‘Peregrine Jay did tell us that the Meade’s a compulsive gambler, didn’t he?’

‘Well, I’ll be blowed! Fancy that! On top of all the other lot – in Queer Street! Wonder if Mr Conducis – ’

Fox continued in a series of scandalized ejaculations.

‘We’re not due with Conducis for another hour and a half,’ Alleyn said. ‘Stop clucking and get into the car. We’ll drive to the nearest box and ring the Yard in case there’s anything.’

‘About the boy?’

‘Yes. Yes. About the boy. Come on.’

Fox returned from the telephone in measured haste.

‘Hospital’s just rung through,’ he said. ‘They think he’s coming round.’

‘Quick as we can,’ Alleyn said to the driver and in fifteen minutes, with the sister and house-surgeon in attendance, they walked round the screens that hid Trevor’s bed in the children’s casualty ward at St Terence’s.

PC Grantley had returned to duty. When he saw Alleyn he hurriedly vacated his chair and Alleyn slipped into it.

‘Anything?’

Grantley showed his note book.

‘It’s a pretty glove,’ Alleyn read, ‘but it doesn’t warm my hand. Take it off:

‘He said that?’

‘Yes, sir. Nothing else, sir. Just that.’

‘It’s a quotation from his part.’

Trevor’s eyes were closed and he breathed evenly. The sister brushed back his curls.

‘He’s asleep,’ the doctor said. ‘We must let him waken in his own time. He’ll probably be normal when he does.’

‘Except for the blackout period?’

‘Quite.’

Ten minutes slipped by in near silence.

‘Mum,’ Trevor said, ‘Hey, Mum.’

He opened his eyes and stared at Alleyn. ‘What’s up?’ he asked and then saw Grantley’s tunic. ‘That’s a rozzer,’ he said. ‘I haven’t done a thing.’

‘You’re all right,’ said the doctor. ‘You had a nasty fall and we’re looking after you.’

‘Oh,’ Trevor said profoundly and shut his eyes.

‘Gawd, he’s off again,’ Grantley whispered distractedly. ‘Innit marvellous.’

‘Now then,’ Fox said austerely.

‘Pardon, Mr Fox.’

Alleyn said, ‘May he be spoken to?’

‘He shouldn’t be worried. If it’s important –’

‘It could hardly be more so.’

‘Nosy Super,’ Trevor said and Alleyn turned back to find himself being stared at.

‘That’s right,’ he said. ‘We’ve met before.’

‘Yeah. Where though?’

‘In The Dolphin. Upstairs in the circle.’

‘Yeah,’ Trevor said, wanly tough. A look of doubt came into his eyes. He frowned. ‘In the circle,’ he repeated uneasily.

‘Things happen up there in the circle, don’t they?’

Complacently and still with that look of uncertainty: ‘You can say that again,’ said Trevor. ‘All over the house.’

‘Slash?’

‘Yeah. Slash,’ he agreed and grinned.

‘You had old Jobbins guessing?’

‘And that’s no error.’

‘What did you do?’

Trevor stretched his mouth and produced a wailing sound: ‘Wheeeee.’

‘Make like spooks,’ he said. ‘See?’

‘Anything else?’