‘All right,’ he said. ‘On the face of it he’s severely concussed. I don’t think there’s any extensive cranial injury but we’ll have to wait. Half an inch either way and it’d have been a different matter. We’d better get him out of this. Where’s this man of his. Alfred?’

‘At a church social,’ said Alleyn. ‘We could get a mattress. Or what about the sofa in the drawing-room?’

‘All right. Better than manhandling him all over the shop.’

Fox and Alleyn carried Mr Period into the drawing-room and propped him up on the sofa, Dr Elekton supporting his head.

‘Will he speak?’ Alleyn asked Dr Elekton.

‘Might or might not. Your guess is as good as mine. There’s nothing we can do at the moment. He may have to go to hospital. I’d better get a nurse. What’s the story, if there is a story?’

‘Somebody chucked a bronze paper-weight at him. You’d better look at it. Don’t touch it unless you have to. Fox will show you. I’m staying here. I’ll let you know if there’s a change.’

‘Attempted murder?’ Dr Elekton said, making a mouthful of it.

‘I think so.’

‘For God’s sake!’ Dr Elekton repeated. He and Fox went out of the room. Alleyn drew up a chair and watched Mr Period.

His eyes were not quite closed and his breathing, though still markedly stertorous, seemed to be more regular. Alleyn heard Dr Elekton at the telephone.

The door-bell rang. The other chaps, he thought. Fox would cope.

Mr Period’s eyes opened and looked, squintingly at nothing.

‘You’re all right,’ Alleyn said, leaning towards him.

Dr Elekton came back. ‘It’s the paper-weight sure enough,’ he said. ‘Trace of blood on the edge.’ He went to the sofa and took Mr Period’s hand in his.

‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘You’re all right.’

The flaccid lips parted. After an indeterminate noise a whisper drifted through them: ‘It was that song.’

‘Song? What song?’

‘He’s deeply concussed, Alleyn.’

‘What song?’

‘Should have told Alleyn. Whistling. Such awfully bad form. Luncheon.’

‘What song?’

‘Couldn’t – out of my head,’ Mr Period whispered plaintively. ‘So silly. “Okay by me”. So, of course. Recognized. At once.’ The sound faded and for a moment or two the lips remained parted. Then Mr Period’s voice uncannily articulate said quite clearly: ‘May I speak to Superintendent Alleyn?’

‘Yes,’ Alleyn said, holding up a warning hand. ‘Alleyn speaking.’

‘Just to tell you. Whistling. Recognized it. Last night. In the lane. Very wrong of me not to – Divided loyalties’ There was a longish silence. Alleyn and Elekton stared absently at each other. ‘“Okay by me”,’ the voice sighed. ‘So vulgar.’

The eyes closed again.

‘This may go on for hours, Alleyn.’

‘How much will he remember, when he comes round?’