“Fine. A few hours can’t make that much difference. Besides, I’ve no idea how to go about this. What should our plan of campaign be?”

Lindsay shrugged. “I’ve no experience of these things. Usually on investigative stories, you have a source who tells you where to look for your information. Or at least you have an idea where to find some background. This is a very different setup. It always seems so easy for the Hercule Poirots and Lord Peter Wimseys of this world. Everyone talks their head off to them. But why should anyone want to talk to us?”

“Because people love being interviewed. It makes them feel important, and besides, no one who knows Paddy would want her to go to prison.”

“No one except the murderer. And I hope whoever it is can sleep easy tonight. Because he or she won’t have many easy nights once I get after them, that’s for sure.”

9

An hour later, after food, more whisky, and wrangling, they had produced a sheet of A4 paper covered in the following:

1. James Cartwright. Motive: wants the playing fields to turn into expensive development. Opportunity: poor—not at concert. Where was he? Access to weapon: presumably knew Longnor House since daughter is there. Anyone could get hold of a cello string. Find out about financial position.

2. Margaret Macdonald. Motive: unknown but seen in emotionally charged discussion with Lorna on Saturday morning. Opportunity: excellent. In all the bustle, could easily have slipped into the room after Paddy left. Access to keys and weapon: good—even though she lives in a different house; any member of staff could presumably wander in and out of Longnor without raising any suspicion.

3. Caroline Barrington. Motive: not clear, but makes no secret of her hatred for Lorna. Opportunity: took a long time getting programs from music storeroom, only yards from murder room. Access to weapon: lives in Longnor, probably knew music-room stock, and likely to know where keys are kept.

4. Sarah Cartwright. Motive: love of father, deserted by friends over playing fields. Opportunity: unknown. Supposedly asleep in Longnor. Access to weapon: lives in Longnor. No known connection with music rooms.

5. Cordelia Brown. Motive: to avoid unsavory and costly libel action. Opportunity: reasonable. She was away from her seat for a significantly long period around the crucial time. Hard to believe she could have done it without being spotted. Access to weapon: spent the night in Longnor and knew her way round the music rooms. Would have had difficulty concealing weapon as she was wearing close-fitting dress with no bag. If her, action must have been premeditated—weapon must have been secreted in music room earlier.

6. Paddy Callaghan. Motive: to avoid exposure of drug-dealing in the past. Opportunity: best by far. Was in the music room alone with Lorna. Last person known to have seen her alive and speak with her. Access to weapon: excellent.

7. Who was the man quarreling with Lorna?