‘No one came in and called for her? Anything like that?’
‘No.’
‘Did she seem quite her ordinary self? Not excited or depressed?’
‘Really I could not say,’ said Miss Merrion aloofly.
‘How many waitresses do you employ?’
‘Two normally, and an extra two after the 20th July until the end of August.’
‘But Elizabeth Barnard was not one of the extras?’
‘Miss Barnard was one of the regulars.’
‘What about the other one?’
‘Miss Higley? She is a very nice young lady.’
‘Were she and Miss Barnard friends?’
‘Really I could not say.’
‘Perhaps we’d better have a word with her.’
‘Now?’
‘If you please.’
‘I will send her to you,’ said Miss Merrion, rising. ‘Please keep her as short a time as possible. This is the morning coffee rush hour.’
The feline and gingery Miss Merrion left the room.
‘Very refined,’ remarked Inspector Kelsey. He mimicked the lady’s mincing tone. ‘Really I could not say.’
A plump girl, slightly out of breath, with dark hair, rosy cheeks and dark eyes goggling with excitement, bounced in.
‘Miss Merrion sent me,’ she announced breathlessly.
‘Miss Higley?’
‘Yes, that’s me.’
‘You knew Elizabeth Barnard?’
‘Oh, yes, I knew Betty. Isn’t it awful? It’s just too awful! I can’t believe it’s true. I’ve been saying to the girls all the morning I just can’t believe it! “You know, girls,” I said, “it just doesn’t seem real. Betty! I mean, Betty Barnard, who’s been here all along, murdered! I just can’t believe it,” I said. Five or six times I’ve pinched myself just to see if I wouldn’t wake up. Betty murdered… It’s—well, you know what I mean—it doesn’t seem real.’
‘You knew the dead girl well?’ asked Crome.
‘Well, she’s worked here longer than I have. I only came this March. She was here last year. She was rather quiet, if you know what I mean. She wasn’t one to joke or laugh a lot. I don’t mean that she was exactly quiet—she’d plenty of fun in her and all that—but she didn’t—well, she was quiet and she wasn’t quiet, if you know what I mean.’
I will say for Inspector Crome that he was exceedingly patient. As a witness the buxom Miss Higley was persistently maddening. Every statement she made was repeated and qualified half a dozen times. The net result[138]
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