Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie Page B

been. Swim suits of course, sports paraphernalia.”
    â€œThe sort of thing a sneak thief might have taken,” agreed Kelsey. “Hardly worth breaking in for, I should have thought. Was it broken into, by the way?”
    â€œWell, really, I never thought to look,” said Miss Johnson. “I mean, the door was open when we got there and—”
    â€œIt had not been broken into,” said Miss Bulstrode.
    â€œI see,” said Kelsey. “A key was used.” He looked at Miss Johnson. “Was Miss Springer well-liked?” he asked.
    â€œWell, really, I couldn’t say. I mean, after all, she’s dead.”
    â€œSo, you didn’t like her,” said Kelsey perceptively, ignoring Miss Johnson’s finer feelings.
    â€œI don’t think anyone could have liked her very much,” said Miss Johnson. “She had a very positive manner, you know. Never minded contradicting people flatly. She was very efficient and took her work very seriously I should say, wouldn’t you, Miss Bulstrode?”
    â€œCertainly,” said Miss Bulstrode.
    Kelsey returned from the bypath he had been pursuing. “Now, Miss Johnson, let’s hear just what happened.”
    â€œJane, one of our pupils, had earache. She woke up with a rather bad attack of it and came to me. I got some remedies and when I’d got her back to bed, I saw the window curtains were flapping and thought perhaps it would be better for once if her window was not opened at night as it was blowing rather in that direction. Of course the girls always sleep with their windows open. We have difficulties sometimes with the foreigners, but I always insist that—”
    â€œThat really doesn’t matter now,” said Miss Bulstrode. “Our general rules of hygiene would not interest Inspector Kelsey.”
    â€œNo, no, of course not,” said Miss Johnson. “Well, as I say I went to shut the window and what was my surprise to see a light in the Sports Pavilion. It was quite distinct, I couldn’t mistake it. It seemed to be moving about.”
    â€œYou mean it was not the electric light turned on but the light of a torch or flashlight?”
    â€œYes, yes, that’s what it must have been. I thought at once ‘Dear me, what’s anyone doing out there at this time of night?’ Of course I didn’t think of burglars. That would have been a very fanciful idea, as you said just now.”
    â€œWhat did you think of?” asked Kelsey.
    Miss Johnson shot a glance at Miss Bulstrode and back again.
    â€œWell, really, I don’t know that I had any ideas in particular. I mean, well—well really, I mean I couldn’t think—”
    Miss Bulstrode broke in. “I should imagine that Miss Johnson had the idea that one of our pupils might have gone out thereto keep an assignation with someone,” she said. “Is that right, Elspeth?”
    Miss Johnson gasped. “Well, yes, the idea did come into my head just for the moment. One of our Italian girls, perhaps. Foreigners are so much more precocious than English girls.”
    â€œDon’t be so insular,” said Miss Bulstrode. “We’ve had plenty of English girls trying to make unsuitable assignations. It was a very natural thought to have occurred to you and probably the one that would have occurred to me.”
    â€œGo on,” said Inspector Kelsey.
    â€œSo I thought the best thing,” went on Miss Johnson, “was to go to Miss Chadwick and ask her to come out with me and see what was going on.”
    â€œWhy Miss Chadwick?” asked Kelsey. “Any particular reason for selecting that particular mistress?”
    â€œWell, I didn’t want to disturb Miss Bulstrode,” said Miss Johnson, “and I’m afraid it’s rather a habit of ours always to go to Miss Chadwick if we don’t want to disturb Miss Bulstrode. You see, Miss Chadwick’s been here a very long