She blushed unexpectedly and beautifully.

‘Mr Pomeroy’s not a fool but he’s violently prejudiced against Bob Legge. He’s a ferocious Tory. He thinks we—he thinks Will and I are too much under Bob’s influence. He hasn’t got a single reasonable argument against Bob. He simply would rather it was Bob than anyone else and has hypnotized himself into believing he’s right. It’s childishly obvious. Surely you must see that. He’s an example in elementary psychology.’

Alleyn raised an eyebrow. She glared at him.

‘I’m not disputing it,’ said Alleyn mildly.

‘Well, then—’

‘The camp seems to be divided into pro-Leggites and anti-Leggites. The funny thing about the pro-Leggites is this: they protest his innocence and, I am sure, believe in it. You’d think they’d welcome our investigations. You’d think they’d say, “Come on, then, look into his record, find out all you like about him. He’s a decent citizen and an innocent man. He’ll stand up to any amount of investigation.” They don’t. They take the line of resenting the mildest form of question about Legge. Why’s that, do you suppose? Why do you warn us off Mr Legge?’

‘I don’t—’

‘But you do,’ insisted Alleyn gently.

Decima turned her head and stared searchingly at him.

‘You don’t look a brute,’ she said doubtfully.

‘I’m glad of that.’

‘I mean you don’t look a complete robot. I suppose, having once committed yourself to a machine, you have to tick over in the appointed manner.’

‘Always providing someone doesn’t throw a spanner in the works.’

‘Look here,’ said Decima. ‘Bob Legge had an appointment in Illington that evening. He was just going; he would have gone if Will hadn’t persuaded him not to. Will told him he’d be a fool to drive through the tunnel with the surface water pouring through it.’

She was watching Alleyn and she said quickly, ‘Ah! You didn’t know that?’

Alleyn said nothing.

‘Ask Will. Ask the man he was to meet in Illington.’

‘The local police have done that,’ said Alleyn. ‘We won’t question the appointment. We only know Mr Legge didn’t keep it.’

‘He couldn’t. You can’t drive through that tunnel when there’s a stream of surface water pouring down it.’

‘I should hate to try,’ Alleyn agreed. ‘We’re not making much of an outcry over Mr Legge’s failure to appear. It was you, wasn’t it, who raised the question?’

‘I was only going to point out that Bob didn’t know there would be a thunderstorm, did he?’

‘Unless the pricking of his thumbs or something—’

‘If this was murder I suppose it was premeditated. You won’t deny that?’

‘No. I don’t deny that.’