‘Well – yes, of course. Will you come in?’

They were all seated in the parlour – Mrs Barrimore, Jenny Williams and the Major who looked very much the worse for wear but assumed a convincing enough air of authority, and asked Alleyn what he could do for him.

Alleyn told them in a few words what had happened. Margaret Barrimore turned white and said nothing. Jenny and Patrick exclaimed together: ‘Miss Cost! Not Miss Cost!’

Major Barrimore said incredulously: ‘Hit on the head and drowned? Hit with what?’

‘A piece of rock, we think. From above.’

‘You mean it was an accident? Brought down by the rains, what?’

‘I think not.’

‘Mr Alleyn means she was murdered, Keith,’ said his wife. It was the first time she had spoken.

‘Be damned to that!’ said the Major furiously. ‘Murdered! Old Cost! Why?’

Patrick gave a sharp ejaculation. ‘Well!’ his step-father barked at him, ‘what’s the matter with you?’

‘Did you say, sir, that she was under an umbrella?’

‘Yes,’ Alleyn said and thought: ‘This is going to be everybody’s big inspiration.’

He listened to Patrick as he presented the theory of mistaken identity.

Jenny said: ‘Does Miss Pride know?’

‘Not yet.’

‘It’ll be a shock for her,’ said Jenny. ‘When will you tell her?’

‘As soon as I’ve left you.’ He looked round at them. ‘As a matter of form,’ he said. ‘I must ask you all where you were between half past seven and nine this morning. You will understand, won’t you –’

‘That it’s purely a matter of routine,’ Patrick said. ‘Sorry. I couldn’t help it. Yes, we do understand.’

Mrs Barrimore, Jenny and Patrick had got up and bathed in turn, round about eight o’clock. Mrs Barrimore did not breakfast in the public dining-room but had toast and coffee by herself in the old kitchen which had been converted into a kitchen-living-room. Jenny had breakfasted at about nine and Patrick a few minutes later. After breakfast they had gone out of doors for a few minutes, surveyed the weather and decided to stay in and do a crossword together. Major Barrimore, it appeared, slept in and didn’t get up until half past nine. He had two cups of coffee but no breakfast.

All these movements would have to be checked but at the moment there was more immediate business. Alleyn asked Major Barrimore to put up a notice that the Spring was closed.

He at once objected. Did Alleyn realize that there were people from all over the country – from overseas, even – who had come with the express purpose of visiting the Spring? Did he realize that it was out of the question coolly to send them about their business: some of them, he’d have Alleyn know, in damned bad shape?

Alleyn said that the Spring could probably be reopened in two day’s time.