They do it with mirrors - Agatha Christie [29]
Lewis Serrocold said: ‘My office, Jolly?’
Miss Bellever nodded, and said: ‘I was just going to suggest it.’
She led the way across the Great Hall, and Inspector Curry and his attendant Sergeant followed her.
Miss Bellever arranged them and herself suitably. It might have been she and not Inspector Curry who was in charge of the investigation.
The moment had come, however, when the initiative passed to him. Inspector Curry had a pleasant voice and manner. He looked quiet and serious and just a little apologetic. Some people made the mistake of underrating him. Actually he was as competent in his way as Miss Bellever was in hers. But he preferred not to make a parade of the fact.
He cleared his throat.
‘I’ve had the main facts from Mr Serrocold. Mr Christian Gulbrandsen was the eldest son of the late Eric Gulbrandsen, the founder of the Gulbrandsen Trust and Fellowships…and all the rest of it. He was one of the trustees of this place and he arrived here unexpectedly yesterday. That is correct?’
‘Yes.’
Inspector Curry was pleased by her conciseness. He went on:
‘Mr Serrocold was away in Liverpool. He returned this evening by the 6.30 train.’
‘Yes.’
‘After dinner this evening, Mr Gulbrandsen announced his intention of working in his own room and left the rest of the party here after coffee had been served. Correct?’
‘Yes.’
‘Now, Miss Bellever, please tell me in your own words how you came to discover him dead.’
‘There was a rather unpleasant incident this evening. A young man, a psychopathic case, became very unbalanced and threatened Mr Serrocold with a revolver. They were locked in this room. The young man eventually fired the revolver — you can see the bullet holes in the wall there. Fortunately Mr Serrocold was unhurt. After firing the shots, this young man went completely to pieces. Mr Serrocold sent me to find Dr Maverick. I got through on the house phone but he was not in his room. I found him with one of his colleagues and gave him the message and he came here at once. On my own way back I went to Mr Gulbrandsen’s room. I wanted to ask him if there was anything he would like — hot milk, or whisky, before settling for the night. I knocked, but there was no response, so I opened the door. I saw that Mr Gulbrandsen was dead. I then rang you up.’
‘What entrances and exits are there to the house? And how are they secured? Could anyone have come in from outside without being heard or seen?’
‘Anyone could have come in by the side door to the terrace. That is not locked until we all go to bed, as people come in and out that way to go to the College buildings.’
‘And you have, I believe, between two hundred and two hundred and fifty juvenile delinquents in the College?’
‘Yes. But the College buildings are well secured and patrolled. I should say it was most unlikely that anyone could leave the College unsponsored.’
‘We shall have to check up on that, of course. Had Mr Gulbrandsen given any cause for — shall we say, rancour? Any unpopular decisions as to policy?’
Miss Bellever shook her head.
‘Oh no, Mr Gulbrandsen had nothing whatever to do with the running of the College, or with administrative matters.’
‘What was the purpose of his visit?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘But he was annoyed to find Mr Serrocold absent, and immediately decided to wait until he returned?’
‘Yes.’
‘So his business here was definitely with Mr Serrocold?’
‘Yes. But it would be — because it would be almost certainly business to do with the Institute.’
‘Yes, presumably that is so. Did he have a conference with Mr Serrocold?’
‘No, there was no time. Mr Serrocold only arrived just before dinner this evening.’
‘But after dinner, Mr Gulbrandsen said he had important letters to write and went away to do so. He didn’t suggest a session with Mr Serrocold?’
Miss Bellever