[speaking in 1949] I always make a point of keeping the most pleasant-sounding name for the murderer. As he or she is bound to come to an unpleasant end, it seems the very least the author can do.
What does 'Ngaio' mean? I don't know. Like many Maori words it has a number of meanings - clever, light on the water, a little bug - but I don't know which my parents had in mind.