‘You didn’t happen to notice Miss Pride? She was in the offing too, and saw Wally.’

‘Was she, by George! No, I didn’t see her. The top of the wheelhouse would cut off my view, I fancy.’

‘What exactly was Wally doing? Sorry to nag on about it, but Miss Pride may have missed some little pointer. We need one badly enough, Lord knows.’

‘He was jumping about with his back towards me. He waved his arms and did a sort of throwing gesture. Now that you tell me Miss Pride was up by the gates, I should think his antics were directed at her. I seem to remember that the last thing I saw him do was to take a run uphill. But it was all quite momentary, you know.’

‘His father says Wally was in the house at five past eight.’

Dr Maine considered this. ‘It would still be possible,’ he said. ‘There’s time, isn’t there?’

‘On the face of it – yes. Trehern also says that at five past eight or soon afterwards, he saw you leave in your launch.’

‘Does he, indeed! He lies like a flat-fish,’ said Dr Maine. He looked thoughtfully at Alleyn. ‘Now, I wonder just why,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘I wonder.’

‘So do I, I assure you.’ They stared meditatively at each other. Alleyn said: ‘Who do you think was the original Green Lady?’

Dr Maine was normally of a sallow complexion but now a painful red blotted his lean face and transfigured it. ‘I have never considered the matter,’ he said. ‘I have no idea. It’s always been supposed that he imagined the whole thing.’

‘It was Mrs Barrimore.’

‘You can have no imaginable reason for thinking so,’ he said angrily.

‘I’ve the best possible reason,’ said Alleyn. ‘Believe me. Every possible reason.’

‘Do you mean that Mrs Barrimore herself told you this?’

‘Virtually, yes. I am not,’ Alleyn said, ‘trying to equivocate. I asked her and she said she supposed she must congratulate me.’

Dr Maine put his glass down and walked about the room with his hands in his pockets. Alleyn thought he was giving himself time. Presently he said: ‘I can’t for the life of me, make out why you concern yourself with this. Surely it’s quite beside the point.’

‘I do so because I don’t understand it. Or am not sure that I understand it. If it turns out to be irrelevant I shall make no more of it. What I don’t understand, to be precise, is why Mrs Barrimore should be so distressed at the discovery.’