When Superintendent Alleyn had finished speaking to Inspector Fox, he went resignedly into action. He telephoned his wife with the routine information that he would not after all be home for dinner, summoned Detective-Sergeants Bailey and Thompson with their impedimenta, rang the police surgeon, picked up his homicide bag and went whistling to the car. ‘A lady of the theatre,’ he told his subordinates, ‘appears to have looked upon herself as a common or garden pest and sprayed herself out of this world. She was mistaken as far as her acting was concerned. Miss Mary Bellamy. A comedienne of the naughty darling school and not a beginner. It’s Mr Fox’s considered opinion that somebody done her in.’

When they arrived at 2 Pardoner’s Place, the tidying-up process had considerably advanced. Fox had been shown the guest list with addresses. He had checked it, politely dismissed those who had stayed throughout in what he called the reception area and mildly retained the persons who had left it ‘prior’ to quote Mr Fox, ‘to the unfortunate event.’ These were Timon Gantry, Pinky Cavendish, and Bertie Saracen who were closeted in Miss Bellamy’s boudoir on the ground floor. Hearing that Colonel Warrender was a relation, Mr Fox suggested that he joined Charles Templeton, who had now come down to his study. Showing every sign of reluctance but obedient to authority, Warrender did so. Dr Harkness had sent out for a corpse-reviver for himself and gloomily occupied a chair in the conservatory. Florence having been interviewed and Old Ninn briefly surveyed, they had retired to their sitting-room in the top storey. Gracefield, the maids and the hired men had gone a considerable way towards removing the débris.

Under a sheet from her own bed on the floor of her locked room, Miss Bellamy began to stiffen.

Alleyn approached the front door to the renewed activity of the camera men. One of them called out: ‘Give us a break, won’t you, Super?’

‘All in good time,’ he said.

‘What d’you know, Mr Alleyn?’

‘Damn all,’ Alleyn said, and rang the bell.

He was admitted by Fox. ‘Sorry you’ve been troubled, sir,’ Fox said.

‘I dare say. What is all this?’

Fox told him in a few neatly worded sentences.

‘All right,’ Alleyn said. ‘Let’s have a look, shall we?’

They went upstairs to Miss Bellamy’s bedroom.

He knelt by the body. ‘Did she bathe in scent?’ he wondered.

‘Very strong, isn’t it, sir?’

‘Revolting. The whole room stinks of it.’ He uncovered the head and shoulders. ‘I see.’

‘Not very nice,’ Fox remarked.