‘You did not tell me you were also in the telephone-room.’

Withers stared at Mrs Halcut-Hackett. She had been watching him like a frightened animal but as soon as his eyes turned towards her she looked away from him.

‘Why should I?’ said Withers

‘You were in the telephone room with Mrs Halcut-Hackett before you went to the other room. You returned to it from the other room to fetch this.’

Alleyn’s long arm shot up. Seven heads followed the movement. Seven pairs of eyes were concentrated on the gold cigarette-case with the jewelled medallion.

‘And what if I did?’

‘Where did you find this case?’

‘On a table in the room with the telephone.’

‘When I asked you yesterday if you overheard Lord Robert telephoning in this room, as we know he did at one o’clock, you denied it.’

‘There wasn’t anybody in the room when I fetched the case. I told you I heard the dialling tinkle on the extension a bit before then. If it was Gospell I suppose he’d gone when I got there.’

‘Is there any reason why anybody, say Mr Dimitri in the corner there, should not have gone into the telephone-room after you left it with Mrs Halcut-Hackett, and before you returned for the case?’

‘No reason at all as far as I’m concerned.’

‘Dimitri,’ said Alleyn, ‘have you seen this case before? Look at it. Have you seen it before?’

‘Never. I have never seen it. I do not know why you ask. I have never seen it.’

‘Take it in your hands. Look at it.’

Dimitri took the case.

‘Open it.’

Dimitri opened it. From where Alleyn stood he could see the little cutting taken from The Times. Dimitri saw it too. His eyes dilated. The case dropped through his hands to the floor. He pointed a shaking finger at Alleyn.

‘I think you must be the devil himself,’ he whispered.

‘Fox,’ said Alleyn, ‘will you pass the case round?’

It passed from hand to hand. Withers, Evelyn Carrados and Carrados all looked at it. Withers handled it as if he had done so before, but seemed quite unmoved by the cutting. The Carradoses both looked blankly at it and passed it on. Mrs Halcut-Hackett opened the case and stared at the scrap of paper.

‘This wasn’t here before,’ she said. ‘What is it? Who put it here?’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Alleyn. ‘It’s done no damage. It will come off quite easily.’

He took the case from her.

Dimitri suddenly leapt to his feet. Fox who had never taken his eyes off him moved in front of the door.

‘Sit down, Mr Dimitri,’ said Alleyn.

‘I am going. You can keep me here no longer against my will. You accuse, you threaten, you lie! I say I can endure it no longer. I am an innocent man, a man of standing with a clientèle of great excellence. I will see a lawyer. My God, let me pass!’