‘In my launch. Damned if I know how she’ll take it going back. The causeway’s impossible. Sir James thought you’d like to see me and I had to come over, anyway, to a patient.’

Alleyn said: ‘I’m glad to see you. Not so much about the PM! Curtis made that clear enough. I wanted to check up one or two points. Have a drink, won’t you?’

‘I certainly will. Thank you.’

Alleyn found a bell-push. ‘I hope you won’t mind if I don’t join you,’ he said. ‘I’ve had my allowance and I’ve got a night’s work ahead of me.’

‘I suppose you get used to it – like a GP.’

‘Very much so, I imagine. What’ll you have?’

Dr Maine had a whisky and soda. ‘I thought I’d take a look at Miss Pride while I’m here,’ he said. ‘She’s recovered, of course, but she had quite a nasty cut in her neck. I suppose I mustn’t ask about the police view of that episode. Or doesn’t it arise?’

‘I don’t see why you shouldn’t. It arises in a sort of secondary way, if only to be dismissed. What do you think?’

‘On the face of it, Wally Trehern. Inspired by his father, I daresay. It’s Miss Pride’s contention and I think she may well be right.’

‘I think so, too. Does it tie up with the general pattern of behaviour – from your point of view?’

‘Oh yes. Very characteristic. He gets over-excited and wildish. Sometimes this sort of behaviour is followed up by an attack of petit mal. Not always, but it’s quite often the pattern.’

‘Can’t anything be done for the boy?’

‘Not much, I’m afraid. When they start these attacks in early childhood. it’s a poorish prospect. He should lead a quiet, regular life. It may well be that his home background and all the nonsense of producing him as a showpiece, is bad for him. I’m not at all sure,’ Dr Maine said, ‘that I shouldn’t have taken his case up with the childwelfare people but there’s been no marked deterioration and I’ve hesitated. Now, well – now, one wonders.’

‘One wonders – what exactly?’

‘A, if he shouldn’t, in any case, be removed to a suitable institution and B, whether he’s responsible for heaving that rock at Miss Cost.’

‘If he did heave it, it must have been about half an hour after you saw him doing his stuff on Wally’s Way.’

‘I know. Sir James puts the death at about eight o’clock, give and take twenty minutes. I wish I’d watched the boy more closely but of course there was no reason to do so. I was swinging the launch round.’

‘And it was about seven-forty, wasn’t it?’

‘About that, yes. Within a couple of minutes, I should say.’