He pulled out a book and showed it to Fox. ‘Handbook of Poisons by a Medical Practitioner. Book plate: “Ex libris C. H. Templeton.” Let’s see if the medical practitioner has anything to say about pest killers. Here we are. Poisons of Vegetable Origin. Tobacco. Alkaloid of.’ He read for a moment or two. ‘Rather scanty. Only one case quoted. Gentleman who swallowed nicotine from a bottle and died quietly in thirty seconds after heaving a deep sigh. Warnings about agricultural use of. And here are the newer concoctions including HETP and TEPP. Exceedingly deadly and to be handled with the greatest care. Ah, well!’

He replaced the book.

‘That’ll be the husband’s,’ Fox said. ‘Judging by the book plate.’

‘The husband’s. Borrowed by the ward and accessible to all and sundry. For what it’s worth. Well, Foxkin, that about completes our tour of the room. Tabloid history of the tastes and career of Richard Dakers. Hallo! Look here, Fox.’

He was stooping over the writing-desk and had opened the blotter.

‘This looks fresh,’ he said. ‘Green ink. Ink on desk dried up and anyway, blue.’

There was a small Georgian glass above the fireplace. Alleyn held the blotting-paper to it and they looked at the reflected image:

‘I’. . . . . e . . ck to . . y . . at it w . u . d . e . o . se my . . . te . ding I . . . . n’t . . . n . . ven a . . . rible shock . . . that I . . . ’t get . t . . rted . . t . . t I’m sure . t . . ll . e . . . ter if we do .’t me . t. I c. . ’t. hin . clea . . . now . ut at . . ast I. now I’ll n. . . . for. . . e your tr. . . ment of An . . . d . this after . . on. I . . ould . ave been told everything from the beginning. R.’

Alleyn copied this fragmentary message on a second sheet of paper, carried the blotter back to the desk and very carefully removed the sheet in question.

‘We’ll put the experts on to this,’ he said, ‘but I’m prepared to take a sporting chance on the result, Br’er Fox. Are you?’

‘I’d give it a go, Mr Alleyn.’

‘See if you can find Florence, will you? I’ll take a flying jump while you’re at it.’

Fox went out. Alleyn put his copy of the message on the desk and looked at it.