The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie Page B

little longer than usual. Then Josie came along, and Ruby went off to do her first solo dance with Raymond—he’s the dance and tennis professional. She came back to us afterwards just as Mark joined us. Then she went off to dance with a young man and we four started our bridge.”
    She stopped, and made a slight insignificant gesture of helplessness.
    â€œAnd that’s all I know! I just caught a glimpse of her once dancing, but bridge is an absorbing game and I hardly glanced through the glass partition at the ballroom. Then, at midnight, Raymond came along to Josie very upset and asked where Ruby was. Josie, naturally, tried to shut him up but—”
    Superintendent Harper interrupted. He said in his quiet voice: “Why ‘ naturally, ’ Mrs. Jefferson?”
    â€œWell”—she hesitated, looked, Melchett thought, a little put out—“Josie didn’t want the girl’s absence made too much of. She considered herself responsible for her in a way. She said Ruby was probably up in her bedroom, said the girl had talked about having a headache earlier—I don’t think that was true, by the way; Josie just said it by way of excuse. Raymond went off and telephoned up to Ruby’s room, but apparently there was no answer, and he came back in rather a state—temperamental, you know. Josie went off with him and tried to soothe him down, and in the end she dancedwith him instead of Ruby. Rather plucky of her, because you could see afterwards it had hurt her ankle. She came back to us when the dance was over and tried to calm down Mr. Jefferson. He had got worked up by then. We persuaded him in the end to go to bed, told him Ruby had probably gone for a spin in a car and that they’d had a puncture. He went to bed worried, and this morning he began to agitate at once.” She paused. “The rest you know.”
    â€œThank you, Mrs. Jefferson. Now I’m going to ask you if you’ve any idea who could have done this thing.”
    She said immediately: “No idea whatever. I’m afraid I can’t help you in the slightest.”
    He pressed her. “The girl never said anything? Nothing about jealousy? About some man she was afraid of? Or intimate with?”
    Adelaide Jefferson shook her head to each query.
    There seemed nothing more that she could tell them.
    The Superintendent suggested that they should interview young George Bartlett and return to see Mr. Jefferson later. Colonel Melchett agreed, and the three men went out, Mrs. Jefferson promising to send word as soon as Mr. Jefferson was awake.
    â€œNice woman,” said the Colonel, as they closed the door behind them.
    â€œA very nice lady indeed,” said Superintendent Harper.
    III
    George Bartlett was a thin, lanky youth with a prominent Adam’s apple and an immense difficulty in saying what he meant. He was in such a state of dither that it was hard to get a calm statement from him.
    â€œI say, it is awful, isn’t it? Sort of thing one reads about in the Sunday papers—but one doesn’t feel it really happens, don’t you know?”
    â€œUnfortunately there is no doubt about it, Mr. Bartlett,” said the Superintendent.
    â€œNo, no, of course not. But it seems so rum somehow. And miles from here and everything—in some country house, wasn’t it? Awfully county and all that. Created a bit of a stir in the neighbourhood—what?”
    Colonel Melchett took charge.
    â€œHow well did you know the dead girl, Mr. Bartlett?”
    George Bartlett looked alarmed.
    â€œOh, n-n-n-ot well at all, s-s-sir. No, hardly at all—if you know what I mean. Danced with her once or twice—passed the time of day—bit of tennis— you know.”
    â€œYou were, I think, the last person to see her alive last night?”
    â€œI suppose I was—doesn’t it sound awful? I mean, she was perfectly all right when I saw