'While you were looking for the costume, did you hear anything?'
Frances gave a little shiver.
'Yes. I heard a shot; it sounded some way off. Then after a minute or so, five or six more shots.'
'What did you do?'
'I stood listening, then I heard Miss Arnot scream out. It was a horrible sound. I grabbed up my dress and holding it to me I ran to the door of the changing room.'
'And did you see anything?'
Frances nodded. Her face was now white and strained.
'What did you see?'
'Miss Arnot was lying on the ground, near the pool, and a short, thick-set man in a black suit was bending over her. He wrenched off her swim-suit. In his right hand he was holding a knife: it was a broad-bladed thing, and it glittered in the sunshine. Miss Arnot seemed partially stunned. She was feebly trying to push his hand away. Before I could do anything, he – he stabbed her.'
'Did you cry out? Did you let him know you were there?'
Frances shook her head.
'Oh, no. I knew he had killed her. No one could have lived after the awful wound he gave her. It was horrible!' She looked away, her lips trembling. 'I was paralysed with fear. I couldn't move or make a sound. He straightened up and kicked her as she lay dying on the ground. I saw his face. I'll never forget it. He
looked like a wild beast.'
Conrad took a packet of photographs from his pocket.
'Will you look through these and see if you can recognize the man who killed Miss Arnot?'
Her hands shaking, Frances took the photographs. She had only to turn two over before she found the picture of Maurer. She handed it to Conrad.
'This man.'
'All right,' Conrad put the photographs down. What happened next, Miss Coleman?'
'Another man joined him, and they both stood over Miss Arnot. I was terrified. I hid in a shower cabinet.'
'I would like to establish this other man's identity,' Conrad said. 'Would you look at those photographs again and see if you can recognize him?'
Frances went through the photographs. When she came to Toni Paretti's photograph, she studied it for a brief moment, and then handed it to Conrad.
'That's the man.'
'Well, fine,' Conrad said. 'What happened when you were in the shower cabinet?'
The two men remained outside the changing room for several minutes, then I heard a splash as if they had thrown Miss Arnot's body into the pool. Then the short thick-set man came into the changing room. His hands were covered with blood. I could see him through a gap in the curtain. He washed his hands, and all the time he hummed under his breath.' She suppressed a shiver. 'It was the most cold-blooded sound I have ever heard.'
McCann couldn't restrain himself any longer. Inwardly raging as he listened, realizing the deadliness of this girl's story, he burst out, 'That's a fine piece of imagination! Do you know what I think of it? I think the whole story's a damned he! I don't believe you saw Maurer!' He leaned forward, his bull neck swelling with rage. 'You've got a thing about Weiner, haven't you? You fell for him, didn't you? Just because he's got a face that'd haunt a house you went soft on him. You've got a nutty idea Maurer killed Weiner. Okay, you want to take it out on Maurer, so you cooked up this yarn. That's the way it goes, isn't it?'
Conrad, his face flushing and his eyes snapping, started to say something, but stopped as Forest gave him a sign. Forest was looking at Frances, and Conrad looked at her too.
Far from being cowed by McCann's shouting voice, she faced him angrily.
'I'm telling the truth!' she said fiercely.
'Yeah? Then why the hell didn't you come out with this story before? You don't kid me, and you wouldn't kid a jury!
'You've got hot pants for Weiner, and you're trying to get even with Maurer!'
Again Conrad started in to take Frances's part, but again Forest stopped him.
'How dare you speak to me like that!' Frances flared. 'You sound very anxious to protect Maurer! Pete said there were policemen who'd sell him out. Were you the one who sold him out?'
If she had struck him across the face, McCann couldn't have reacted more violently.
'By God!' he shouted, his face going blotchy. 'You can't talk to me like that, you little bitch!'
'That's enough!' Forest snapped. 'Watch your language, Captain! I'm sure Miss Coleman didn't mean what she said.'
McCann clenched his fists, words refusing to come. He was badly rattled. This girl had got unpleasantly near the truth, and he realized he was to blame for trying to take Maurer's part.
'I can prove what I'm saying,' Frances went on, turning to Forest. 'I can prove every word!'
'How can you do that, Miss Coleman?'
