“By sight, yes. I met him when a TV program was being shot here in the araneology lab.”
“The what?”
“Where the spiders are.”
“Hm. Did you see Saville at the party?”
“Saw him, yes, during the TV showing. He was sitting next to Ed Cunningham, the shrink who worked on the first program.”
“You didn’t see him after that?”
“No.”
“Did you go past the gym at any time that evening?”
“No.”
“When did you leave the party?”
“Around two A.M.”
“Alone?”
“I was with a friend. Sarah Jordan.”
“The one they call Spider Girl?”
“Correct.”
“You understand I have to get the details. Did you go back to your place?”
“Hers, on West Eighty-Eighth. I said good night on the sidewalk and then went home.”
“Too bad. Okay, we’ll get this typed up and you can sign it. Would you come back after lunch?”
Nancy Lim was back in the dorm at noon. Meg spotted her from her window coming across the front lawn. She hurried down to meet her.
“Could I join you for lunch today?”
“Sure. Feel free.”
When they had filled their trays and found places at a quiet table against the window, Meg asked, “Why didn’t anyone tell me about the guy who was killed at the party?”
Nancy answered in a level voice, “Because of your state of mind. We didn’t want you any more scared than you were. Should we have told you?”
“Nancy, I’ve got a problem. The thing that scared me at the party may have a connection with the dead man.” As calmly as she could, she went over the events of early Sunday morning.
“What a hideous experience!” said Nancy. “It’s enough to blow anyone’s mind.”
“But do you see what I’m driving at? If Sarah Jordan’s jacket was on the lawn outside the gym, it’s more than likely she was inside.”
“With the man who was killed?”
Meg nodded.
“On the web? I’ve heard of some weird ways of doing it, but...”
“She is weird, Nancy. She believes all that Spider Girl crap.”
“If you’re right, she must know how the man fell off the web, and she should have told the police by now.”
Meg leaned forward. “But she hasn’t. It says in this morning’s paper they’ve reached no conclusion. They’re appealing for information.”
“I guess this would be bad for her image.”
“Murder is bad for anyone’s image.”
Nancy gave Meg a long look and said, “Is there something else you know?”
“I thought it was common knowledge that after spiders have mated, the female kills her partner unless he’s sharp enough to get away.”
“God help us,” said Nancy in a whisper.
“You don’t buy it?”
“It’s creepy. She’d have to be crazy.”
“Isn’t it crazy to kill a tarantula and take off your jacket to cover it?”
“Mm.”
“What am I going to do?”
“You’ll have to tell the police what you saw.”
“Go to them?”
“They’ll be seeing you. Everyone who was at that party is being questioned about what they saw.”
“No one has asked to see me yet.”
“They’ll get around to you. But maybe you should volunteer a statement before they call you. If Sarah Jordan really did push that guy off the web, she’s dangerous.”
“Maybe I should talk to Don again. I told him what I saw.”
“You did?” Nancy raised her eyebrows. “What did he say?”
“That it was my imagination. Only I asked him to check if there was a spider missing, and there was. He found its body in a bush near the gym.”
“He should go to the police.”
“I don’t think Don would do anything to get Sarah Jordan in trouble. He’s very attached to her. I told you before.”
“I know. Has it occurred to you that he may be in danger? If she really has killed a man who tried to make love to her...”
“Oh, no! That’s too horrible!”
“You must call the police and tell them what you saw.”
Don returned to the office after lunch to see if his statement was ready for signature and found Bernice close to hysteria. “It’s no good coming in here asking for help. I’m incompetent! I’m a lousy typist with dangerous tendencies like talking to members of the staff and running the goddamn department single-handed when you-know-who is out, which is most of the time. My filing system is chaotic and I can’t keep a secret and I leave a trail of Kleenex and paper cups wherever I go. That’s just for openers. If you care to talk to Professor fucking Berlin, I’m sure he’ll give you particulars of all my failings, including the fact that I don’t put out like Della in the dean’s office. The fact that I’m happily married—”
“Quiet down, Bernice. What’s happened, for God’s sake?”
“It’s nothing.” She ripped the sheet out of the typewriter, crushed it into a ball, and dropped it in the wastebasket. “Only this old crone carrying on as usual. Why don’t you tell me I’m a stupid old bitch? He does. He’s going to kick my ass from here to the main gate next time I let him down. Ask him — those were his words. That’s the delicate turn of phrase he has for his confidential secretary after eight years’ loyal service.”
“Why? What was he pissed off about?”
“That goddamn guest list. I told you I left a name off.”
“Yeah — Meg Kellaway.”
“You know what happened? An hour ago the damn girl called the police and offered to talk to them. They checked the list and of course she wasn’t on it. So they hauled in Jerry and twisted his vitals for twenty minutes and heaved him out so he could work me over. He did.”
Don’s head was reeling. Why had Meg done this, when it had all been going so well? He managed to say, “Don’t take it so hard, Bernice. We all know what Jerry is like. It doesn’t mean a thing. Can I get you some coffee?”
She shook her head. “Paper cups. I wouldn’t dare. I’d better look busy. And I mustn’t be seen fraternizing with research students, but thanks, I feel a little better for unloading some.”
“Okay, I just came in to sign a statement.”
“If it’s done, it’s in the tray by the door in a brown envelope.”
He found it and slipped it quickly into his pocket. “So, is Meg Kellaway coming in to make a statement?”
“She’s expected at three,” said Bernice, “and if she walks in here...”
Don grinned and left, but before he was through the door the grin had vanished. He was in deep trouble. That statement in his pocket was false, and would shortly be proved so. If he signed it, he could face a criminal charge. He was going to have to go to the police and admit he had lied. At least he could stop Sarah from getting in similar trouble. She hadn’t been seen by the police yet.
Sarah was in a room used for private study, copying some data recorded by her stand-in the previous semester. There were three freshmen students in there. He asked her to step outside, and mentioned that it was urgent. They walked out of the building and along one of the paths to the campanile before he told her what he had just learned. “I’ll have to go back to the police and tell them I didn’t take you home that night,” he said. “I can say I wanted to shield you from all the questions and humiliations, which is true. Maybe when you make your statement, if you ask them to treat it in confidence—”
She tossed the hair off her shoulders and said lightly, “You won’t change your statement. You’ll let it stand.”
“I can’t, Sarah. Meg’s about to blow it sky high.”