‘A bullet wasn’t found. If that’s what you’re seeking,’ Robson said as he tipped the ash from his cigarette into the tin. Cardilini observed the action with distaste.

‘That’s right,’ Cardilini replied.

‘A very thorough search has been made already.’

‘Oh yes, very thorough,’ Cardilini said exaggeratedly. ‘Friendly, were you, with Edmund?’

‘Captain Edmund was a colleague. A man very loyal to the school.’

‘A bit of a catch-cry, loyalty, is it?’ Cardilini examined the wall above the doorway.

‘It’s very important to any institution. Just like the police, I suspect,’ Robson replied archly.

Cardilini shrugged. ‘How tall was Edmund?’ he asked.

‘Not a tall man.’ Robson replied, eyeing Cardilini coolly.

‘Shorter than you?’

‘Yes.’

‘How much shorter?’

Robson held out his hand at eye level.

‘Finished, Salt?’ Cardilini asked.

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Good. Make yourself that tall, Salt’ Cardilini directed, ‘and walk over to the window.’

Salt went to Robson’s hand and bent at the knees until he reached the right height. Then he shuffled to the window and stood looking out. Cardilini stepped beside him and placed the index finger of his right hand on Salt’s forehead and the index finger of his left hand on the rear of Salt’s skull. He stood behind Salt and viewed down the angle his fingers created. Then he turned his attention into the room and returned to the spot above the door. He pulled the desk chair over and examined the same space with his eyes and fingertips. Satisfied, he replaced the chair and began inspecting the floor.

‘Sir?’ Salt asked; his knees had begun to shake.

‘Yeah. Okay,’ Cardilini replied. Salt straighten his legs as Cardilini opened the door and got down on his hands and knees. ‘A lot of blood?’

‘Yes.’

‘You all walked in it?’ Cardilini asked.

‘No.’ Robson replied emphatically.

‘Someone did,’ Cardilini said.

Robson looked at the floor curiously. ‘No. The pool was intact.’

‘You actually saw that when you first discovered the body?’

‘I’m sorry to say, yes, I noted it.’

Cardilini stood and inched along the corridor to the left, ‘Where were the skull fragments?’ he asked without looking up from his examination of the carpet in the corridor.

‘I didn’t see any, thank goodness. And I didn’t look. The body was gone when I returned with the cleaners.’

‘What time did you first enter the room?’

‘Just before six. Captain Edmund always rose punctually at five thirty.’

‘Why did you come to the room?’

‘The boys were mustered for rowing training and waiting in the quadrangle. I sent them ahead and came up here to fetch Edmund,’ Robson answered.

‘You at school that time every morning?’ Cardilini asked, shifting his view of the carpet to catch more light on the spot he was inspecting.

‘Dr Braun and I share the early starts.’

‘Did the cleaners exit this way?’ Cardilini indicated to the left of the passageway.

‘Yes.’

‘One of the cleaners had blood on them,’ Cardilini said.

‘I doubt that.’

‘Who else was about at six o’clock?’