Freddie smiled in a superior fashion.
“As it happens, I did look at my watch in the middle of the night. I went to bed at the same time as the rest; and went to sleep, too, which is more than some of you seem to have been able to do. I slept through the storm. But later on the wind got up. My window-blind began to flap badly; and that woke me up. I looked at the time to see if it was worth while getting out of bed and fixing it, or whether it wasn’t worth while. That was at twenty minutes to three, I remember distinctly.”
He glanced at Cynthia triumphantly. She took up the implied challenge at once.
“Yes, Mr. Stickney, you’ve given us one time. But you haven’t told us when you went to sleep. It seems to me you’re no better than the rest of us, really.”
Freddie ignored her and continued his tale.
“I made up my mind to get up and fix the blind. That was at twenty minutes to three, as I said. While I was at the window, I looked out. My room looks right across the court-yard to the windows of Miss Lindale’s room. As I was standing at the window, a light went up in the windows next to Miss Lindale’s.”
He paused, and Westenhanger saw by his expression that he hoped to spring a surprise. Freddie swung round suddenly upon Eileen.
“That’s your room, isn’t it, Miss Cressage?”
The girl’s face showed that this was the piece of evidence which she had been dreading; but she managed to keep her voice under control as she answered.
“My room is next Nina’s, and I did switch on my light sometime in the small hours. I didn’t look at the time, but no doubt you’re quite right about it.”