Alleyn shone his torch into the cupboard. The triangular shelf forming the roof of the lower cupboard and the floor of the top one was made of a single piece of wood and fitted closely.

‘And the bottle of prussic acid solution was in the upper cupboard?’ asked Alleyn.

‘’‘ss, tight-corked. Nick Harper’s taken—’

‘Yes, I know. Was the upper door locked?’

‘Key turned in lock same as it be now.’

‘You said at the inquest that you had used the iodine earlier in the evening.’

‘So I had, then. Bob Legge had cut hisself with his razor. He said he wurr shaving hisself along of going to Illington. When storm came up—it wurr a terror that thurr storm—us told Legge he’d better bide home-along. I reckon that’s the only thing I’ve got to blame myself for. Howsumdever the man came in for his pint at five o’clock, and I give him a lick of iodine and some sticking plaster.’

‘Are you certain, Mr Pomeroy? It’s important.’

‘Bible oath,’ said Abel. ‘Thurr y’are, sir. Bible oath. Ax the man hisself. I fetched out my first-aid box and give him the bottle. Ax him.’

‘Yes, yes. And you’re certain it was at five o’clock?’

‘Bob Legge,’ said Abel, ‘has been into tap for his pint at five o’clock every day ‘cepting Sunday fur last ten months. Us opens at five in these parts and when I give him the iodine I glanced at clock and opened up.’

‘When you put the bottle in the top cupboard on the Thursday night you wore gloves. Did you take them off before you turned the key?’

‘‘Ess fay, and pitched ‘em on fire. Nick Harper come down off of his high horse furr enough to let on my finger marks is on key. Don’t that prove it?’

‘It does indeed,’ said Alleyn.

Fox, who had been completely silent, now uttered a low growl.

‘Yes, Fox?’ asked Alleyn.

‘Nothing, Mr Alleyn.’

‘Well,’ said Alleyn, ‘we’ve almost done. We now come to the brandy Miss Moore poured out of the Courvoisier bottle into Watchman’s empty glass. Who suggested he should have brandy?’

‘I’m not certain-sure, sir. I b’lieve Mr Parish first, and then Miss Darragh, but I wouldn’t swear to her.’

‘Would you swear that nobody had been near Mr Watchman’s glass between the time he took his second nip and the time Miss Moore gave him the brandy?’

‘Not Legge,’ said Abel thoughtfully. And then with that shade of reluctance with which he coloured any suggestion of Legge’s innocence, ‘Legge wurr out in middle o’ floor afore dart-board. Mr Watchman stood atween him and table wurr t’ glass stood. Mr Parish walked over to look at Mr Watchman spreading out his fingers. All t’others stood hereabouts behind Legge. No one else went anigh t’ glass.’

‘And after the accident? Where was everybody then?’