butterfly, the Camberwell Beauty?” Sandra paused. “I couldn’t swear on the Bible in a court of law, Miss, but I am halfway positive that it was her.”
“Any chance that your friend will remember the name of the lecturer?”
“I’ll ask her tonight.”
Maisie nodded, and was about to put a question to Billy when Sandra spoke again.
“I remember him as if it were yesterday, though I couldn’t tell you his name.”
“Why? What was it about him that stuck in your memory?”
“You could tell he’d been wounded, in the war. There were scars on his face, and he had a bit of a limp; used a cane.”
“That’s a fair description of almost all of us who went over there,” said Billy.
She shook her head. “Now I’m remembering—and I still don’t know for definite if it was her. But I remember the way he was talking, and he ran his hand along one of the saris she held over her arm, and she smiled this big smile at him. Then afterwards, he was helping her to fold the saris as we were all filing out—and it was slow going, what with people stopping to talk and picking up their things; the line was moving like treacle off a cold spoon. When they’d finished, the Indian woman went to shake his hand—which I thought was very bold of her, I mean, to hold out her hand like that. He looked at her hand as if it were something very precious he was being offered, and at the point where their fingers touched, she took his hand in both of hers. Then, when he turned away—the Indian woman was by now talking to some women that my friend said were students studying embroidery—he looked at his hand and rubbed it, as if he’d touched something warm.” Sandra looked at Maisie, frowning. “I don’t understand that, how one minute you can be sorting things out in your brain, looking for something you’ve lost, then the next thing, the memory comes rushing in.”
“It might be to do with the color. I remember Maurice telling me that it opens up another part of the brain. Recalling all those saris and the explosion of color was the key that unlocked the treasure chest with that particular memory.” She turned to her assistant. “Billy, remember that. Remember the color. I’ll ask Caldwell about the sari Usha was wearing when her body was discovered—we can get some similar fabric. It might help people remember.”
“I’d better be off then, Miss. Got a lot to do today.”
“Any luck with that other case, the missing boy?”
“Not a lot yet, though I spoke to his teacher and apparently he had a great interest in the sea. I hate to think of it, but if I was that age and I wanted to do a runner, I might try to jump on one of them ships setting off from the docks.”
“Well, keep on it, just in case. “ She looked at her notes, then at Billy and Sandra. “Right then, let’s have a discussion after our meeting with Major Pramal tomorrow morning. We should have a lot to add to the map for Usha Pramal by then.”
Sandra began putting the crayons away and folding the case map. “Funny name, isn’t it? Usha? Does it mean anything?”
Maisie nodded. “Most names from the subcontinent mean something—just as English names have a meaning, or French names. And that’s something I remembered, when you were talking about the woman with the saris. I remembered—it was years ago now, when I was studying with Maurice—learning about different mythologies. Hindu mythology was a subject all on its own and could keep you busy for your entire life, I think. But I remember Usha. She was the goddess of the dawn; she was considered to be the Daughter of Heaven.”
“Right, Miss Dobbs, sit yourself down. Sorry I can’t offer you a cup of tea, but we don’t have time for that sort of thing.” Caldwell looked at Maisie. “On account of the criminals.”
“Not to worry, Inspector—I had my fill this morning, and I am sure we kept you from the brink of thirst.”
Caldwell rolled his eyes, a mannerism that seemed to be the inspector’s signature reaction to almost any comment with which he had no truck. He pushed a folder towards her. It was a folder that had been previously used for another case or two; the edges were frayed and torn, and as she opened the cover, she could see a series of