18-11-1896 10:00
detective
Q: Who found the body?
A: A chambermaid.
Q: What time was that?
A: Around 8:30, I think.
Q: Why she entered the room?
A: I asked her to check on Sir Arthur.
Q: Why?
A: I saw (anonymised) eating breakfast alone and was wondering if Sir Arthur was not feeling well.
Q: And you sent a chambermaid instead of checking yourself?
A: Yes, I had to take care of a problem in the kitchen, so I sent her.
Q: What have you done after she found the body?
A: I sent for (anonymised) and (anonymised).
Q: Why you sent for the doctor? Sir Arthur was clearly dead.
A: We always do when something happens to the guests.
Q: When was the last time you saw Sir Arthur alive?
A: I think after he had a supper with (anonymised). I saw them walking to their rooms.
Q: When was it?
A: I guess around 8:30 PM.
Q: And that was the last time you saw them that night?
A: Well, no. (anonymised) went for a walk some time later.
Q: When was that?
A: I’m not sure. Maybe half an hour later.
Q: How long was he out of the hotel?
A: Not long, maybe a quarter of an hour.
Q: Where were you during the night?
A: I have a small room next to a reception.
Q: Did you or your employees hear something during the night?
A: No.
Q: Is it possible that someone broke into the room of Sir Arthur during the night and none of the staff heard anything?
A: I doubt it. When we finish serving the supper, usually the place is very quiet.
Q: What time does the supper end?
A: Usually around 9 PM.
Q: How many guests do you have right now?
A: Apart from Sir Arthur and (anonymised) there are two English merchants, (anonymised) and (anonymised).
Q: And where were they last night?
A: After their supper, they went to their rooms.
Q: When was that?
A: I think at the same time (anonymised) was leaving for his walk.
Q: It is rare for a native to be a hotel manager, isn’t it? How did you manage to achieve that?
A: I used to work here as a porter. Then the manager was suddenly taken ill, and I was the only employee, who spoke English well enough to deal with customers. The manager returned to England for treatment, and so far, the owner trusts me enough not to look for a replacement.
Q: Where are you from?
A: I grew up in the west, near Mount Elgon.
Q: Did you know that Sir Arthur had artefacts from that region in his belongings?
A: No, of course not. But... he shouldn’t have done that. Elgeyo people are very protective when it comes to their heritage.
18-11-1896 10:15
detective
Q: When was the last time you saw Sir Arthur?
A: After we finished our supper.
Q: When exactly was it?
A: I’m not sure. Between 8 PM and 9 PM, I guess.
Q: When you left the dining room, what were you doing next?
A: We went to our rooms.
Q: You had the rooms next to each other?
A: Yes.
Q: And after the supper, you did not leave your room?
A: No. I mean... I went for a walk for a few minutes.
Q: When was it?
A: I’m not sure. I did not feel well after the meal, so I went for a stroll around.
Q: And then you never left your room?
A: No. I mean, not during the night. I went for breakfast in the morning.
Q: During the night have you heard any noises?
A: No, I slept the whole night.
Q: You ate the breakfast alone?
A: Yes.
Q: You weren’t worried that Sir Arthur was absent at the table?
A: No. It was the first night in over two months that we had the chance to sleep in civilized conditions, so just thought he needed more rest.
Q: Your expedition took two months?
A: Yes, we went to the region around Mount Elgon.
Q: Why Mount Elgon?
A: Sir Arthur was following his theory surrounding the source of the river Nile.
Q: And was this theory correct?
A: Not really, but we stumbled upon Elgeyo people, who live around the volcano, and their culture is fascinating.
Q: What was your role in the expedition?
A: I’m a cartographer and a navigator, Sir Arthur needed me to plan the routes and document the expedition.
Q: Did Sir Arthur have a lot of experience in such expeditions?
A: No, he basically had none. His role was more theoretical. He was the leader, and he financed the expedition, but the practical side of that whole project was more my thing.
Q: And as I understand, you are his future son-in-law?
A: Yes, I was planning to marry his daughter, Emily, when we return.
Q: "Was planning"?
A: I still do, it’s just... in those circumstances...
Q: Do you know if there was anything valuable in Sir Arthur’s belongings?
A: Yes, quite a few things, actually. We stumbled upon some fascinating artefacts when we were with the Elgeyo tribes.
Q: Such as...?
A: The masks, figurines, some wooden carvings, ceremonial weapons. Also, what we believed to be, an ancient necklace made of metal.
Q: Do you know what was taken from Sir Arthur’s room by the killer?
A: Not sure. I haven’t seen the necklace, but apart from that, I can’t tell. Sir Arthur was cataloguing the artefacts.
Q: Can you think of anyone that could kill Sir Arthur?
A: No, I’m completely baffled. Although...
Q: What?
A: Maybe it’s nothing, but yesterday (anonymised) had an argument with Sir Arthur. Well, perhaps not an argument, a tiff rather, but a policeman, (anonymised), got involved.
Q: When was it?
A: Some time after noon. Perhaps 4 PM.
Q: And who is (anonymised)?
A: He was our guide during the expedition.
Q: What was the argument about?
A: It was just... (anonymised) was convinced that taking the figurine of Ngai was a huge mistake and if he had known, he would have left us in the middle of nowhere.
Q: Why he thought it was a mistake?
A: I don’t know, some local superstitions, I guess. The figurine is supposed to be cursed, and removing it from the holy place could bring a disaster on the culprit.
Q: And why policeman got involved?
A: They both could be stubborn and grumpy men, so an argument turned into a squabble in the middle of the street.
Q: And that intervention ended their quarrel?
A: Yes, but... Later, (anonymised) came to our hotel and tried to extort money out of Sir Arthur.
Q: Have you heard him demanding money?
A: No, Sir Arthur told me about it during our supper.
Q: Did he pay the policeman?
A: No, of course not. A policeman taking bribes is a disgrace.
Q: What for was he demanding the money?
A: He said he could calm down the situation with Elgeyo tribes regarding the Ngai figurine.
18-11-1896 10:25
detective
Q: I understand you broke an argument between (anonymised) and (anonymised).
A: Yes, sir.
Q: What was the argument about?
A: They were shouting at each other, and I didn’t appreciate that, sir.
Q: But what were they arguing about?
A: I have no idea, sir. I just told them to calm down.
Q: Did you meet any of them later?
A: No, sir.
Q: Where were you in the evening?
A: I was on duty, sir. Until 10 PM.
