(1) Garcia

Opportunity. Was in the studio on Friday after all the others had gone. Knew the throne would not be touched (rule of studio). Motive. Sonia was going to have a baby. Probably his. He had tired of her and was after Valmai Seacliff (V.S.’s statement). They had quarrelled (Phillida Lee’s statement), and he had said he’d kill her if she pestered him. Possibly she threatened to sue him for maintenance. He may have egged her on to blackmail Pilgrim and taken the money. If so, she may have threatened to give him away to Troy. He had taken opium at about four o’clock in the afternoon. How long would he take to get sufficiently over the effect to drive a car to London and back?

(2) Agatha Troy

Opportunity. Could have done it on Saturday after she returned from London, or on Sunday. We have only her word for it that the drape was already arranged when she visited the studio on Saturday afternoon.

Motive. Sonia had hopelessly defaced the portrait of Valmai Seacliff—on Troy’s own admission the best picture she had painted.

(3) Katti Bostock

Same opportunities as Troy.

Motive. Sonia had driven her to breaking-point over the sittings for her large picture.

(4) Valmai Seacliff

Opportunity. Doubtful, but possibly she could have returned from Boxover after they had all gone to bed. The headache might have been an excuse.

Motive. Unless you count Sonia’s defacement of her portrait by Troy, there is no motive. If she had heard of Pilgrim’s affair with Sonia, she might be furious, but hardly murderous. Anyway, she had cut Sonia out.

(5) Basil Pilgrim

Opportunity. Same as Seacliff. Perhaps more favourable. If she had taken aspirin, she would sleep soundly, and the others were nowhere near his room. He would have slipped out after they had all gone to bed, taken his car, gone to the studio and fixed the knife.

Motive. Sonia had blackmailed him, threatening to tell Seacliff and Lord Pilgrim that the child was Basil’s. He seems to have a kink about purity and Seacliff. On the whole, plenty of motive.

N.B. If Seacliff or Pilgrim did it, either Garcia was not at the studio or else he is a confederate. If he was not at the studio, who took the caravan and removed his stuff? Could he have done this before Pilgrim arrived, leaving the coast clear?

(6) Cedric Malmsley

Opportunity. He could have fixed the knife after he had knocked Garcia out with opium.

Motive. Sonia was blackmailing him about his illustration. He is the type that would detest an exposure of this sort.

(7) Francis Ormerin

Opportunity. If Hatchett and Malmsley are correct in saying the drape was still crumpled on Friday afternoon after Ormerin had left, and if Troy is correct in saying it was stretched out on Saturday before he returned, there seems to be no opportunity.

Motive. Only the model’s persistent refusal to keep still (v unlikely).

(8) Phillida Lee

Opportunity. Accepting above statements— none.

Motive. None.

(9) Watt Hatchett

Opportunity. On Malmsley’s and Troy’s statements—none.

Motive. Appears to have disliked her intensely and quarrelled over the pose. Sonia gibed about Australia (poor motive).

Remarks. It seems to me there is little doubt that Garcia did it. Probably gingered up by his pipe of opium. If he fails to answer advertisements, it will look still more suspicious.

Suggestion. Find warehouse.