Hanna took his arm. ‘I don’t think you are giving the police a fair shake in your coverage.’

I left them to it because I had seen Stern on the other side of the room. Halfway across I was button-holed by Roker. ‘Hold on a minute, Kemp.’

‘What do you want?’ I said brusquely.

‘Just a friendly chat.’

‘I pick my friends carefully,’ I said.

‘What’s the point of insulting me?’ he asked. ‘I understand Mrs Salton offered you a job. You won’t get it. You’ll find she’ll withdraw the offer.’

‘You seem to know a lot about what Mrs Salton will or won’t do.’

‘I know exactly,’ he said flatly. ‘And you’re through as far as she is concerned. You already know what Lord Hosmer thinks of you. You might as well quit. If you do, then Hosmer promises he’ll reconsider.’

‘Big of him,’ I said. ‘What’s your leverage on Mrs Salton?’

‘You were just talking to it. Conyers says that if you’re still here at midday tomorrow, he’ll break the story of Salton’s mistress. There’s someone putting Mrs Salton in the picture right now. I’d say that she’s going to hate your guts if you’re still here tomorrow afternoon.’

I glanced around the room. ‘I don’t imagine there’s been a bigger crowd of bastards collected in one place since the Nuremberg trials.’

‘Quit wailing,’ said Roker. ‘Look, you can come out of this on top. You can make things right with Hosmer and still be in good with Mrs Salton. Doing her a favour like that could get you quite a piece of change.’

‘You asked me a question just now,’ I said. ‘You wanted to know what was the point of my insulting you. I insult you with words because I’m prohibited at the moment from insulting you with my fist.’ I tapped him on the chest. ‘But only at the moment. If you approach me with any of your smart-alec suggestions again, I’ll drive your teeth through the back of your neck.’

‘Big talk!’ He sneered at me.

‘You’d better hope so,’ I said, and left him.

Stern had disappeared while I was talking to Roker but I didn’t bother looking for him because I wanted to find out who was talking to Jill Salton. As I might have expected, it was Hosmer: he had her corralled in a corner of the marble hall and was yapping at her.

I walked up and said, ‘Having trouble?’

She looked at me and her eyes flickered away. A bad sign. Hosmer said, ‘I don’t think Mrs Salton wants you to stay on Campanilla.’

‘Is that right, Jill?’ I asked deliberately.

‘It’s that woman,’ she said. ‘I’ve just been told that if you don’t leave by noon tomorrow Conyers will tell the press about her and David.’