‘Very well. But I’d have you know that he’s quite capable of putting on a false show of recovery smartly followed up by a still falser accusation. Particularly,’ Harry said grimly, ‘in my case when he knows the act would draw loud cheers and much laughter from all hands and the cook.’

‘We’ll have to risk it. In you go.’

Alleyn opened the door and followed Harry into the room.

Trevor had slithered down in his bed and had dropped off into a convalescent cat-nap. Harry stopped short and stared at him.

‘He looks,’ he whispered, ‘as if he was quite a nice little boy, doesn’t he? You’d say butter wouldn’t melt. Is he really asleep or is it an act?’

‘He dozes. If you just lean over him he’ll wake.’

‘It seems a damn’ shame, I must say.’

‘All the same I’ll ask you to do it, if you will. There’s a bruise on the cheekbone that mystifies us all. I wonder if you’ve any ideas. Have a look at it.’

A trolley jingled past the door and down the corridor. Outside on the river a barge hooted. Against the multiple shapeless voice of London, Big Ben struck one o’clock.

Harry put his parcel on the tray.

‘Look at the bruise on his face. His hair’s fallen across it. Move his hair back and look.’

Harry stooped over the boy and put out his left hand.

From behind the screen in the corner there rang out a single, plangent note. ‘Twang.’

Trevor opened his eyes, looked into Harry’s face and screamed.

CHAPTER 11
The Show Will Go On

Harry Grove had given no trouble. When Trevor screamed he stepped back from him. He was sheet-white but he achieved a kind of smile.

‘No doubt,’ he had said to Alleyn, ‘you will now issue the usual warning and invite me to accompany you to the nearest police station. May I suggest that Perry should be informed. He’ll want to get hold of my understudy.’

And as this was the normal procedure it had been carried out.

So now, at Alleyn’s suggestion, they had returned, not to the Yard but to The Dolphin. Here for the first time Mr Conducis kept company with the actors that he employed. They sat round the circle foyer while, down below, the public began to queue up for the early doors.

Peregrine had called Harry Grove’s understudy and he and the new child actor were being rehearsed behind the fire curtain by the stage director.

‘I think,’ Alleyn said, ‘it is only fair to give you all some explanation since each of you has to some extent been involved. These, as I believe, are the facts about Saturday night. I may say that Hartly Grove has admitted to them in substance.