‘I thought of Garcia at once. I remembered what Lee had told me about the conversation between Garcia and Sonia. I don’t see who else could have done it, and somehow—’

‘Yes?’

‘Somehow it—it’s the sort of thing he might do. There’s something very cold-blooded about Garcia. He’s quite mad about me, but I simply can’t bear him to touch me. Lee says he’s got masses of SA and he evidently had for Sonia—but I can’t see it. I think he’s rather repulsive. Women do fall for him, I’m told.’

‘And the motive?’

‘I imagine he was sick of her. She literally hurled herself at him. Always watching him. Men hate women to do that—’ She looked directly into Alleyn’s eyes. ‘Don’t they, Mr Alleyn?’

‘I’m afraid I don’t know.’

‘And of course he was livid when she defaced my portrait. She must have hated me to do that. In a way it was rather interesting, a directly sexual jealousy manifesting itself on the symbol of the hated person.’

Alleyn repressed a movement of impatience and said: ‘No doubt.’

‘My own idea is that she was going to have a baby and had threatened to sue him for maintenance. I suppose in a way I’m responsible.’

She looked grave enough as she made this statement, but Alleyn thought there was more than a hint of complacency in her voice.

‘Surely not,’ he said.

‘Oh, yes. In a way. If he hadn’t been besotted on me, I dare say he might not have done it.’

‘I thought,’ said Alleyn, ‘that you were worrying about your actual hand in the business.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean,’ Alleyn’s voice was grave, ‘the circumstance of it being your hands, Miss Seacliff, that thrust her down upon the knife. Tell me, please, did you notice any resistance at first? I should have thought that there might even have been a slight sound as the point entered.’

‘I—don’t think—’

‘We are considering the actual death throes of a murdered individual,’ said Alleyn mildly. ‘I should like a clear picture.’

She opened her eyes wide, a look of extreme horror came into her face. She looked wildly round the room, darted a furious glance at Alleyn, and said in a strangled voice; ‘Let me out. I’ve got to go out.’

Fox rose in consternation, but she pushed him away and ran blindly to the door.

‘Never mind, Fox,’ said Alleyn.

The door banged.

‘Here,’ said Fox, ‘what’s she up to?’

‘She’s bolted,’ exclaimed Nigel. ‘Look out! She’s doing a bolt.’

‘Only as far as the cloak-room,’ said Alleyn. ‘The fatal woman is going to be very sick.’

CHAPTER 11
Ormerin’s Nerves and Sonia’s Correspondence

‘Well, really, Alleyn,’ said Nigel, ‘I consider you were hard on that girl. You deliberately upset her lovely stomach.’

‘How do you know her stomach’s lovely?’