‘In effect: you have spoken to the good Superintendent Coombe. It was kind but it was not necessary. I shall not leave the Island.’

‘Your behaviour is, I’m afraid, both foolish and inconsiderate.’

‘Indeed? Explain yourself.’

‘You are giving a great deal of anxiety and trouble to other people. You are being silly, Miss Emily.’

‘That,’ said Miss Emily distinctly, ‘was an improper observation.’

‘Unfortunately not. If you persist I shall feel myself obliged to intervene.’

‘Do you mean, my friend,’ said Miss Emily with evident amusement, ‘that you will have me arrested?’

‘I wish I could. I wish I could put you under protective custody.’

‘I am already protected by the local officer who is, for example, a man of intelligence. His name is Pender.’

‘Miss Emily, if you persist you will force me to leave my wife.’

‘That is nonsense.’

‘Will you give me your word of honour that you will not leave the hotel unaccompanied?’

‘Very well,’ said Miss Emily after a pause. ‘Understood.’

‘And that you will not sit alone on a shelf? Or anywhere? At any time?’

‘There is no room for a second occupant on the shelf.’

‘There must be room somewhere. Another shelf. Somewhere.’

‘It would not be convenient.’

‘Nor is it convenient for me to leave my wife and come traipsing down to your beastly Island.’

‘I beg that you will do no such thing. I assure you – ’ Her voice stopped short. He would have thought that the call had been cut off if he hadn’t quite distinctly heard Miss Emily catch her breath in a sharp gasp. Something had fallen.

‘Miss Emily!’ he said. ‘Hallo! Hallo! Miss Emily!’

‘Very well,’ her voice said. ‘I can hear you. Perfectly.’

‘What happened?’

‘I was interrupted.’

‘Something’s wrong. What is it?’

‘No, no. It is nothing. I knocked a book over. Roderique, I beg that you do not break your holiday. It would be rather ridiculous. It would displease me extremely, you understand. I assure you that I will do nothing foolish. Goodbye, my dear boy.’

She replaced the receiver.

Alleyn sat with his arm still round his wife. ‘Something happened,’ he said. ‘She sounded frightened. I swear she was frightened. Damn and blast Miss Emily for a pigheaded old effigy. What the hell does she think she’s up to!’

‘Darling: she promised to be sensible. She doesn’t want you to go. Does she, now?’

‘She was frightened,’ he repeated. ‘And she wouldn’t say why.’

At the same moment Miss Emily with her hand pressed to her heart was staring at the object she had exposed when she had knocked the telephone directory on its side.

This object was a crude plastic image of a Green Lady. A piece of ruled paper had been jammed down over the head and on it was pasted a single word of newsprint.

‘Death.’

VI

Miss Emily surveyed the assembled company.