‘I’m sure you’ll realize, sir,’ said Alleyn, ‘that we are simply obeying orders.’

‘What!’

‘That’s done it,’ thought Alleyn.

‘Orders! I can toe the line as well as the next fellow,’ said the General, and Alleyn, remembering Carrados had used the same phrase, reflected that in this instance it was probably true. The General, he saw, was preparing to toe the line.

‘I apologize,’ said the General. ‘Lost me temper. Always doing it nowadays. Indigestion.’

‘It’s enough to make anybody lose their temper, sir.’

‘Well,’ said the General, ‘you’ve kept yours. Come on, then.’

‘It’s just a statement, sir, that you didn’t go out again after you got back here and, if possible, someone to support the statement.’

Once again the General looked strangely embarrassed.

‘I can’t give you a witness,’ he said. ‘Nobody saw me go to bed.’

‘I see. Well then, sir, if you’ll just give me your word that you didn’t go out again.’

‘But, damme, I did take a—take a—take a turn round the Square before I went to bed. Always do.’

‘What time was this?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘You can’t give me an idea? Was it long after you got home?’

‘Some time. I saw the child to her room and stirred up my wife’s maid to look after her. Then I came down here and got myself a drink. I read for a bit. I dare say I dozed for a bit. Couldn’t make up my mind to turn in.’

‘You didn’t glance at the clock on the mantelpiece there?’

Again the General became acutely self-conscious.

‘I may have done so. I fancy I did. Matter of fact, I remember now I did doze off and woke with a bit of a start. The fire had gone out. It was devilish chilly.’ He glared at Alleyn and then said abruptly: ‘I felt wretchedly down in the mouth. I’m getting an old fellow nowadays and I don’t enjoy the small hours. As you say, I looked at the clock. It was half-past two. I sat there in this chair trying to make up my mind to go to bed. Couldn’t. So I took a walk round the Square.’

‘Now that’s excellent, sir. You may be able to give us the very piece of information we’re after. Did you by chance notice anybody hanging about in the Square?’

‘No.’

‘Did you meet anybody at all?’

‘Constable.’

Alleyn glanced at Fox.

‘PC Titheridge,’ said Fox. ‘We’ve got his report, sir.’

‘All right,’ said Alleyn. ‘Were people beginning to leave Marsdon House when you passed, sir?’

The General muttered something about ‘might have been,’ paused for a moment and then said: ‘It was devilish murky. Couldn’t see anything.’

‘A misty night; yes,’ said Alleyn. ‘Did you happen to notice Captain Maurice Withers in the mist?’

‘No!’ yelled the General with extraordinary vehemence. ‘No, I did not. I don’t know the feller. No!’

There was an uncomfortable pause and then the General said: ‘Afraid that’s all I can tell you. When I got in again I went straight to bed.’