‘Did you notice the writing-desk?’

‘I don’t think I noticed it the second time I went into the room. I realized that Sir Herbert Carrados was talking about it when I came in.’

‘Yes. Thank you, Sir Daniel. Will you and Miss O’Brien wait outside? We’ll see Mr Dimitri, if you please, Fox.’

Davidson and Bridget both went out. Dimitri was ushered in by Fox. He was very sleek, with a clean bandage round his cut finger, oil on his hair, scent on his person. He looked out of the corners of his eyes, and bowed extensively.

‘Good evening, my lady. Good evening, gentlemen.’

‘Mr Dimitri,’ Alleyn began, ‘I have—’

‘Stop.’

Carrados had got to his feet. He stood with his hand raised before his face in a curious gesture, half-defensive, half-declamatory. Then he slowly extended his arm, and pointed to Dimitri. The action was both ridiculous and alarming.

‘What’s the matter, Sir Herbert?’ asked Alleyn.

‘What’s he doing here? My God, now I know—I know—’

‘Well, Sir Herbert? What do you know?’

‘Stop! I’ll tell you. I did it! I did it! I confess. I confess everything. I did it!’

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Climax

‘YOU DID WHAT, SIR HERBERT?’

It was the AC’s voice, very quiet and matter-of-fact.

‘I kept the letter.’ Carrados looked directly at his wife. ‘You know why. If ever you had spoken of him, if ever you had compared me to that fellow, if I had found you—You know why.’

‘Yes,’ said Lady Carrados. ‘I know why.’

‘For God’s sake,’ Carrados said, ‘for God’s sake, gentlemen, let this go no further. It’s a private matter between my wife and myself.’

‘It has gone much further than that,’ said Alleyn. ‘Did you not in fact write blackmailing letters to your wife purely in order to torture her mind? Did you not do this?’

‘You fool,’ shouted Carrados. ‘You fool! It’s I who have suffered. It’s I who have dreaded what might happen. The letter was stolen. It was stolen. It was stolen.’

‘Now,’ said Alleyn, ‘it seems we are going to get the truth. When did you miss the letter?’

Carrados looked from one face to the other. For a frightful moment Alleyn thought he was going to burst into tears. His lips were shaking. He seemed an old man. He began to speak.