“She taunted me for being pathetic and afraid of the consequences of my actions. She said she supposed I’d come to plead and beg for her silence; she said. ‘If you’d said nothing, of course I would have kept quiet. But this sneaking out behind me, this cringing and crawling makes me despise you. It devalues a pretty worthless past. So why should I protect you?’ I said that wasn’t what I meant to do at all, but that yes, she could damage my present and future with a few words. Not to mention the damage she would do to both our memories of the past. She laughed in my face, then walked off. It was all disgustingly melodramatic. I found it sickening.

“You may think this gives me a reason for wanting her dead. But she was already dead to me. Her reaction that morning killed the last dreams I had about her. The school is a very important part of my life, and has been for many years. But not as important as my music. If I had been inclined to murder, I wouldn’t have done it here, before the concert. I wanted to hear her play. I wanted to be sure that she could still play like an angel. And if she had told anyone of our past, well, so be it, I would have lost the school, but I could have made a new life for myself teaching privately. Lorna could only destroy a fragment of my life, I see that very clearly. I didn’t kill her for that fragment. Besides, Paddy Callaghan is probably the closest friend I have. I couldn’t sit back and watch her suffer if I had committed this crime. Whether you believe me or not, I didn’t kill Lorna.”

“I believe you,” said Cordelia, turning back to the room, “I don’t think there’s anything more we need to ask. I’m sorry we’ve caused you pain.”

“Thank you,” echoed Lindsay. “You have helped us a great deal. I’m sorry I had to be so hard.”

The music mistress remained silent as they left. Then she subsided into heavy, silent sobbing.

Lindsay and Cordelia walked back over to Paddy’s room without talking. Lindsay went straight to the drinks cupboard, unlocked it, and poured two liberal whiskies. “I’m glad I wasn’t born twenty years earlier,” she said, furious. “And I hope to God I never have to find the kind of courage she’s needed all these years.”

“You did believe her, then?”