Over My Dead Body

"Yes," she said, and smiled at him. "I think I understand that all right. There's no reason why I shouldn't tell the truth; it's the only thing I can do-now." She shifted her eyes to Cramer. "It was in the office, when we were all in there, waiting for the police to come. I put my hand in the pocket of my robe and there was something in there. It's a big pocket, quite big. I started to pull it out to see what it was, but the feel of it told me it must be a fencing glove. I tried to think what to do. I knew it shouldn't be there-I mean I knew I hadn't put it there. For a minute I was scared, but I made myself think. Mr Ludlow had been killed in the fencing room where I had been fencing with him, and there I was with a wadded-up glove in my pocket, and if we were searched…" She upturned a palm. "I looked around for a place to put it and saw Mr Goodwin's coat. I knew it must be his, because the others were all upstairs in their lockers, and I knew he had come there anyway to get me out of trouble-so I went over to it and when I thought no one was looking I took it out of my pocket and put it in his."

"Very much obliged-"

"Shut up, Goodwin! Do you realize what you're trying to tell me, Miss Tormic?"

"I… I think I do."

"You're trying to tell me that you had a bulky thing like that in your pocket and didn't know it."

"So am I," I put in. "The same goes for me."

"I know damn well it does! Did I ask you to close your trap? What about it, Miss Tormic?"

She shook her head. "I don't know-of course I was excited. It's a loose robe and it's a big pocket. I had it on-you saw it."

"Yeah, I saw it. So you admit you concealed evidence of a crime?"

"Is that… wrong?"

"Hell, no. Oh, my, no. And do you know who put it in your pocket?"

"No."

"Of course you don't. Or when?"

"No." Neya frowned. "I have thought about that. I left the robe in the locker room, lying on a bench, when I went to the end room to fence. After I left Mr Ludlow there and met Mr Faber in the hall, I stopped in the locker room to leave my pad and glove and mask, and put on the robe and went with Mr Faber to the alcove. Whoever put the glove in my pocket, I don't think they did it until afterwards, because I think I would have noticed it. After the porter started to yell, we were all running around and jostling against each other-and I suppose someone did it then… that's the only way I can explain how it might have happened-"

"And you knew nothing about it."