Mrs Amy Shorthouse had seen no reason why she should stay in her working clothes while waiting to be interviewed so that, when called in to Dalgliesh, she was dressed ready to go home. The metamorphosis was striking. Comfortable working slippers had been replaced by a modish pair of high-heeled court shoes, white overall by a fur coat, and head scarf by the latest idiocy in hats. The total effect was curiously old-fashioned. Mrs Shorthouse looked like a relic of the gay twenties, an effect which was heightened by the shortness of her skirt and the careful curls of peroxided hair which lay cunningly arranged on forehead and cheeks. But there was nothing false about her voice and little, Dalgliesh suspected, about her personality. The little grey eyes were shrewd and amused. She was neither frightened nor distressed. He suspected that Amy Shorthouse craved more excitement than her life customarily afforded and was enjoying herself. She would not wish anyone violently dead but, since it had happened, one might as well make the most of it.
When the preliminaries were over and they got down to the events of the evening, Mrs Shorthouse came out with her prize piece of information.
" No good saying I can tell you who did it because I can't. Not that I haven't got my own ideas. But there's one thing I can tell you. I was the last person to talk to her, no doubt about that. No, scrub that out ! I was the last person to talk to her, face to face. Excepting the murderer, of course. "
" You mean that she subsequently spoke on the telephone ? Hadn't you better tell me about it plainly ? I've got enough mystery here for one evening. "
" Smart, aren't you ? " said Mrs Shorthouse without rancour. " Well, it was in this room. I came in at about ten past six to ask how much leave I'd got left on account of wanting a day off next week. Miss Bolam got out my dossier - leastwise it was already out come to think of it - and we fixed that up and had a bit of a chat about the work. I was on my way out really, just standing at the door for a few last words as you might say, when the phone rang. "
" I want you to think very carefully, Mrs Shorthouse, " said Dalgliesh. "That call may be important. I wonder if you can remember what Miss Bolam said ? "
" Think someone was enticing her down to her death, do you ? " said Mrs Shorthouse with alliterative relish. " Well, could be, come to think of it. "

Dalgliesh thought that his witness was far from being a fool. He watched while she screwed up her face in a simulated agony of effort. He had no doubt that she remembered very well what had been said.
After a nicely judged pause for suspense, Mrs Shorthouse said:
" Well, the phone rang like I said. That would be about six-fifteen, I suppose. Miss Bolam picked up the receiver and said 'Administrative Officer speaking.' She always answered like that. Very keen on her position she was. Peter Nagle used to say, 'Who the hell does she think we're expecting to hear ? Khrushchev ?' Not that he said it to her. No fear ! Anyway, that's what she said. Then there was a little pause and she looked up at me and said : 'Yes, I am.' Meaning, I suppose, that she was alone, not counting me. Then there was a longer pause while the chap at the other end spoke. Then she said : 'All right, stay where you are. I'll be down.' Then she asked me to show Mr Lauder into her office if I was about when he arrived, and I said I would and pushed off. "
" You're quite sure about her conversation on the telephone? "
" Sure as I'm sitting here. That's what she said all right. "
" You talked about the chap at the other end. How could you tell it was a man? "
" Never said I could. Just assumed it was a chap, I suppose. Mind you, if I'd been closer I might have known. You can sometimes get an idea who's speaking from the crackly noise the phone makes. But I was standing against the door. "
" And you couldn't hear the other voice at all? "
"That's right. Suggests he was talking low. "
" What happened then, Mrs Shorthouse? "

P.D James, A Mind to Murder, 1963.

1.leastwise = or rather
2.Khrushchev was a famous Soviet Russian leader in the early 1960s

Comprehension

1-a. What is the literary genre of the novel the text is taken from?
1-b. Pick out three words or phrases from the text to justify your answer.

2-a. Among the following characters, who is actually present or only mentioned in the scene? Fill in the chart (no pronouns) and tick the right boxes.

2-Where does the conversation take place ? Justify your answer by quoting from the text.Focus on the characters present in the scene.

3-a. What sort of conversation is going on between the characters? :
3-b. Why is Amy Shorthouse essential to the scene? Answer in your own words including quotations from the text (30 words)

4. Chronology of events. Put the following actions in the chronological order in which they happened. Write the numbers, from 1 to 5 in the boxes below :
¤ Miss Bolam talked to a man on the phone
¤ Then the phone rang
¤Amy came to miss Bolam to talk about a day off
¤ Amy was asked to welcome Mr Lauder when he came
¤ They carried on talking about the work for a while

5-a. Which drawing best corresponds to the way Amy Shorthouse looks when ready to go home after a day's work?

Number of the drawing :

Quote from the text four elements of description corresponding to your choice.

5-b. Through whose eyes is Amy portrayed? Justify your answer by quoting from the text.
5-c. How is she perceived by this character? Justify in your own words.
5-d. How does Amy react to being interviewed?      Circle the right answer.
She is... puzzled
             scared
             ill-at-ease
             having fun
Justify your answer by quoting two elements from the text.

5-e. How can you account for this reaction? (30 words)

6- Focus on Amy's and Peter Nagle's words and find:
a. Miss Bolam's job
b. The way she felt about her job.
Justify your answer with one quote

7-a. What is Dalgliesh's aim in the conversation?
7-b. Focus on his attitude to Amy.
Say whether the following statements are RIGHT or WRONG. Tick the right answers and justify them by quoting from the text.
DO NOT quote the same words twice. Indicate the lines.
He realises she is really upset about the situation. ____________________________________________________________ R   W
She would rather have a more exciting life. ____________________________________________________________ R   W
He sounds irritated at the beginning ____________________________________________________________ R   W
He knows he cannot dupe her. ____________________________________________________________ R   W
He can see she enjoys acting a part. ____________________________________________________________ R   W

7- c. Dalgliesh mentions 'a man' ("You talked about the chap at the other end. How could you tell it was a man?")
List three different ways the man is referred to in the text.
7-d. What has Dalgliesh learnt at the end of the passage? (20 words)

8- Traduction

Translate into French from 'No good saying' down to '...for one evening'

Expression

Choose one of the two subjects.

Subject 1:
'What happened then, Mrs Shorthouse?' Continue the conversation. (250 words)
Subject 2:
Most people love suspense in books and films. What about you? (250 words)