Her voice trailed off. Dalgliesh said, “If we could take it from the time you arrived. Did you drive from London?”

“I was driven. Robert brought me in the Rolls. I’ve told you, he’s waiting to take me home. My husband sent him back as soon as I phoned.”

“And that was when?”

“As soon as they told me that a patient was dead. I suppose it was about eight o’clock. There was a great deal of coming and going, footsteps and voices, so I put my head out of the door, and Mr. Chandler-Powell came in and told me what had happened.”

“Did you know Rhoda Gradwyn was a patient in the room next door?”

“No, I didn’t. I didn’t know she was here at all. I didn’t see her after I arrived, and no one told me she was here.”

“Did you ever meet her before you came?”

“No, of course I didn’t. I mean, why would I meet her? Isn’t she a journalist or something? Stuart says to keep away from people like that. You tell them things and they always betray you. I mean, it’s not as if we’re in the same social circle.”

“But you knew that someone was in the room next to you?”

“Well, I knew that Kimberley had been in with some supper. I heard the trolley. Of course, I hadn’t had anything to eat since a light lunch at home. I couldn’t, because of the anaesthetic next day. Only now, of course, it doesn’t matter.”

Dalgliesh said, “Can we get back to the time of your arrival. When was that?”

“Well, it was about five o’clock. I was met by Mr. Westhall, Sister Holland and Miss Cressett in the hall, and I had tea with them, but nothing to eat. It was too dark to walk in the garden, so I said I’d spend the rest of the day in my suite. I had to be up fairly early, because the anaesthetist would be here and he and Mr. Chandler-Powell would want to check on me before my operation. So I went to my room and watched television until about ten o’clock, when I thought I’d go to bed.”

“And what happened in the night?”

“Well, I took some time getting to sleep, and it must have been after eleven before I did. But later on I woke needing to go to the bathroom.”

“What time was that?”