Yes. That is, the times overlapped. Helen and Ethel left a month before Faith did. Rose came six weeks before Faith left.
Had any of them known her before?
No. I didnt ask themI ask the girls as few questions as possible about their pastbut there was no indication that they had, and there isnt much going on here that I dont know about.
Did any trouble develop between any of them and her?
She smiled. Now, Mr Goodwin. I said I would help you if I could, but this is ridiculous. My girls have their squabbles and their peeves, naturally, but I assure you that nothing that happened here put murder into the heart of Helen or Ethel or Rose. If it had I would have known it, and I would have dealt with it.
Okay. If it wasnt one of them Ill have to look elsewhere. Take the three male guestsEdwin Laidlaw, Paul Schuster, and Beverly Kent. Do you know any of them?
No. I had never heard their names before.
You know nothing about them?
Nothing whatever.
What about Cecil Grantham?
I havent seen him for several years. His father brought him twiceno, three timesto our summer picnic, when Cecil was in his middle teens. After his father died he was on our Board of Directors for a year, but he resigned.
You know of no possible connection between him and Faith Usher?
No.
What about Robert Robilotti?
I have seen him only once, more than two years ago, when he came to our Thanksgiving dinner with Mrs Robilotti. He played the piano for the girls and had them singing songs, and when Mrs Robilotti was ready to leave, the girls didnt want him to go. My feelings were mixed.
Ill bet they were. Faith Usher wasnt here then?
No.
Well, were all out of men. Celia Grantham?
I knew Celia fairly well at one time. For a year or so after she finished college she came here frequently, three or four times a month, to teach the girls things and talk with them; then suddenly she quit. She was a real help and the girls liked her. She has fine qualities, or had, but she is headstrong. I havent seen her for four years. I am tempted to add something.
Go ahead.
I wouldnt if I thought you would misunderstand. You are looking for a murderer, and Celia would be quite capable of murder if she thought the occasion demanded it. The only discipline she recognizes is her own. But I cant imagine an occasion that would have led her to kill Faith Usher. I havent seen her for four years.
Then if she had had contact with Faith Usher you wouldnt know about it. Least but not last, Mrs Robilotti.
Well. She smiled. She is Mrs Robilotti.
I smiled back. I agree. You certainly have known her. She was Mrs Albert Grantham. I am tempted to add something.
You may.
I wouldnt if I thought you would misunderstand. I feel that if you knew anything that would indicate that Mrs Robilotti might have killed Faith Usher you would think it was your duty to tell me about it. So I can simply ask, do you?
Thats rather cheeky, Mr Goodwin. But I simply answer, I do not. Ever since Mr Grantham died Mrs Robilotti has been coming here about once a month except when she was travelling, but she has never been at ease with the girls, nor they with her. Of course she came while Faith was here, but as far as I know she never spoke with her except as one of a group. So my answer to your question is no.
Who picks the girls to be invited to the annual dinner on Granthams birthday?
When Mr Grantham was alive, I did. The first few years after he died, Mrs Grantham did, on information I supplied. The last two years she has left it to Mr Byne, and he consults me.
Is that so? Dinky didnt mention that.
Dinky?
Mr Byne. We call him that. Ill ask him about it. But if you dont mind telling me, how does he do it? Does he suggest names and ask you about them?
No, I make a list, chiefly of girls who have been here in the past year, with information and comments, and he chooses from that. I make the list with care. Some of my girls would not be comfortable in those surroundings. On what basis Mr Byne makes his selections, I dont know.
Ill ask him. I put a hand on her desk. And now for the main point, what I was mostly counting on if you felt like helping me. Its very likely that the event or the situation, whatever it was, that led to Faith
Ushers death dated from before she came here. It could have happened after she left, but you wouldnt know about that anyway. She was here nearly five months. You said you ask the girls as few questions as possible about their pasts, but they must tell you a lot, dont they?
Some of them do.
Of course. And of course you keep it in confidence. But Faith is dead, and you said youd help me if you could. She must have told you things. She may even have told you the name of the man who was responsible for her being here. Did she?
I asked that because I had to. Mrs Irwin was much too smart not to realize that that was the first and foremost question a detective would want answered about Faith Ushers past, and if I hadnt asked it she would have wondered why and might even have been bright enough to suspect that I already knew. There wasnt much chance that she had the answer, in view of her tone and manner when she said that she had never heard of Edwin Laidlaw.