“Did you go out at all yesterday evening?”

“Just for a walk in the garden after supper.”

“Did you see anyone?”

“No one at all.”

“Could you explain your exact relationship with Mr. Todd?”

“My mother Dorothea was his elder sister.”

“Did you and your family have much social contact with him?”

“I never saw him, except when I was on the island. As I have explained we had very little in common.”

“Do you know the terms of your uncle’s will?”

“Only what he told all the observatory members. That he intended to leave the island to the trust. I don’t know what was to happen to the remainder of his estate.”

“You didn’t expect to receive anything yourself?”

“Good God no. I shouldn’t think that there was very much left, and even if there were, Charlie would be bound to leave it outside the family. He never really got on with the rest of us. He thought that we were all staid and boring.”

“I see. Could you describe your movements this morning?”

“Of course, Superintendent. But as I explained, I don’t think that I can be of any use to you. I woke up at 7.30, dressed and went down to the common room. I read there until the bell rang for breakfast. Afterwards, the boys went seawatching. I had planned to go with them, but they had gone before I was ready. I was just getting into my waterproofs to go out to join them when John came in. I could tell that something was wrong. I suppose I was curious. I decided to stay in. Later Elizabeth told us that Charlie was dead.”

“Can you see anything of the island from the common room?”

“Not really. The windows all look out to the sea and then the shore.”

“Before breakfast, was anyone in the common room with you?”

“Not at first. Then the doctor came down.”

“Had he been outside?”

She laughed unpleasantly. She’s stopped trying to attract me, he thought. She feels safe now.

“Doctor Derbyshire doesn’t go out very often. Before breakfast it’s unheard of. He treats the observatory as a sort of social club.”

“Anyone else?”

“Mark and Nick came in next. They said that they’d been seawatching.”

“What were they wearing?”

“They’d taken off their boots and anoraks in the hall. Then I heard Elizabeth and Jasmine. The boys had left the common-room door open. They came in almost together. Elizabeth went straight into the kitchen, but I could see Jasmine through the open door. She was shaking out that big waterproof cape which she wears, then she hung it up with the other coats. She was just coming in to talk to us when the bell went for breakfast.”

“And Mr. Packham?”

“We were all sitting down at the table when Jerry came in. He muttered something about oversleeping.”

“Had he been out?”

“He didn’t look as if he had.”

“And that was the first time you’d seen him? You hadn’t been together earlier in the day?”