"Why not?" "I want to, Enrico." "Just as much as you want me to." "But not like this." "You love me, but you don't trust me." "Is that it?" "No." "Everything will be all right." "Believe me." "It's just a question of time." "Elizabeth, I want to make you happy." "What is it now?" "Over there!" "On the bank." "I saw someone." "Oh, for heaven's sake, Elizabeth." "What do you care, eh?" "Nobody can see us." "Some lover I must be if you would rather watch the scenery." "I'm sorry." "I'll close my eyes and you can try again." "There!" "It was a knife." "I saw it." " I saw it!" " What will you see next?" "You have an excuse for everything." "It's all the fault of that damn uncle of yours who insisted on sending you to that stupid Victorian school." "There is always some do or don't to keep you from acting like a normal girl." "Come on." "Get up." "Now, where is it?" "Did it fly away?" "What kind of knife was it?" "Was it a long one with a handle?" "A dagger, perhaps?" "A sword?" "The Archangel Gabriel come to punish you for your sins I suppose..." "Shut up!" "You're so cruel sometimes." "Button up your blouse, Elizabeth." "And please stop crying." "My uncle and the school have nothing to do with it." "I saw the flash of a knife!" "I saw it really." "And it wasn't my imagination." "Take me home." "Now, please." "Here is the 7:30 news." "The meeting of the lnternational Euratom was closed last night, with the acceptance of the proposition to stabilize prices..." "Put on some music." "Breaking of the London accord with Israel after the Six-Day War." "And now, our local news..." "Where are you?" "A vicious murder was discovered this morning in London." "A fisherman going out at dawn discovered the body of a young girl on the banks of the Thames..." "The police went immediately to the scene and have so far been able only to complete the first steps of their routine." "As yet, there is no knowledge of the victim's identity." "And now the sports news." "Why did you change stations?" "Why not?" " Did you hear what they said?" " Of course." "Intolerably aggressive today, aren't you?" "Intolerably aggressive?" "After five years do you always have to be so piss-elegant?" "I do what I can, Enrico." "Sergeant Tenny here." "We're waiting for an ambulance." "Yeah, the coroner's already here." "Over." "Get back." "Get back!" "You can't stay here." "That's weird." "I think she was strangled." "Really?" "I heard they did it with a knife." "No, couldn't have." "I saw her and there weren't any wounds." "Well, at least not on the throat." "Professor Rosseni." "Oh, thank heaven!" "They've been waiting for you." "Park the car for me, will you, Bert?" "In the headmaster's office, Professor." "They're all there." "Even the police." "Finally, we're all here, Inspector." "All the professors of the upper form, including the teacher of gymnastic classes." "And Italian." "You're an hour late, Mr Rosseni." "It's inexcusable." "My car broke down." "I couldn't find a taxi, so I had to wait until it was mended." "This is Inspector Barth from Scotland Yard." "How do you do?" " Well, let's not waste any more time." " No." "Would you mind having a look at these photographs?" "Mr. Newton, geometry and history." "Father Webber, chemistry and natural science." "Study them carefully, please." "Mr Joseph Kane, history and philosophy." "Mrs Herta Rosseni, music and German." "It's a necessary formality." "Professor Enrico Rosseni, whom you've already met." "Oh, my God." "But..." "But this is..." "It's Hilda Erickson." " Yes." " Who did it?" "We don't know yet." "All we know is the victim's name." "Her parents reported her missing yesterday evening." "Now, I must..." "I must tell them she's been found." "Thank you all very much." "If I need you again, I'll let you know." "Goodbye, Mr Leach." "Goodbye, Inspector." "Oh, er..." "You are of Italian origin, right?" " What difference does that make?" " Oh, it's only..." "My husband has lived in London for many years, Inspector." "I know." "I know." "Goodbye, Mr Rosseni." "Mr Rosseni, your pupils are waiting for you." "Tell them what has happened." "I ask you to do this since your more informal relationship with the girls may be useful for once." "But be very tactful and don't go into details." "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight." " Girls, look out!" " This is not a ballet class." " Ooh!" " Oh!" "Relax." "Relax and listen to me." "I've been asked to give you some bad news." "You have probably noticed that Hilda Erickson didn't come to school today." "Something very serious has happened." "And we shall not be seeing her again." "Is she dead?" "Oh, no!" "Janet, don't get all upset." "Janet..." "When did it happen?" "Yesterday afternoon, I think." "I knew it." "I knew she was killed." "Yes, but..." "How did you know, Brenda?" "Her mother called me up last night to find out if she was over at my house." "She was very worried because Hilda never stays out late." "I see." "Hmm." "What did they do to her?" "I'm afraid I don't know." "Oh, excuse me, Rosseni." "But I thought my presence might be helpful." "Instead of bombarding the professor with questions, just get changed." "Are we all here?" "I'm sorry, but I can only stay for 10 minutes." "I have to get back to school." "I suppose you've heard of Hilda's death." "When did it happen?" "Yesterday afternoon." "In the woods, along the riverbank." "Elizabeth, what did you see exactly?" "The killer?" "No, it was just a shadow moving." "Very dark." "I don't know how to explain." "I'm sure it was a man, but there was something funny." "Funny?" "Funny how?" "I don't know." "I can't remember clearly." "Maybe I should go to the police." "You are out of your mind!" "They will ask you who you were with." "My love, listen to me." "You can't always do what you like." "You must keep track of reality." "We need time to prepare Herta, make her understand that I'm in love with you." "Then, besides, there is a scandal for the school." "It's your last year, don't you see?" "You're right." "Especially about your wife." "Where were you this morning?" "A suspicious wife is a very boring character." "You don't even attempt to keep up appearances any more." "You're tired of me." "And you don't care if it shows." "As if you could hide it with that transparent face of yours." "That idiotic lie about the car breaking down." "It wasn't idiotic, and it wasn't a lie." "And now, for God's sake, leave me alone." "What's the matter now?" "What made you decide to go and look?" "Morbid curiosity." "I told you." "A snap decision and off you went." "About what time?" "I left my house about eight, maybe 10 minutes past." "No later." "And by 8:30 you'd already arrived." "Twenty minutes." "Something wrong?" "I wonder how you managed." "To find such an out of the place in the country in 20 minutes." "I heard the news on the radio, don't you remember?" "The 7:30 news." ""A fisherman going out at dawn discovered the body of a young girl in a thicket"" ""on the right bank of the Thames."" ""The man notified the police, who went immediately to the scene"" ""and have so far been able to complete the first steps of their routine only."" ""As yet, there is no knowledge of the victim's identity."" "Quite a puzzle, yet you got there so early." "It could have been north of the city." "Instead of south." "I wasn't the only one." "There were dozens of other people." "Look for yourself." "They were passers-by attracted by the police." "Are you insinuating that the killer always returns to the scene of the crime, Inspector?" "No." "But you're hiding something." "And I don't like it." "Er, what time was the girl killed?" "The afternoon papers said that they are still waiting for word from the coroner." "Then I'll tell you." "Between 5:00 and 5:30, yesterday afternoon, just before sunset." "Where were you about that time, Mr Rosseni?" "Driving around the city." " Alone?" " Alone." "I had a row with my wife." "I wanted to cool off." "I see." "You can go." "Oh?" "That's all?" "Yes." "Come back anytime you like." "Goodbye, Inspector." "Hilda Erickson was your pupil." "She decided to take Italian instead of French because you were the professor." "Young, likeable, easy going, and always on their side against the dean." "But now she's dead." "Yes, dead, Mr Rosseni." "But that doesn't seem to bother you at all." "Your mind is on something else." "Was it bad, the way she died?" "Lonely." "The killer wounded Hilda fatally." "She took an hour to die." "By herself." "Well, how're things going?" "These are the casts of the most recent footprints." "The ones fresh enough to have been left yesterday afternoon." "And this is a cast of the victim's footprint." "I see." "Oh, where'd you pick this up?" "The grass." "About 100 yards from the body." "I'm sending it to fingerprinting." "Hmm, all right." "Hmm, where did you find the pin?" "On the victim's dress." "They've arrived, Inspector." "Oh, all right." "Are the X-rays ready?" "I'll have them for you in a moment, Inspector." "Good show." "Carry on." "Why can't we see our daughter's body?" "I'm Inspector Barth, please sit down." "Mrs Erickson." "I am in charge of this case." "I'll take you to see your daughter when the time comes." "Please take notes." "Well, Mr Erickson, please understand I have to know everything." "Even if it seems to you an irrelevant and unimportant detail." "Let's start with yesterday afternoon." "Yesterday was Sunday." "Try to remember how you spent the afternoon." "Take your time." "We didn't go out at all after lunch." "We went to Mass in the morning with Hilda and then..." "She went to confession, poor darling, and took Communion." "Naturally." "But you were saying about the afternoon..." "Yes, we stayed at home, my wife and I." "Remember, dear?" "We watched cricket on TV." "Then we started wondering why Hilda hadn't come home." "She never did come home." "When did Hilda go out?" "Around seven or eight o'clock." "First we called up some friends, girls from the school." "But they hadn't seen her." "Then she didn't go out with them." "Was there some doubt, Mr Erickson, you, uh, didn't believe them?" "I have never understood these girls." "But your daughter was hardly a baby." "Maybe she had a boyfriend." "She would have told me." " Don't you think?" " Yes." "Well, I see." "I don't mean to insist." "Please excuse me now." "There's something I have to ask you, Mr Barth." "Hilda, had she been..." "Was she raped?" "Miss Borman?" "In a certain sense, yes, Mr Erickson." "Please come with me." "Here we are." "Now hold on, Mr Erickson." "The murderer left the knife there." "Yes." "Yes, Father, but I'm afraid to." "No, there was somebody else." "Yes." "I'll get it, Uncle." "Hello?" "Ah, it's you." "Ah..." "It's for me." "Listen, I have a surprise for you." "Uh-huh." "Does that enthusiastic response mean you don't care?" "I haven't been able to get near you for more than a week." "What is it now?" "Who are you talking to?" "I'm by myself." "But where, darling?" "Where?" "That's for you to guess." "I'll count to 10." "The keys." "I forgot they were still in my coat..." " Leave them." " I'll just leave them here, then." " Excuse me, sir?" " Now why act like that, Elizabeth?" "Come in." "What is it?" "Well?" "Flowers, sir." "No, really." "I want to see you." "Flowers." "Shall I take care of them?" "Thanks, yes." "Who are you talking to?" "I can't tell you that." "Part of the surprise." "But don't forget, if you need something, I'm right next door." "Si, Si." "No, no, no." "I'm counting on your female curiosity." "Wait a second." "Hear that?" "Caro, do tell me where you are." "I can't stay on the phone forever." "8 Evelyn Gardens, fifth floor." "The flat in front of the elevator." "I love you." "Going out?" "Over to Deborah's to study." "Was that Deborah on the telephone?" "Yes." "See you later, Uncle Douglas." "Liza?" "Don't be too late." "It's all right." "I'm not Little Red Riding Hood." "No, Liza." "But after what happened to Hilda..." "Don't worry, Uncle." "I promise I won't go near the river bank today." "Bye!" "Could this mean you care for me?" "What an idiot you are." "Close your eyes." "Close your eyes!" " Why?" " Come on." "What does Her Ladyship have to say?" " Oh..." "Now I know." " Hmm." "It's a trap." "My favourite flowers, my favourite song." "After you, madam." "It will be our refuge until we can..." "Why don't you answer?" "Hello?" "Who's calling?" "Hello?" "Ah." "They hung up." "It had to be the wrong number since no one knows we're here." " Do you want to see the rest of the house?" " Yes." "It is everything you need to make a glass of water." "Also the bathroom's very nice." "Oh!" "It's beautiful." "And this is it, eh?" "Are we supposed to make love in the bathtub?" "You are a fantastic girl." "The knife, Enrico." "It seemed to be meant for me." "I don't think I'll ever write decent German." "Even your much-beloved Rilke preferred Italian." "Remember, for example, we say, "Palm of the hand."" "And you say "Flat of the hand."" "Italian is the language for angels' tongues." "And German is hard and graceless, like me." "While you need soft things." "Tender things." "Angel's tongues." "Herta, please!" "I..." "I'm trying to help you, Enrico." "You're been wanting to tell me something for quite some time." "Circling around it like a vulture, without ever quite getting up the courage to land." "For all the sweetness of your angel's tongue..." "What were you doing with Hilda Erickson?" "Why did you go running to see her body?" "Had you been to bed with her?" "Are you crazy?" "How could you say such a thing?" "You'll have to be much more convincing than that, Enrico." "Please, come in." " Inspector Barth." " Good evening." "You're just in time for a drink." "Make yourself at home, please." "Thank you." "Scotch?" "Oh yes, please." "Ice and soda." "Thank you." "I've given you a week, Mr Rosseni, but you've disappointed me." "So, I'm taking the initiative." "I'm sorry that I couldn't give you advanced notice." "Well, I'd like to go over the main points again." "Oh, uh, I'm sorry, have you got a pen?" " On the desk, dear." " Oh." "Oh, there's yours, right there, Enrico." "Thank you." "I'll have to ask you a few questions, Mr Rosseni." " That means man talk, I imagine." " If you wouldn't mind." "We found one just like this at the scene of the murder." "Left by the killer?" "Or by a witness." "All right, I can explain the pen." "I can tell you that much if you promise to keep it between us." "I didn't see anything myself, that afternoon on the river, but the person I was with did." "I thought, at first, it was one of her usual tricks." "That she'd only made it up in order to distract me." "There!" "It was a knife!" " I saw it." "I saw it!" " Where?" "I didn't want to believe her." "I thought it was another excuse." "That's why, when I heard the news on the radio," "I went rushing there like a fool." "That's the whole story." "Ah." "Elizabeth Seccles?" "That's right." "The niece of Colonel Douglas Seccles." "Well, you know I'll have to question her." "Oh, don't worry about my discretion, but if what she tells me can help identify the killer" "I'll have to let it come out." "I'm sorry." "A shadow with form, a knife glinting in the sun." "How could that help investigation?" "It's likely to get more trouble than help." "To both you and me." "Good evening, miss." " Good evening, sir." " St James's Park." "Have fun, Daddy." " Yes?" " Hello, is Mr Bryant there?" "No, I'm sorry." "My father's out." "Oh, I see." "Would this be Janet?" "Yes, of course I'm Janet." "I thought it must be you." "This is Barnaby Edmonds, Helen's father." "Oh, Mr Edmonds." "I'm sorry, I didn't recognise your voice." "Uh, Helen wanted me to ask if she could borrow your Italian book." "She has an exam tomorrow an she seems to have lost hers." "I'm near your house, if you could just bring it downstairs." "Oh, yes, I will." " Thank you." " Bye." "But you're not..." "Hello?" "What?" "Right now?" "This minute?" "All right." "I'll come." "It's not necessary, Enrico, to say anything." "Enrico." "Oh, Enrico!" " Enrico..." " Calm down." "Calm." "I'm here." " Tell me what's wrong." " Oh, God, Enrico." "I had that ghastly nightmare again, but it was much clearer this time." "Now, I know who was following Hilda in the woods." "I told you there was something strange." "Now, I know, Enrico." "He was wearing a sort of habit." "All black." "Black like a priest." "I got it." "Now, Mrs Holden." "The dog howled all night, but then the damn thing always does." "This morning, I was going to the fields." "I stumbled over her." "Why here?" "Why did it have to happen here?" "Elizabeth, did you know that Janet was killed last night?" "What?" "Professor?" "Excuse me, Professor." "I want to talk to you." "Yes, of course." "Come with me." "I think I know something, Professor." "I'm not absolutely sure, but it had to do with Hilda's death." "This second episode could easily throw a... let us say, a very negative light on our school." "Mr Bascombe, what is Ms Seccles doing here?" "Ms Seccles has just told me something I think we all should know." "With your permission, Mr Leach." "Please, go on." "Don't worry." "Just tell them what you told me." "Well, it's just that..." "Mr Leach, that afternoon," "that Sunday when Hilda was killed, well, I was there." "Or, that is, I was on the river in a boat." "And I saw it." "Uh, and just what was it you saw?" "The murderer chasing Hilda, and then when he was actually killing her." "And you waited until another girl had been killed before telling us?" "No!" "I didn't know until Mr Bascombe told me just now." "That's true." "Elizabeth had already told me her story." "Go on, my dear." "Finish it." "At the time, none of it was very clear." "I didn't even realise what was happening." " But later, thinking about it..." " Well?" "Go on?" "Now, I'm sure that the killer wore a long, black habit." "In other words, a priest." "Yes." "And what were you doing in a boat?" "Fishing?" "No, Mr Newton." "I was with a boy." "Just as I thought." "There nothing wrong, Elizabeth." "But it's possible that the boy could help us too, you know?" "No!" "He didn't see anything." "His back was turned." "He didn't even believe me when I told him." "But Elizabeth, this priest, did you see his face?" "Would you know him if you saw him again?" "I don't know." "I'm not really sure." "Maybe." "If I saw him." "Thanks for keeping me out of it." "I'll see you this afternoon before I go down to headquarters." "Yes." " Ciao." " Bene." "You should be more careful, Enrico." "Don't worry." "I'm probably the only one who knows." "But neither one of you is any too good at hiding it." "I imagine you disapprove." "Of course, I do." "But I understand, too." "I realised at once who the boy in the boat was." "I've already told Inspector Barth myself." "Last night." "And your wife?" "Of course, Professor." "Thank you." "Not yet." "It's a tough thing to explain." "Thanks for understanding." "Hey, give me one!" "Enrico, love, I'm in here." "Argh!" "Argh!" " Must be a madman!" " John, you're in my way." "Sorry, old boy." "I'm nearly finished." " Rotten business." " You know, I still can't..." "That's enough, chaps." "Get her out of the tub." "At what time did you say you arrived?" "About 4:00." "Mmm." "That was when you were to meet Elizabeth?" "No." "Elizabeth just said that she would come around some time this afternoon." "She had her own keys." "You left the school around 1 o'clock?" "And went home." "I wanted to have a talk with my wife." "I see." "And did you?" "I did not." "Inspector?" "She was attacked in the bath." "She defended herself fiercely." "There are a good many bruises, but the towel kept the neck from showing any fingerprints." " You see?" " Hmmm." "Our first impression was wrong, Inspector." "She was not strangled." "Preliminary examination indicates death by drowning." "We found some hairs under her fingernails, and quite obviously they are not her own." "So presumably, they belong to the killer." "I had them sent to the laboratory." "She was raped?" "It doesn't seem likely, but we won't really know until we've done the autopsy, sir." "Mmm-hmm." "We're all done here." "No, no, no, no comment." "No, sorry." "Move on, get out of here." "No comment." "No, I'm sorry." "Police headquarters, if you don't mind." "You shouldn't have come, Colonel." "Where is my niece?" "Tomorrow, tonight is impossible." "I see you have the man?" "Who?" "Oh, you mean Mr Rosseni?" "No, we aren't sure about anything, yet." "I'm sure he's guilty." "Mr Bryant, may I take to occasion to offer you my most sincere condolences?" "And those of the staff." "Thanks, but condolences are not much use at this point." "I haven't been permitted to see the poor girl's body yet." "All they can think about is this new murder." "Barth is not to be found, and I'm done with sitting in waiting rooms." "Obviously, Colonel Seccles pulls more weight than I do." "It's already 1 o'clock." "I should be on my way." "I have other things to do." "Then go." "For God's sake, go will you?" "I don't need you for questioning." "Of course not!" "These will do." "Three of their pupils killed in two weeks!" "And they still won't accept the fact that they have a sex-maniac on the faculty." "Just wait until you read the papers tomorrow." "What is this all about?" "We need a sample of your hair." "I'm sorry, Colonel Seccles, but I just can't see what purpose would be served, by a meeting between you and Mr Rosseni." "Certainly, you have no proof of his guilt." "A married man, and a teacher, seducing a student, a minor?" "That seems more than enough!" "But not for a murder indictment." "Well, make him confess!" "I'm sure you have the means." "I know that you're very upset, Colonel." "Understandably." "I'll see that you're taken to your car." "That won't be necessary." "Inspector?" "Where's Enrico?" "May I see him?" "Not right now, be patient." "You're losing time, you know?" "Enrico could never have killed that girl." "He just isn't a killer and far less a sex-maniac." "However, we must look into the circumstances." "Now, if you'd excuse me, please, I'm extremely busy." "I know nothing about Mr Rosseni's relations with the Seccles girl, and the other two." "Nobody has said there was a relationship with the other two girls." "No?" "Well, it seems rather evident." "I see." "Mr Leach, do these green pins mean anything to you?" "No." "Elizabeth?" "She was a wonderful girl in every way." "And by no means loose, or easy." "If she was with Enrico, it was because she cared for him." "She was very kind, very sensitive." "I can't think of anyone who would dislike her enough to want to kill her." "And as for Enrico..." "My God." "I wouldn't believe it, if I'd seen it with my own eyes." "I never have liked that Italian." "I had an idea something of the sort was going on." "Thoroughly unwholesome." "Do you recognise this?" "We're playing guessing games, huh?" "This is one of the keys to that apartment." "Elizabeth's." "Rosseni says his was taken yesterday." "He thinks between 11:00 and 11:30, from the locker rooms." "And you think I might have taken it?" "Enrico is a young man and his wife is a distant woman." "A woman of strong principles." "It's not surprising that he looked elsewhere." "You're an experienced man, Mr Bascombe." "Do you think that Enrico Rosseni might have..." "Well, tendencies towards very young girls?" "No." "Not that I'm any kind of expert." "But nowadays, a girl of 18 is not a child." "Though it might be better if they were." "Moral issues apart, why should Enrico want to kill her?" "We all knew what the girl knew already." "She told us herself in the headmaster's office." "Just what did she know?" "She was practically a witness when Hilda was killed." "Yes, yes, yes." "But what did she tell you, in the headmaster's office?" "Just an impression." "Probably something she may have made up after, of course." "Please now, Mr Bascombe, what was it?" "That Hilda's killer wore a long, black habit." "In other words, a priest." "What's all this about a priest?" "One of Elizabeth's ideas." "She kept having nightmares about the murder." "Reliving it over and over again." "Then she remembered that." "When did she tell you?" "She called me one night." "She'd been woken by the dream, and that part was very clear." "Which night?" "The other night." "The night Janet Bryant was murdered." "Uh, just be patient, please?" "Well?" "Where is this fellow, Griggs?" "He was supposed to have been here an hour ago." " Have him brought in!" " Yes, sir." "Autopsy reports and the hair analysis." "The hair under her fingernails is not Rosseni's." "It's dead hair." " Dead hair?" " Yes." "As for the autopsy, you won't believe it." "She had not been sexually assaulted." "She was still a virgin." "Elizabeth still a virgin." "Yes, and when those school teachers find out, they'll put up a statue to her." "Bloody well should." "Would you get dressed and come with us, please?" " Come on, we're waiting, sir." " I knew it." "I knew it." "Now, keep your eyes open." "Which is it?" "Catholic, Protestant, Jesuit, Dominican?" "Come on, man!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "Stop it!" "How the bloody hell should I know what order they belong to?" "A priest is a priest!" "And they all wear black habits!" "Black, you hear?" "You hear?" "You hear?" "You must have seen something else, man?" "Yes, yes." "Uh, maybe." "He had a beard." "That's it, he had a beard." "Get me Draper, on the double." " On the line, Inspector." " Ah." "Draper, listen." "That hair under the fingernails, could that be from a beard?" "Why not?" "It'd have to be false though, since it's dead hair." "Mmm." "Thank you." " Keep him busy for a while?" " Right." "Take another look, man." "No, no!" "Father Webber?" "Hmm?" "Laudetur Jesus Christus." "Yeah, sure." "Excuse me, have you ever seen a bearded priest around the school somewhere?" "Or even in the church next door?" "What?" "I don't think so." "Why?" "Well, thanks anyway." "You may go now, Father." "And take him too." "Thank you very much." "Son of a bitch!" "Where the hell can I find a taxi, at this hour?" "Damn all cops!" "Damn all priests too!" "Never even met a priest!" "If I ever meet one, I'll punch him right in the..." "Yesterday afternoon, your husband was late for his meeting with Elizabeth, because he wanted to talk to you, but he didn't." "Why?" "I guess, because I didn't give him any encouragement." "I, well..." "I just didn't want to know." "Well, you knew already." "Perfectly well." "You left before he did, right?" "Yes." "To go where?" "Why do you want to know, Inspector?" "Your husband didn't kill anybody." "I'm releasing him shortly." " I may go?" " Mmm-hmm." "One more thing, Mrs Rosseni." "That girl, Elizabeth." "She was still a virgin." "The headmaster sent this over for you, sir." "There was this too." "I put all your things in it." " You want to check?" " Not now, thanks." "I'll take care of it." "What did you expect the headmaster to do?" "Congratulate you?" "Enrico, you can't even be suspected of killing her." "And her death wasn't your fault." "Go and shave, and then go to bed." "We'll talk later, OK?" "We haven't had a real word, for so long." "Long enough to almost lose each other completely." "You talked to Elizabeth, didn't you?" "Yesterday morning in the courtyard." "I saw you with her." "I wanted to say something, but I didn't have the guts." "I told her to concentrate on her homework." "We don't have to say anything to each other, Herta." "We already know each other." "We just got lost, for a while." "You mean, we can go on together?" "I have to find out who killed her." "You understand that, don't you?" "I want to know too, Enrico." "I'll help you, in every way I can." "You all know, already, of the death of Elizabeth Seccles." "However, the school has decided that lessons will continue normally." "And that your life will be disrupted as little as possible." "Of course it would be unnatural not to talk about it at all." "Did the same man who killed the others kill Elizabeth?" "Was it done the same way?" "Mother wouldn't allow me to read the paper this morning." "I read it." "Has, uh..." "Has Mr Rosseni really been arrested?" "Hold on a minute, girls." "There's some questions I'd like to ask you, first." " May I come in?" " Of course." "Excuse me." "Just a few words with the girls." "Now, uh..." "I want to know if any of you have seen a priest in the last couple of weeks?" "A priest with a beard." "Either here, or in the church next door." "Well?" "Yes, in the church." "He was the new confessor." "Not the usual one?" "Another one, not Father Webber." "He's just the one that comes every once in a while." " How many times?" " Two or three." "And, uh, did any of you ever make confession to him?" "To this new priest, with the beard?" "Come on, girls, there's certainly nothing wrong about going to confession." "Now, who went to the new priest?" "Speak up." " I did, Mrs Rosseni." " And what did you tell him?" "I'm sorry, I..." "I mean, uh..." "Did Hilda ever make confession to this priest?" "I don't know about Hilda, but I know that Janet did." "I remember, because it was at Hilda's funeral." "We all took communion for her soul." "Well, that's interesting." "Thank you all, very much." "And you, Mrs Rosseni." "Excuse me." "You were good friends with Hilda and Janet, weren't you?" "No more than the others." "That's not so!" "You were the biggest clique in the school." "You, and Hilda, and Janet." "And Helen too." "Mind your own business!" "Girls, girls!" "What's wrong with being friends?" "Why try to hide it?" "We just want to know more about Hilda and Janet." "Wouldn't you like to know who killed them?" "And Elizabeth, she was Janet's friend too." "Wasn't she?" "You are the only ones who can help us, if you choose to." "Because you knew all about them." "If you could tell us who their friends were outside the school?" "What boys they went out with, for instance?" "So, I decided to question them, myself." "You were right, the girls had a secret society." "Could you get anything definite out of them?" "Not much." "Brenda is sly as a witch." "But I think Helen is a little frightened." "Of what, I wonder." "If we knew that, well..." "Anyway, I found out this much." "Hilda and Janet dated some older boys, university students." "And naturally on the sly." "Oh, I didn't mean to." "Anyway, I found out the name of one of the boys." " I'm a friend of Philip Sullivan." " Well, come in, then." "He won't be a minute, he's just loading a camera." "You are Philip Sullivan, right?" "Right." "Have you a minute to talk?" "I'm one of the teachers from St Mary's School." "Don't panic." "This is between you and me." " Nothing official." " What do you wanna know?" " Come on." "Let's take a walk." " Oh, no, you don't." "Come on, Phil, I've only got an hour." "Hurry up." "Or we'll do it another day." "Excuse me." "But I've got to finish this session." "Take a seat." "Come on, baby, let's get to work." "Did you ever know a Hilda Erickson and Janet Bryant?" "Sure." "I knew them when I was at the university last year." "Most of my friends knew them, too." "They were two turned on chicks, both of them." "Too bad they finished up like that." "Turned on, how?" "They knew the score." "Sex, man." "Easy lays, you mean?" "No, if that's what your kick is." "But they did play around." "You read what it says in Masters and Johnson?" "And Helen and Brenda?" "You know them?" "Hell, yes." "I know them." "Brenda, Helen, and that other one, what's her name?" "Elizabeth?" "That's it." "The one that got it the other day." "But then, no." "She didn't hang around with them." "They're all my students." "They sure stick together, don't they?" "You're telling me!" "Even in bed, at least among themselves, the little dykes." "And with the boys?" "Real screwing?" "No." "Not after what happened to Solange." "Now, smile." "OK, baby, that's it." "Ah, that's good news." "Thanks a lot." "You can get out of your skin now." "What do you wanna know, anyway?" "I have one question." "Who is Solange?" "A girl." "I was just using her as an example." "Of what?" "Who is Solange?" " What happened to her?" " Nothing!" "I was thinking about someone else." " Talk!" " I don't know anything for sure, she was half-French, turned on, swinging." "Thought she was a big deal." "I never screwed her, though, I didn't!" "She was in the first form last year." "Not in my school." "No!" "Tell me where!" "A girl's high school." "I don't know where." "Hell, man, that's all I know." "She's disappeared, I just ain't seen her since." "Philip!" "Coming, baby, right away." "Father Herbert always confesses here." "Even we priests have our little habits, you know, sir." "But, what do you do with that one?" "What I mean is, um, isn't it possible that Father..." " Herbert." " Father Herbert." "That he occasionally brings in a colleague." "To assist him." "Another priest." "That has never happened, Inspector." "I confess all the pupils from the school myself." "I imagine you are Father Herbert?" "Would you mind coming forward?" "So, you always hear confession in here, is that right?" "And always in this same one." "But while you are closed inside, and the priest conducts the mass, is it possible that another priest, this damn priest with a beard, this blessed priest, with a beard, could come in and close himself" "in this confessional?" "Anything is possible in theory, Inspector." "But I exclude this possibility." "I don't suppose you could tell me what the girls have said in confession these last two weeks, could you?" "No, Mr Barth, I don't suppose I could." "I see." "I know how sorry you are, and I thank you." "But don't think badly of Elizabeth." "Our friendship remained clean." "But that is not why I came." "Did you see what's happening over there?" "It's unheard of." "This is not the place for a scene." " Excuse me." " I have a question." "Last year, you had a friend named Solange." " Who is she?" " Solange?" "Never heard of her." " Have you, Helen?" " No." "Time to go." "If you keep on prying among the girls, Newton will never believe that you're not a sex maniac." "How are things with Herta?" "She's been extraordinary." "Without her..." "Yes, Solange." "Upper first form, last year." "No, I don't know her last name." "Thank you." "And excuse me for disturbing you." "Well?" "That was the last one." "There just aren't any other schools in London." "Come look." "It can't be this one, she's still going there." "Or this one either, her name is Solange, but she's in the elementary school." "So, there's only this one." "Solange Beauregard." "She was enrolled in the upper first form, but she didn't come back this term." "Then it can't be anybody else." " Where does she live?" " James Street." "You're not thinking of going now?" "Enrico, please, stay here." " Evening, miss." " Good evening." " Good morning, sir." "Morning, madam." " Good morning." "You go on to school." "I'll start looking for Solange." " I'll see you later." " Ciao." "What's the matter, Charlotte?" "I'm sorry to trouble you, madam, but I'm looking for the Beauregard family." "Beauregard?" "Never heard the name." "They have a daughter, about 16." "Her name is Solange." "Do you know where they moved?" "I certainly don't." "The house had been empty for a good while, when we took it." "Could you tell me the name of the owner?" "I just know the rental agents." "Golden House, or something like that." "Thank you." " Hello?" " Am I speaking to Mr Rosseni?" "Yes." "Who is it, please?" "Doesn't matter." "For now, just think of me as a friend." "A friend of yours from Italy." "What do you want?" "Just be quiet, and listen." "Take a vacation, soon, in Italy." "Anywhere." "Otherwise you won't see her again." "Son of a bitch." "Good morning, this is the Golden House agency." "Our offices will remain closed until Monday morning at nine o'clock." "At which time we will be happy..." ""RUTH HOLDEN KNOWS EVERYTHING." "SHE LIVES IN GERASDORF."" " Mr Rosseni." " What is it?" "When you got your mail this morning, this fell out." " Thank you, John." " You're welcome." "Mrs Holden?" "Anybody there?" "Mrs Holden!" "Who do you think put this note in your mailbox?" "Probably one of the second form girls from the school." " And why send it to you?" " I don't know, how could I?" "You ought to have them watched, Inspector." "I have." " Did you hear?" "Poor Ruth." " Are you scared?" "No, well, not much anyway." "Well, I'm very scared." "We ought to tell the police." "Oh, you want to be a stool pigeon?" " OK, OK." " We promised we'd never tell." " We swore it!" " Uh, all right, I'll keep quiet." "If I live long enough." " You do gymnastics too, Mr Newton?" " Yes." "No, I was watching, I mean, looking." "For one of the girls." "I'm looking for girls myself, can you tell me where the second form is?" "Oh, no, no, absolutely not." "Girls?" "Did any of you ever know Ruth Holden?" "A farm woman." "No." "Why did you say no?" " You are Brenda Pilchard, aren't you?" " Yes." "Mmm." "Oh, uh, could you come too, Mrs Rosseni?" "Yes." "Why did you tell Mrs Rosseni that you didn't know Ruth Holden?" "Just this morning your mother told me that the poor woman was your maid for almost three years." "Oh, you mean Tata?" "I'm so sorry, Inspector, but I always called her Tata." "And so I'd forgotten that her real name was Ruth." "Of course I knew her." "Practically since I was born." "This time it's the police who're fumbling in the dark." "They treat me like a child, playing cops and robbers." " They could be right." " But I'm an obstinate child." "Those girls know what it's all about for sure." "Only 16, and surrounded by secret boyfriends, petty jealousies, orgies, and lesbian games." "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but it's true!" "I wouldn't be surprised if they were doing the drug scene, too." "My God." "The way they dismissed poor old Ruth Holden." "Enrico, please." "The killings were all linked to Ruth Holden." "Only..." "Why dress like a priest?" "What if it were a priest?" "Who confessed them, absolved them and killed them." "Calm down, darling." "Monday, we'll find this Solange." "Until then, you're ought to keep a clear head." "Come here!" "You naughty girl!" "You want me to have a heart attack?" "Oh, Solange!" "Who is it?" "It's Philip, mummy." "What's the matter?" "Why couldn't he call?" "Something's come up." "Come to Battersea Amusement Park tomorrow afternoon, about 2:00." "He'll be there." "You must come, do you hear?" "It's very important to everyone." "If you fail to show up, the police will move in." "Here, here, here..." "And here." "Ordinary cars." "And for God's sake, not the usual plain-clothes-men-faces." "I don't want you to miss a thing." "But without staring at everybody as if they were from outer space." "We're gonna organize an ingenious little..." "Hmm..." "A little trap for tomorrow afternoon." "At 2 o'clock." " The go-karts!" " Over here!" "You go on." "Go on, I'll wait." "Solange?" "Solange!" "Solange." "Don't you remember me?" "Brenda." "Solange!" "Solange, come with me." "You just disappeared." "Why haven't you ever called me again?" "Let's look over here." " Inspector." " Don't salute, you fucking idiot." "You can't just drop out of sight and never see me again." "I don't understand." "All right..." "But where is Brenda?" "Come on!" "Excuse me, Father, but have you seen two girls passing this way?" "Yes, they went this way." "They walked right past me." "Ten seconds later, when I turned around, they were gone." "I saw the car moving up, but there was a priest driving and nobody else seemed to be in it." "I thought it was probably one of our own cars." "They can't have gone far, Inspector." "We got the roadblocks up in no time flat." "Hmm." "We are doing everything possible." "She was last seen walking off with another girl but not one of her school friends." "That I'm sure of." "So I want you to try hard to remember her friends, the ones from outside the school." "Inspector Barth." " Mr Bascombe." " Inspector." "My daughter Solange, she's not in the house." "I went out for a moment." "When I got back, she was gone." "Have you got a picture of her?" "Oh, yes, yes." "I thought it would be needed." "Here." "Thank you." "Sergeant Kramer." " Solange is Bascombe's daughter?" " Erm..." "The girl's damn sick." "Here." "Bascombe keeps her very close." "It's not the kind of thing you'd talk about much, anyway." " But last year she wasn't ill." " I know she fell ill recently." "The doctors call it, uh, "Infantile regression"." "But why should she have a different last name?" "Well, she is the daughter of a married woman!" "Christ, can't you think about anything else now?" "Where the hell's Sergeant Kramer?" "Ah, how good of you to come." "Sergeant Kramer, is this the girl who was walking with Brenda?" "Yes, sir." "There, you can see, they forced the door from the outside." "Where is your daughter's room?" "They forced the door to her room, too." "And then they took Solange." "Ever since she became ill," "I've always kept her in the house." "But now... there's nothing I can do here, Professor." "Stay by the phone, Mr Bascombe." "I'll let you know the moment we've found her." "We'll stay, if you want, to keep you company." "No, thank you." "I prefer to stay alone." "If you need anything, just ring us up." "He managed to hide Solange from everybody but the killer." "And, obviously, Solange was the bait for the killer's trap." "It had to be." "Solange was only in the first form last year." "Wasn't she?" "Did anybody say she wasn't?" "Where are you going?" "Solange, she can't." "But you can." "I want to know all of it, you understand?" "All." "Uh..." "I knew that Tata knew all about those things." "All of us went to her house on bicycles." "Get on with it!" "I want every tiny detail." "Once we got to Ruth Holden's house, the argument started." "Suddenly, it appeared that not everyone was in favour of this..." "Frankly, Elizabeth and Hilda were very much against it." "And they tried to talk Solange into backing out, and... just letting nature take its course." "But the rest of us were... able to persuade her that she had to go through with it, that there was no other way out." "What did you do to Solange?" "Get a move on." "On the table." "You're not gonna hurt me now, are you, Tata?" "If you do suffer a little, you'll deserve it." "You others, hold her tight, understand?" "Keep the legs apart, huh?" "Now you just think about screwing and grit your teeth." "Have her bite on that." " Enrico, are you sure?" " Who is it?" " Mr Bryant, please." " He's not at home." "I'm Professor Rosseni." "Open the door please." " Are you really sure?" " If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here." "Come on." "Hilda didn't want to tell me anything, she didn't mention you or any of the others." "But she had already betrayed herself in the confessional." "Janet, however, told me nearly everything in the confessional." "And then, just before I killed her..." "You're perfectly sure nobody took away any books after she had..." "We never even..." "come into this room." "Neither me nor Mr Bryant." "It's not here." "The Italian book is not here." "Let's call Barth." "Now you're the last!" "Look, Inspector, the door has been repaired." "There's nobody here." "He's out looking for the girl, we might as well leave." " But, Inspector..." " Well, what can I do without a warrant?" "You've got no proof." "Hardly any grounds for suspicion, Mr Rosseni." "You see?" "A 2nd form Italian book." "Solange never got to the 2nd form." "So why is it here?" "An Italian book that should be at Janet's house isn't." "It's right here, why?" "Why, Inspector?" "This is Inspector Barth." "I want you to advise all patrols to search for..." "I see, are you there, sir?" "Are you still on the line, Inspector?" "Inspector!" "Is something wrong, sir?" "Dammit, I think we've been cut off..." "Inspector Barth!" "You're Solange, aren't you?" "Where's your father?" "Solange!" "Solange, they've found you, eh?" "Oh, my little Solange." "Where did you find her?" "She sort of found herself, Mr Bascombe." "Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?" "Well..." "Barth!" "Inspector Barth!" "Inspector!" "Inspector Barth!" "You stay here." "Come on!" "No!"