Fox was silent for a moment. ‘There is this,’ he then said. ‘Mrs Plumtree was alone on the landing after Florence went downstairs?’

‘So it seems.’

‘And she says she heard deceased using the Slaypest. What say she went in and used it herself? On deceased.’

‘All right. Suppose she did. Why?’

‘Because of the way deceased treated her ward or son or whatever he is? Went in and let her have it and then made off before Florence came back.’

‘Do you like it?’

‘Not much,’ Fox grunted. ‘What about this story of Mrs Plumtree going into the bedroom and rearranging the remains?’

‘She didn’t. The body was as Harkness and Gantry left it. Unless Harkness is too much hungover to notice.’

‘It might be something quite slight.’

‘What, for pity’s sake?’

‘God knows,’ Fox said. ‘Could you smell scent on Mrs P?’

‘I could smell nothing but rich old tawny port on Mrs P?’

‘Might be a blind for the perfume. Ah, forget it!’ Fox said disgustedly. ‘It’s silly. How about this crash they heard after Mr Dakers left the room?’

‘Oh, that. That was the lady pitching Madame Vestris into the bathroom.’

‘Why?’

‘Professional jealousy? Or perhaps it was his birthday present to her and she was taking it out on the Vestris.’

‘Talk about conjecture! We do nothing else,’ Fox grumbled. ‘All right. So what’s the next step, sir?’

‘We’ve got to clear the ground. We’ve got to check, for one thing, Mr Bertie Saracen’s little outburst. And the shortest way with that one, I suppose, is to talk to Anelida Lee.’

‘Ah, yes. You know the young lady, don’t you, Mr Alleyn?’

‘I’ve met her in her uncle’s bookshop. She’s a charming girl. I know Octavius quite well. I tell you what, Foxkin, you go round the camp, will you? Talk to the butler. Talk to the maids. Pick up anything that’s offering on the general set-up. Find out the pattern of the day’s events. Furious Floy suggested a dust-up of some sort with Saracen and Miss Cavendish. Get the strength of it. And see if you can persuade the staff to feed the troops. Hallo – what’s that?’