did you know Ruby Keene, Mrs Jefferson?"
She considered.
"It's difficult to say.
My father-in-law is very fond of young people and likes to have them round him.
Ruby was a new type to him; he was amused and interested by her chatter.
She sat with us a good deal in the hotel and my father-in-law took her out for drives in the car." Her voice was quite noncommittal.
Melchett thought: She could say more if she chose.
He said, "Will you tell me what you can of the course of events last night?"
"Certainly, but there is very little that will be useful, I'm afraid.
After dinner Ruby came and sat with us in the lounge. She remained even after the dancing had started.
We had arranged to play bridge later, but we were waiting for Mark, that is Mark Gaskell, my brother-in-law, he married Mr Jefferson's daughter, you know, who had some important letters to write, and also for Josie. She was going to make a fourth with us."
"Did that often happen?"
"Quite frequently.
She's a first-class player, of course, and very nice.
My father-in-law is a keen bridge player and, whenever possible, liked to get hold of Josie to make the fourth, instead of an outsider.
Naturally, as she has to arrange the fours, she can't always play with us, but she does whenever she can, and as -" her eyes smiled a little - "my father-in-law spends a lot of money in the hotel, the management is quite pleased for Josie to favour us."
Melchett asked, "You like Josie?"
"Yes, I do.
She's always good-humoured and cheerful, works hard and seems to enjoy her job.
She's shrewd without being at all intellectual and well, never pretends about anything.
She's natural and unaffected."
"Please go on, Mrs Jefferson."
"As I say, Josie had to get her bridge fours arranged and Mark was writing, so Ruby sat and talked with us a little longer than usual.
Then Josie came along, and Ruby went off to do her first solo dance with Raymond, he's the dance and tennis professional.
She came back to us afterward, just as Mark joined us.
Then she went off to dance with a young man and we four started our bridge." She stopped and made a slight, significant gesture of helplessness. "And that's all I know!
I just caught a glimpse of her once, dancing, but bridge is an absorbing game and I hardly glanced through the glass partition at the ballroom.
Then, at midnight, Raymond came along to Josie very upset and asked where Ruby was.
Josie, naturally, tried to shut him up, but -" Superintendent Harper interrupted. He said in his quiet voice, "Why 'naturally,' Mrs Jefferson?"
"Well -" She hesitated; looked, Melchett thought, a little put out.
"Josie didn't want the girl's absence made too much of.
She considered herself responsible for her in a way.
She said Ruby was probably up in her room, she telephoned up to Ruby's room, but apparently there was no answer, and he came back in rather a state temperamental, you know.
Josie went off with him and tried to soothe him down, and in the end she danced with him instead of Ruby.
Rather plucky of her, because you could see afterward it had hurt her ankle.
She came back to us when the dance was over and tried to calm down Mr Jefferson. He had got worked up by then.
We persuaded him, in the end, to go to bed; told him Ruby had probably gone for a spin in a car and that they'd had a puncture.
He went to bed worried and this morning he began to agitate at once." She paused. "The rest you know."
"Thank you, Mrs Jefferson.
Now I'm going to ask you if you've any idea who could have done this thing?"
She said immediately,
"No idea whatever. I'm afraid I can't help you in the slightest."