Free Death in Autumn by Magdalen Nabb

drawer?'
    'The manager said after that the wardrobe door was slightly open, too, but I didn't notice it.'
    'All right. You can go. Send me the cleaner.'
    The cleaner, a plump woman in her fifties, confirmed everything the chambermaid had said and declared stoutly that she had nothing to add. The Marshal took almost half an hour getting her to admit that the five minutes she claimed to have been away from the room to fetch the alcohol were really more like fifteen. She had managed to get in a quick coffee with some crony of hers down in the kitchen before going up to the fifth-floor store room. With the receptionist it was the same story as the night of the murder. He had been at his post the whole time and had seen nobody come past to the stairs or lift.
    'Not a soul. At that time, those guests who have lunch here are in the dining-room. Those who eat out at midday either don't come in until evening or they come back for a rest in the afternoon but not as early as that. It's my quietest time of day.'
    'What time do you eat?'
    'At twelve. The manager takes over here as a rule. He never eats until two-thirty when the guests have finished.'
    'Did you talk to any of the guests about this business of the seals?'
    'Absolutely not. The manager forbade us to talk about it. That dreadful woman's brought us enough trouble already, without—'
    'Were you alone at your desk the whole time?'
    'Of course.'
    'You're quite
    'You're quite sure you weren't distracted, chatting to anyone?'
    'No! That is, Querci, the night porter, called in to collect his shoes but I promise you he wasn't talking to me for more than one minute.'
    'Why, don't you like him?'
    'He's all right. Quiet, keeps himself to himself. I can't say I've anything against him.'
    A rarity, the Marshal thought.
    'Does he often call in in the afternoon?'
    'No, only very occasionally. But he had to collect his shoes, the ones we wear indoors here, and take them to the mender's. He'd forgotten them in the morning when he went off.'
    'He changes his shoes to go home?'
    'We all do. Rule of the house. We have special light shoes that we work in.'
    'And how can you be sure nobody walked in here while you were talking to him?'
    'I'm willing to swear on the Bible! He took his shoes and went. Nobody could have walked past here without my noticing.'
    'Except other members of staff.'
    'I don't follow you.'
    'You wouldn't take any notice of some member of the hotel staff walking past you.'
    'I suppose not. . . but that's not what you asked me.'
    'I asked you if anybody walked past to the stairs or lift. What about the manager, for instance?'
    'Well, if you put it like that ... he may have done . . .'
    'Where was he, for instance, when the chambermaid and the cleaner sent for him?'
    'He was just coming out of the lift. I called to him .. .'
    'Exactly.' The Marshal stared at him and shook his head.
    'Listen ... I won't be expected to appear in court over this business, I hope. I did my best to answer your questions but you confused me!'
    The Marshal glowered at him. 'You can go. Tell the manager I'm using his telephone and I don't want to be disturbed.'
    He dialled a number, muttering to himself.
    'Captain? Guarnaccia speaking. . . Yes, I've just finished. No, nothing concrete, but there are some things that want looking into. I don't know if you've finished checking on the backgrounds of the staff here .. . No, I wasn't thinking of anything as definite as previous convictions but I think a call to our people in Milan might be a good idea . .. The other hotel, yes. When you've got some information we can make a move. Nevertheless . . . there's a lot missing. We know too little about the woman and what she was up to—and I'm still not happy about the goings-on at that villa. All those youngsters ... Anyway, I'll send you my report—What? The Substitute Prosecutor? I don't know what you can tell him that's definite. Wait. .. Tell him we need the room sealed up again, at least until we've heard