‘Well,’ he said to Fox, ‘now for the final and far from delectable scene. We should, of course, have prevented all this but I’m damned if I see how. We couldn’t arrest on what we’d got. Unless they find some trace of Slaypest in the scent spray my reading of the case will never be anything but an unsupported theory.’

‘They ought to be coming through with the result before long.’

‘You might ring up and see where they’ve got to.’

Fox dialled a number. There was a tap at the door and Philpott looked in. He stared at the covered body on the bed.

‘Yes,’ Alleyn said. ‘A death. Mr Templeton.’

‘By violence, sir?’

‘Not by physical violence. Heart disease. What is it, Philpott?’

‘It’s that lot in there, sir. They’re getting very restive, especially Mr Dakers and the colonel. Wondering what was wrong with’ – he looked again at the bed –’ with him, sir.’

‘Yes. Will you ask Mr Dakers and Colonel Warrender to go into the small sitting-room next door. I’ll be there in a moment. Oh, and Philpott, I think you might ask Miss Lee to come too. And you may tell the others they will have very little longer to wait.’

‘Sir,’ said Philpott and withdrew.

Fox was talking into the telephone. ‘Yes. Yes. I’ll tell him. He’ll be very much obliged. Thank you.’

He hung up. ‘They were just going to ring. They’ve found an identifiable trace inside the bulb of the scent spray.’

‘Have they, indeed? That provides the complete answer.’

‘So you were right, Mr Alleyn.’

‘And what satisfaction,’ Alleyn said wryly, ‘is to be had out of that?’

He went to the bed and turned back the sheet. The eyes, unseeing, still stared past him. The imprint of a fear already non-existent, still disfigured the face. Alleyn looked down at it for a second or two. ‘What unhappiness!’ he said and closed the eyes.

‘He had a lot to try him,’ Fox observed with his customary simplicity.

‘He had indeed, poor chap.’

‘So did they all, if it comes to that. She must have been a very vexing sort of lady. There’ll have to be a PM, Mr Alleyn.’

‘Yes, of course. All right. I’ll see these people next door.’

He recovered the face and went out.

Dr Harkness and Florence were in the hall, watched over by a Yard reinforcement. Alleyn said: ‘I think you’d better come in with me, if you will, Harkness.’ And to Florence: ‘You’ll stay where you are for the moment, if you please.’

Harkness followed him into the boudoir.

It had been created by Bertie Saracen in an opulent mood and contrasted strangely with the exquisite austerity of the study. ‘Almost indecently you, darling!’ Bertie had told Miss Bellamy and, almost indecently, it was so.