‘All right, Colonel.’ Gaunt raised his hands and let them fall on the table. ‘I give up. I met the man and told him precisely what I thought of him. I’m sorry it’s had to come out. Another bit of most undesirable publicity. If my agent was here he’d give me absolute hell, wouldn’t he, Dikon? My one desire was to keep out of this extremely distasteful affair. I’m perfectly certain that Dr Ackrington is right and that the whole thing’s a put-up job. Frankly, I’m tremendously anxious that my name should not appear and that is precisely why I hoped to avoid any mention of this encounter. I’ve been foolish. I realize that. I apologize.’

‘It’s just too bad about you,’ said Simon. ‘You’re in it with the rest of us. Why the heck should you get away with a pack of lies!’

‘You’re perfectly right, of course,’ said Gaunt. ‘Why should I?’

‘If people start talking about murder—’ began Smith confusedly, and Gaunt at once interrupted him.

‘If there’s talk of murder,’ he said, ‘I fancy this story gives me a complete alibi. Young Saul says that he saw me walking up to the main road. As a matter of fact I remember passing the lighted hut. I distinctly noticed a smell of beer. The thermal region’s in the opposite direction. I suppose I should be grateful to the dubious Mr Saul.’

‘You should be thankful you haven’t landed yourself in a damned equivocal position,’ said Dr Ackrington, staring at Gaunt. ‘I pass over the more serious view, which we should be perfectly justified in taking, of your attempt to keep us in the dark. I merely advise you to make quite sure of this alibi you have just thought of.’

‘It is quite genuine, I promise you,’ said Gaunt easily. ‘Might we get on with someone else’s movements?’

‘Well, of all the bloody nerve—’ began Simon.

‘Simon!’ said his parents together and the Colonel added, ‘You’ll apologize to your mother and sister, immediately, Simon. And to Mr Gaunt.’

Dikon, in his distress, had time to reflect that the Claires were a little too good to be true. Simon muttered his apology.

‘Suppose,’ Mr Falls suggested, ‘we get on with the other narratives. Yours, for instance, Ackrington.’