She sat down opposite Colonel Weston and turned a grave and intelligent face to him.
She said: "You want my name and address?
Rosamund Anne Darnley.
I carry on a dressmaking business under the name of Rose Mond, Ltd at 622 Brook Street."
"Thank you. Miss Darnley.
Now can you tell us anything that may help us?"
"I don't really think I can."
"Your own movements -"
"I had breakfast about nine-thirty. Then I went up to my room and collected some books and my sunshade and went out to Sunny Ledge.
That must have been about twenty-five past ten.
I came back to the hotel about ten minutes to twelve, went up and got my tennis racquet and went out to the tennis courts where I played tennis until lunchtime."
"You were in the cliff recess, called by the hotel, Sunny Ledge, from about half past ten until ten minutes to twelve?"
"Yes."
"Did you see Mrs Marshall at all this morning?"
"No."
"Did you see her from the cliff as she paddled her float round to Pixy's Cove?"
"No, she must have gone by before I got there."
"Did you notice any one on a float or in a boat at all this morning?"
"No, I don't think I did.
You see I was reading. Of course I looked up from my book from time to time but as it happened the sea was quiet each time I did so."
"You didn't even notice Mr Redfern and Miss Brewster when they went round?"
"No."
"You were, I think, acquainted with Mr Marshall?"
"Captain Marshall is an old family friend.
His family and mine lived next door to each other.
I had not seen him, however, for a good many years - it must be something like twelve wears."
"And Mrs Marshall?"
"I'd never exchanged half a dozen words with her until I met her here."
"Were Captain and Mrs Marshall, as far as you knew, on good terms with each other?"
"On perfectly good terms, I should say."
"Was Captain Marshall very devoted to his wife?"
Rosamund said: "He may have been. I can't really tell you anything about that.
Captain Marshall is rather old-fashioned - but he hasn't got the modern habit of shouting matrimonial woes upon the housetop."
"Did you like Mrs Marshall, Miss Darnley?"
"No." The monosyllable came quietly and evenly. It sounded what it was - a simple statement of fact.
"Why was that?"
A half smile came to Rosamund's lips.
She said: "Surely you've discovered that Arlena Marshall was not popular with her own sex?
She was bored to death with women and showed it.
Nevertheless I should like to have had the dressing of her. She had a great gift for clothes. Her clothes were always just right and she wore them well.
I should like to have had her as a client."
"She spent a good deal on clothes?"
"She must have.
But then she had money of her own and of course Captain Marshall is quite well off."
"Did you ever hear or did it ever occur to you that Mrs Marshall was being blackmailed, Miss Darnley?"
A look of intense astonishment came over Rosamund Darnley's expressive face.
She said: "Blackmailed? Arlena?"
"The idea seems to surprise you."
"Well, yes, it does rather.
It seems so incongruous."