Read Murder Most Unladylike: A Wells and Wong Mystery for Free Online

stab at when it happened. Look – the last lesson of the day ends at four fifteen p.m. – which on Mondays happens to be second-form Dance. You went to the Gym—?’
    ‘At five forty-five,’ I said.
    ‘That means that Miss Bell must have been killed some time between four fifteen – after all, one of those second formers would have noticed the body if it was there during Dance – and five forty-five. There, you see? That’s what , who , where how and when . That wasn’t so difficult.’
    I realized she was right.
    ‘So, we do have some facts after all,’ Daisy went on. ‘And that brings us rather neatly to our second point: the suspects. Who might want to do away with Miss Bell – or rather, considering what’s happened this term, who wouldn’t?’
    ‘Do you really think it has to be a master or mistress?’ I asked.
    ‘I think what we’ve worked out already practically proves it,’ said Daisy. ‘The resignation note, left on Miss Griffin’s desk, in handwriting that looked like Miss Bell’s – only a master or mistress could have done that, after all. And we’ve worked out that Miss Bell was killed after school hours, by someone strong enough to shove her over the side of the Gym balcony. I’d say that was all quite conclusive. So, which of them could have done it?’
    ‘Well, Miss Parker,’ I said. ‘Because of what happened with Miss Bell and The One.’
    ‘The jealousy angle,’ said Daisy. ‘I like it. Think of all those rows they’ve been having!’
    I thought about Miss Parker in one of her legendary rages, dragging her fingers through her short black hair and shrieking, and decided that she was a very good suspect indeed.
    ‘Who else?’ Daisy asked.
    ‘What about Miss Hopkins? She might have been afraid The One would jilt her for Miss Bell.’
    ‘Now, that’s a silly suggestion,’ said Daisy. ‘For one thing, it’s a terribly weak motive. For another, I happen to know that Miss Hopkins was up in the Pavilion talking tactics with the hockey lot on Monday after school. They’ve got that match against St Chator’s this weekend, you know – they’re terrified about it, so the Hop was helping them prepare. She couldn’t have killed Miss Bell. And for a third – well, Miss Hopkins simply wouldn’t do a thing like murder. She couldn’t. She’s – she’s pukka .’
    It was my turn to sigh. Daisy is quite obsessed with Miss Hopkins, and I felt that she was ruling her out unfairly. But I couldn’t argue with such an alibi.
    ‘All right, then,’ I said. ‘Miss Lappet and Miss Tennyson. They both want the Deputy Head job, don’t they, but we all know that Miss Bell was about to be given it. What if one of them thought they’d get it by clearing Miss Bell out of the way?’
    ‘ Much better,’ said Daisy, pleased. ‘Neither of them have alibis that I can think of – and we know that Miss Tennyson was around school at the right time, don’t we? After all, she took us for Lit. Soc yesterday, and societies all finish at five twenty. And then we saw her outside Mr MacLean’s study shortly after you discovered the body, not far from the Gym at all. So . . . who else? I suppose Mamzelle and Mr MacLean, because we saw them near the scene of the crime at the right time too. Though I can’t think of a motive for either of them, can you?’
    I shook my head. ‘Shouldn’t we add The One, for the same reason?’ I asked. ‘He was there – I saw him stick his head out of his cubby as we were going past.’
    ‘Very true,’ agreed Daisy, nodding. ‘Though, again, why ever would he kill Miss Bell? It’s not as though he’s even interested in her any more. Really, it ought to have been her killing him , and of course that didn’t happen.’
    ‘Rage?’ I suggested. ‘Blackmail? Remorse?’
    ‘Hmm,’ said Daisy. ‘Not yet proven. But lovely work otherwise. Just look, we’ve got six suspects for our list! Write them down, do. Then we can cross them off later as we