‘There’s a switch inside the hole in the wall on the circle side. What the thief couldn’t have realized is the fact that this switch works the sliding steel front door and that in its turn puts on the light.’

‘Like a fridge.’

‘Yes. What might have happened is something like this. The doors from the circle into the upper foyer were shut and the auditorium was in darkness. The thief lay doggo in the circle. He heard Jay and Miss Dunne go out and bang the stage-door. He waited until midnight and then crept up to the door nearest the hole in the wall and listened for Jobbins to put through his midnight report to Fire and Police. You’ve checked that he made this call. We’re on firm ground there, at least.’

‘And the chap at the Fire Station, which was the second of his two calls, reckons he broke off a bit abruptly.’

‘Exactly. Now, if I’m right so far – and I know damn’ well I’m going to speculate – our man would choose this moment to open the wall panel – it doesn’t lock – and manipulate the combination. He’s already cut the burglar alarm off at the main. He must have had a torch, but I wouldn’t mind betting that by intention or accident he touched the inner switch button and without knowing he’d done so, rolled back the front door which in its turn, put on the interior lighting. If it was accidental he wouldn’t realize what he’d done until he’d opened the back of the safe and removed the black velvet display stand with its contents and found himself looking through a peephole across the upper foyer and sunken landing.’

‘With the square of light reflected on the opposite wall.’

‘As bright as ninepence. Quite bright enough to attract Jobbins’s attention.’

‘Now it gets a bit dicey.’

‘Don’t I know it.’

‘What happens? This chap reckons he’d better make a bolt for it. But why does he come out here to the foyer?’ Fox placidly regarded his chief. ‘This,’ he continued, ‘would be asking for it. This would be balmy. He knows Jobbins is somewhere out here.’