‘I think I can,’ Peregrine said. He was now invested with the kind of haggard vivacity that follows emotional exhaustion: a febrile alertness such as he had often felt after some hideously protracted dress-rehearsal. He described the precautions taken at the close of every performance to ensure that nobody was left on the premises. A thorough search of the house was made by backstage and front-of-house staff. He was certain it would have been quite impossible for anybody in the audience to hide anywhere in the theatre.

He related rapidly and accurately how the stage-crew left the theatre in a bunch and how Gertrude Bracey and Marcus Knight went out together through the auditorium to escape the wet. They had been followed by Charles Random, who was alone and used the stage-door and then by Emily who stayed offstage with Peregrine.

‘And then,’ Peregrine said, ‘Destiny Meade and Harry Grove came out with a clutch of friends. They were evidently going on to a party. They went down the stage-door alley and I heard Harry call out that he’d fetch something or another and Destiny tell him not to be too long. And it was then – I’d come back from having a look at the weather – it was then that I fancied – ’ He stopped.

‘Yes?’

‘I thought that the pass-door from stage to front-of-house moved. It was out of the tail of my eye, sort of. If I’m right and I think I am, it must have been that wretched kid, I suppose.’

‘But you never saw him?’

‘Never. No. Only heard him.’ And Peregrine described how he had gone out to the front and his subsequent interview with Jobbins. Alleyn took him over this again because, so he said, he wanted to make sure he’d got it right. ‘You shaped up to chasing the boy, did you? After you heard him catcall and slam the stage-door?’

‘Yes. But Jobbins pointed out he’d be well on his way. So we said good night and –’

‘Yes?’

‘I’ve just remembered. Do you know what we said to each other? I said: “This is your last watch” and he said: “That’s right. Positively the last appearance.” Because the treasure was to be taken away today, you see. And after that Jobbins wouldn’t have had to be glued to the half-landing.’

Greenslade and Fox made slight appropriate noises. Alleyn waited for a moment and then said: ‘And so you said good night and you and Miss Dunne left? By the stage-door?’

‘Yes.’

‘Was it locked? Before you left?’

‘No. Wait a moment, though. I think the Yale lock was on but certainly not the bolts. Hawkins came in by the stage-door. He had a key. He’s a responsible man from a good firm though you wouldn’t think it from his behaviour tonight. He let himself in and then shot the bolts.’