Deliberately I tilted my glass and poured the entire contents down the front of Jill’s dress. She let out an involuntary squeak as the ice-cold drink hit her stomach. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. How clumsy of me.’ I flipped a handkerchief from my pocket and dabbed ineffectually at her. She shrank away from my hand and slipped on a piece of ice, and the only reason she didn’t go down was because I grabbed her arm and kept her upright. In another age I could have earned a living with Mack Sennett.

Jill looked down at her dress and gave me a cold look. ‘Excuse me,’ she said to Conyers. ‘I must sort this out.’ She walked away quickly in the direction of the door.

I grinned weakly at Conyers. ‘Now I do need another drink.’

‘Of course, Mr Kemp.’ His voice was affable but his face was hard. ‘I understand you’re already acquainted with Miss Tomsson.’

‘We’ve met,’ I said. ‘Once.’

‘Then perhaps you will entertain her for a few minutes.’ He inclined his head courteously and walked away, abandoning Leotta, who had served her purpose.

A waiter shoved a tray under my nose. I waved him away and said to Leotta, ‘Just what the hell do you think you’re doing here?’

‘I didn’t want to come,’ she said. ‘They brought me.’

‘Who did?’

‘The police. Commissioner Barstow.’

Hanna was at my elbow. I turned to him and said, ‘You ought to keep those files of yours in a vault. What the devil does Barstow think he’s doing?’

‘He’s playing politics,’ said Hanna tiredly. ‘You’d better go home, Miss Tomsson.’

‘What about Mr Barstow?’

‘He won’t trouble you now.’

Leotta hesitated. ‘I’m sorry if I caused trouble. I didn’t know I was going to meet Mrs Salton. I wouldn’t want to cause her any hurt.’

Hanna sighed. ‘The damage has been done.’

‘Maybe if I talked to her …’

‘No,’ I said. ‘Keep away from Mrs Salton. You won’t do any good and you might do more harm.’ I turned my head and saw Jackson threading his way through the crowd. ‘And for Christ’s sake, don’t talk to the press.’ Hosmer might have gagged Jackson but I didn’t know how effective the gag was.

‘Very well,’ she said as Jackson came up. ‘I’ll do as you say.’

She moved away gracefully and I grabbed Jackson by the elbow as he turned to follow her. ‘Superintendent Hanna wants to talk to you, Mr Jackson.’

Hanna looked surprised but caught on and picked up his cue. ‘Yes, about the riots today.’

‘Oh,’ said Jackson. ‘Who was that?’

I shrugged. ‘I don’t know. A friend of Conyers, name of … er … Samson, I think.’

‘Simpson,’ said Hanna with a straight face.

‘She’s quite a looker,’ commented Jackson. ‘What about the riots, Superintendent?’