‘A nice simple way of kidnapping anyone,’ said Adam. ‘No struggle, no cries. All you’ve got to know is that the girl’s expecting a car to fetch her and all you’ve got to do is to look like a high-class chauffeur and arrive there before the other car does. The girl will step in without a second thought and you can drive off without her suspecting in the least what’s happening to her.’

‘No abandoned car found anywhere?’ asked Kelsey.

‘We’ve had no news of one,’ said the Sergeant. ‘The Yard’s on it now as I said,’ he added, ‘and the Special Branch.’

‘May mean a bit of a political schemozzle,’ said the Inspector. ‘I don’t suppose for a minute they’ll be able to take her out of the country.’

‘What do they want to kidnap her for anyway?’ asked the doctor.

‘Goodness knows,’ said Kelsey gloomily. ‘She told me she was afraid of being kidnapped and I’m ashamed to say I thought she was just showing off.’

‘I thought so, too, when you told me about it,’ said Adam.

‘The trouble is we don’t know enough,’ said Kelsey. ‘There are far too many loose ends.’ He looked around. ‘Well, there doesn’t seem to be anything more that I can do here. Get on with the usual stuff—photographs, fingerprints, etc. I’d better go along to the house.’

At the house he was received by Miss Johnson. She was shaken but preserved her self-control.

‘It’s terrible, Inspector,’ she said. ‘Two of our mistresses killed. Poor Miss Chadwick’s in a dreadful state.’

‘I’d like to see her as soon as I can.’

‘The doctor gave her something and she’s much calmer now. Shall I take you to her?’

‘Yes, in a minute or two. First of all, just tell me what you can about the last time you saw Miss Vansittart.’

‘I haven’t seen her at all today,’ said Miss Johnson. ‘I’ve been away all day. I arrived back here just before eleven and went straight up to my room. I went to bed.’

‘You didn’t happen to look out of your window towards the Sports Pavilion?’

‘No. No, I never thought of it. I’d spent the day with my sister whom I hadn’t seen for some time and my mind was full of home news. I took a bath and went to bed and read a book, and I turned off the light and went to sleep. The next thing I knew was when Miss Chadwick burst in, looking as white as a sheet and shaking all over.’

‘Was Miss Vansittart absent today?’

‘No, she was here. She was in charge. Miss Bulstrode’s away.’

‘Who else was here, of the mistresses, I mean?’

Miss Johnson considered a moment. ‘Miss Vansittart, Miss Chadwick, the French mistress, Mademoiselle Blanche, Miss Rowan.’

‘I see. Well, I think you’d better take me to Miss Chadwick now.’

Miss Chadwick was sitting in a chair in her room. Although the night was a warm one the electric fire had been turned on and a rug was wrapped round her knees. She turned a ghastly face towards Inspector Kelsey.