Mrs Pargeter 01; A Nice Class of Corpse

∨ A Nice Class of Corpse ∧

35

MONDAY, 11 MARCH – 8.15 p.m.

As I anticipated, it looks very much as if two murders will not have been enough. Mrs Mendlingham died because she could have incriminated me about Mrs Selsby’s murder, and now I fear that there is someone else who may have information that could restrict my freedom.

I have been suspicious of her since she arrived. There is about her a watchfulness, which I am beginning to find unnerving. She misses nothing, and I suspect she has the intelligence to make connections between the pieces of information she picks up.

I’ve a nasty feeling that she’s on to me. At first I thought she was just nosey, poking around the hotel because she’s curious by nature. But now I’m coming to the conclusion that her inquisitiveness is not random. She is behaving almost like a professional investigator.

For a start, she appears to possess a professional’s equipment – and the expertise to go with it. When I saw her in the small hours of Monday morning, I’m fairly sure that she had just broken into the Office. I can only assume that she used some sort of skeleton key. That sounds uncomfortably professional to me.

Then tonight in the bar she said something that suggested that she’s definitely on to me. That business about the crimes being linked came too close to the truth for comfort.

I don’t know how much she knows yet, but she’s getting there, and I can’t take the risk of giving her much more time. So far as I know, she hasn’t said anything to the police yet, and I must see to it that she doesn’t get the chance.

Yes, what I’m saying is that there has to be a third murder. I would like to have more leisure to plan, to ensure that this one looks as accidental as the others, but I think this time it’s too urgent.

She has to go – and quickly!