Chapter 30 Section 8

Last came Thomas Lloyd.He sat there with a serious and rigid expression, blinking his eyes slightly, like an owl. He came home from Malaya—for the first time in eight years, he had been in the habit of visiting "Gull Cape" since he was a child.Audrey Schunji was his distant cousin - raised by his family from the age of nine.Last night he went to bed just before eleven o'clock.Yes, he had heard Mr. Nejil Schunkie leave the house, but he hadn't seen him.Neville left about twenty past ten, maybe a little later.He himself heard nothing all night.Mrs Tricilian's body was found when he was up in the garden - he was an early riser.

There was a pause. "Miss Odin told us there was tension in the house, did you notice that too?" "I don't think so, don't pay much attention." "Lies," Barto thought to himself, "you've noticed a lot—more than most people." No, he didn't think Neville' Schunji was short of money.Of course he can't be short of money.But he knew very little about Mr. Shi Chunji. "How well do you know the second Mrs. Shi Chunji?" "I saw her for the first time here." Bardo played his last card. "As you may know, Mr. Lloyd, we found the fingerprints of Mr. Neville Schunkie on the murder weapon. We also found blood on the sleeve of the coat he was wearing last night."

He paused.Roydie nodded. "He told us" he whispered. "Let me ask you frankly: do you think he did it?" Thomas Lloyd was never impatient.He paused for a moment - what felt like a long time - and then replied: "I don't know why you ask me? It's not my business, it's your business. In my own opinion—very unlikely." "Can you think of who, in your opinion, is more likely?" Thomas shook his head. "Only one person, I don't think it's possible, that's all." "Who is that?" Rowdy shook his head more resolutely, however.

"It's impossible to say, it's just my personal opinion." "It is your duty to assist the police." "I told you the facts. It's not a fact, it's just an idea, and it's impossible." "We didn't get much out of him," Reach said after Roydy left.Bato expressed the same feeling. "Well, not much. He's got his own ideas—quite definite ones. I'd like to know what. It's a very curious crime, James—" Li Qi was about to speak when the phone rang.He picked up the receiver, and after listening for a minute or two, he said, "Good," and put the receiver down.

"The blood on the sleeve is human blood," he said, "of the same type as Mrs Choi's. It looks as though Neville Schunji is a suspect—" Ba Tuo had already walked to the window, looking out the window with considerable interest. "There's a handsome young man out there," he said, "pretty handsome and downright unseemly, I suppose. Unfortunately Mr. Latimer—I think he was Mr. Latimer—was in the East last night. Head Bay, not here. He's the type of guy who would smash his own grandmother's head off if he thought he could get away with it, and if he knew he'd get something out of it."

"Oh, this matter has nothing to do with him," Li Qi said, "Madam Cui's death doesn't do him any good." The phone rang again. "Damn phone, what's the matter this time?" He went over to answer. "Hi. Oh, it's you, doctor? What? She woke up? What? What?" He turned his head: "Uncle, come and listen to this." Ba Tuo came over and took the phone, he listened, his face remained expressionless as usual.He said to Li Qi: "Get Neville Springer, James." When Neville came in, Barto just put the microphone on. Neville looked pale and tired, staring curiously at the Inspector-General of Scotland Yard, trying to read his mind from that wooden face.

"Mr. Shi Chunji," Barto said, "do you know anyone who dislikes you very much?" Neville opened his eyes wide and shook his head. "Are you sure?" Batu said with a deep expression. "Sir, I mean, someone doesn't just dislike you - someone - frankly - hates you a lot?" Neville sat up straight. "No. No, of course not. No such thing." "Think about it, Mr. Shi Chunji. You haven't hurt anyone in the slightest?" Neville blushed. "There's only one person I can say I've hurt, and she's not the type to hold a grudge. That was my first wife, whom I left for another woman. But I can assure you, she doesn't hate Me. She's—she's an angel."

The Inspector-General leaned forward. "Let me tell you, Mr. Chunji, you're a very lucky man. I don't like the fact that this case goes against you--I don't. Still, it's a good enough case to indict you! And unless the jurors happen to appreciate your personality, or you will be hanged." "It sounds to you," said Neville, "that it's all over?" "It's over," said Ba Tuo, "You were saved, Mr. Shi Chunji, it was pure luck." Neville was still looking at him inquiringly. "After you left Mrs. Tricilian last night," said Barto, "she rang for her maid."

He watched and waited for Neville to hear what he meant. "And then...then Barrett saw her—" "Yes. Well alive. Barrett saw you leave the house before going into her mistress's room." Neville said: "But that iron—my fingerprint—" "She wasn't killed with that iron. Dr. Larenbee didn't think it was right then, I could see that. She was killed with something else. The iron was deliberate. Put it there so that suspicion could fall on you. Maybe someone who overheard your argument picked you as a logical victim, or maybe it was because—” He pauses, then repeats his question:

"Who is rooting for you in this room, Mr. Shi Chunji?"