Posted by Ed Kiser on April 06, 2003 at 01:37:18 from 64.12.96.103 user Kisered.
In Reply to: Re: BECKFOOT unmentionables posted by John Nichols on April 06, 2003 at 00:39:18:
John -
Your memory serves you correctly regarding COOT CLUB, and
their use of HOT WATER. Notice that the bathing MAY
have taken place there in the bedroom, using that
hot water brought up for that purpose.
Quoting from CH 17 - CC:
[There was another long silence. It was broken by Mrs.
McGinty coming in with a big can of hot water. The twins
after lying awake so long had got to sleep again just before
she came to call them. They pushed their noses into their
pillows. The hot water stood there cooling. The next thing
they heard was the banging of the breakfast gong, when they
shot out of their beds, one to port and the other to starboard,
tubbed and dressed without more than half drying, and raced
downstairs.]
As to the location of the guest room over the dining room, we have had this discussion privately before I displayed my conclusions to TARBOARD. The main concern I have with your suggested position is the drawings showing the trellis on the top right room in both the NO GO drawing, and the round face of Nancy with mumps drawing, which positions NANCY's room as being on the end next to the kitchen. The dining room being directly under Nancy is evidenced by the fact that the GA searching for the source of the noise in the robbery started with the kitchen, then went thru dining, drawing, then the study, in that order, thus placing the dining next to the kitchen, which is really where it should be, considering the logistics of serving food from the kitchen to the dining room. By the statement regarding crossing the landing to get from Dick's bedroom to Dot's (guest room) implies these are across from each other, neither of these are Nancy's room, so these two (Dick and Dot's rooms) must be at the other end away from Nancy's room.
The difficult thing here is that Ransome does not really spell out these relative locations, but leaves just tiny bits and pieces of evidence from which to try to draw these conclusions.
As to hearing the noise, the thumping of drawers and the dragging of the bed back and forth, I feel that vibration would be heard anywhere in the house, not requiring it be directly overhead of the listener.
Keep those ideas coming, John. It was great tossing these ideas back and forth with you while trying to arrive at some final picture.
Ed Kiser, South Florida