‘That’s it,’ he said. ‘Decima gave Luke the brandy. He seemed to get worse just about then. He had a sort of convulsion.’ Cubitt paused. ‘It was beastly,’ he said and his voice changed. ‘The glass went flying. Miss Darragh pressed forward with the bandage and then—then the lights went out.’

‘That’s very clear,’ said Alleyn. ‘I take it that, from the time Abel Pomeroy got the iodine and bandage until Mr Watchman died, you were all gathered round the settle?’

‘Yes. We didn’t really change positions much, not Legge, or Will, or Seb here, or me. Abel and the two women came forward.’

‘And when the lights went up again,’ said Alleyn, ‘were the positions the same?’

‘Pretty much. But—’

‘Yes?’

Cubitt looked steadily at Alleyn. His pipe was gripped between his teeth. He felt in his pockets.

‘There was a devil of a lot of movement while the lights were out,’ said Cubitt.

CHAPTER 11
Routine

‘What sort of movement?’ asked Alleyn.

‘I know what you mean,’ said Parish, before Cubitt could answer. ‘It was Luke. He must have had a sort of attack after the lights went out. It was appalling.’

‘I don’t mean that,’ said Cubitt. ‘I know Luke made a noise. His feet beat a sort of tattoo on the settle. He flung his arms about and—he made other noises.’

‘For God’s sake,’ Parish burst out, ‘don’t talk about it like that! I don’t know how you can sit there and discuss it.’

‘It looks as if we’ve got to,’ said Cubitt.

‘I’m afraid it does,’ agreed Alleyn. ‘What other movements did you notice, beyond those made by Mr Watchman?’

‘Somebody was crawling about the floor,’ Cubitt said.

Parish made a gesture of impatience. ‘My dear old Norman,’ he said, ‘“Crawling about the floor!” You’re giving Mr Alleyn a wrong impression. Completely wrong! I’ve no doubt one of us may have stooped down in the dark, knelt down perhaps, to try and get hold of Luke.’

‘I don’t mean that at all,’ said Cubitt calmly. ‘Someone was literally crawling about the floor. Whoever it was banged his head against my knees.’

‘Where were you standing?’ asked Alleyn.

‘By the foot of the settle. I had my back to the settle. The backs of my knees touched it.’

‘How do you know it was a head?’ demanded Parish. ‘It might have been a foot.’

‘I can distinguish between a foot and a head,’ said Cubitt, ‘even in the dark.’

‘Somebody feeling round for the brandy glass,’ said Parish.

‘It was after the brandy glass was broken.’ Cubitt looked at Alleyn. ‘Somebody trod on the glass soon after the lights went out. There’s probably nothing in it, anyway. I’ve no idea at all whose head it was.’

‘Was it Legge’s head?’ demanded Parish suddenly.