‘I know,’ Alleyn agreed. ‘A woman, it appears, with no enemies. It’s incomprehensible.’

Coombe cleared his throat. The Carstairses glanced at each other quickly and as quickly looked away.

‘Unless, I suppose,’ Alleyn said, ‘you count Miss Pride?’

‘There, I’m afraid,’ the Rector said, and Alleyn wondered if he’d caught an overtone of relief, ‘there, it was all on Miss Cost’s side, poor soul.’

‘You might say,’ his wife added, ‘that Miss Pride had the whip-hand.’

‘Dulcie!’

‘Well, Adrian, you know what I mean.’

‘It’s quite beside the point,’ said the Rector with authority.

A telephone rang in the house. He excused himself and went indoors.

‘There was nothing, I suppose, in her day-to-day life to make people dislike her,’ Alleyn said. ‘She seems, as far as I can make out, to have been a perfectly harmless obsessive.’

Mrs Carstairs began to pick up her scattered belongings, rather as if she was giving herself time to consider. When she straightened up, with her arms full, she was quite red in the face.

‘She wasn’t always perfectly kind,’ she said.

‘Ah! Which of us is?’

‘Yes, I know. You’re quite right. Of course,’ she agreed in a hurry.

‘Did she make mischief?’ he asked lightly.

‘She tried. My husband – Naturally, we paid no attention. My husband feels very strongly about that sort of thing. He calls it a cardinal sin. He preaches very strongly against. Always,’ Mrs Carstairs looked squarely at Alleyn. ‘I’m offending, myself, to tell you this. I can’t think what came over me. You must have a – have a talent for catching people off guard.’

He said wryly: ‘You make my job sound very unappetizing. Mrs Carstairs, I won’t bother you much longer. One more question and we’re off. Have you any idea who played those ugly tricks on Miss Pride? If you have, I do hope you will tell me.’

She seemed, he thought, to be relieved. She said at once: ‘I’ve always considered she was behind them. Miss Cost.’

‘Behind them? You thought she encouraged someone else to take the active part?’

‘Yes.’

‘Wally Trehern?’

‘Perhaps.’

‘And was that what you were thinking of when you said Miss Cost was not always kind?’

‘O no!’ she ejaculated and stopped short. ‘Please don’t ask me any more questions, Mr Alleyn. I shall not answer them, if you do.’

‘Very well,’ he said. He thanked her and went away, followed, uncomfortably, by Coombe.