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The girl in question. . . ’
    The flat of a firm right hand was held up to stop further interruption.
    ‘As I was saying, Inspector, the girl in question suffered from a terrible delusion and had few, if any, friends here. Certainly others amongst us have delusions but that guardian of hers, that governess. . . The poor child dreamt of becoming a prima donna. She would dance with Serge Lifar? Boris Kniaseff was to feature her in his Triomphe de Neptune ? I urged patience on the part of the others, caution, understanding—after all, she was very young and her career had been nipped in the bud. I told them all that ridicule was something that would not help the collective psyche, shunning not being any way to treat another no matter how difficult.’
    ‘But it did no good?’
    ‘She simply sought out others who encouraged her, and it is amongst those that I am certain you will find her killer.’
    The British of the Hôtel Grand. ‘Shunning. . . ?’
    ‘When two or more are talking and another comes along, the first keep on as if that person doesn’t even exist, or immediately cease all conversation.’
    ‘And break up with but a knowing glance or nod to each other?’
    ‘Inspector, if you persist in interrupting me, your investigation won’t even get off the ground!’
    ‘ Ach, du liebe Zeit, forgive me.’
    ‘Certainly, but only if you will listen. A week ago there was a terrible accident. One of our girls fell, and her body has still not been removed, but ever since then our ballerina has claimed it was no accident and that she, herself, was the intended victim. Given her habit of persistently badgering any who would listen about her career, is it any wonder none would?’
    ‘Yet someone must have, and that someone, in turn, felt threatened.’
    ‘Precisely! Now, if you have any further questions you will bring them first to myself, who will then be present at all times when you interview any of the others. Is that understood?’
    Mein Gott, had she Prussian ancestors? ‘Perfectly, Frau. . . ’
    ‘ Mrs. Parker, if you please! It’s tragic enough that you people have chosen to crowd us all into such a hovel behind barbed wire. What on earth were you thinking? These girls, these women. . . of what danger to the Reich or to anyone else could they possibly have been?’
    ‘And yet. . . ’
    ‘That is not what I meant. Hers is a special case. No doubt, when the current state of emotional devastation has passed, Madame de Vernon will vehemently accuse those who were forced to share Room 3–38 with her and her ward and will then, at random, target others amongst us, myself especially.’
    ‘French, is this guardian?’
    ‘She claims a lineage to the Sun King, but if you ask me, her family was nothing more than of les hobereaux .’
    The country squires, and the ultimate put-down—the lesser aristocracy, the little hawks the Paris Establishment had always derided. And hadn’t there been a well-thumbed photo of a villa on that one’s bit of wall space? ‘Another dreamer was she?’
    Had she broken through at last? wondered Eleanor. Detectives could be so difficult. ‘The more we speak, the more I come to see that we understand each other. Now, may I tell the others they can return to their rooms and their tasks?’
    ‘Parker. . . I seem to have heard that name before.’
    ‘The fountain pens. My father. . . The family. . . ’
    She was actually blushing over the recognition! ‘Single out the other occupants of Room 3–38. Keep Madame de Vernon here and three of the others, but send the one from Michigan Tech up to talk to my partner, Louis. The others can stay here as well until I’m satisfied.’
    Had she not succeeded with him at all? ‘Madame de Vernon is in the hospital under sedation.’
    ‘Good. Simply hold back the three and send on the other.’
    ‘Then I shall have to go with her.’
    ‘Unless you want to stay down here with me.’
    To be singled out and sent upstairs alone was not good.