She went to the window and looked out. ‘If he – let’s assume it’s a he – threw the syringe out of the window it would land in one of the flower-beds below. But I’m not thinking clearly. Whoever it was would not need to get rid of the syringe right away. He would only do it later after Captain Cathcart made his announcement in the dining-room about the champagne bottle. Unless it was actually in his pocket – no, it wouldn’t be there. A servant might find it. So he goes up to his room as soon as he can. He must have had it hidden somewhere very clever because the police had already searched the rooms.’

‘He might not have thrown it out of the window,’ said Daisy. ‘If he leaned out, he could hide it in that thick wisteria.’

‘Well, we can’t start climbing up ladders to look for it without occasioning comment,’ said Rose. ‘If we got up at dawn, the sun strikes full on the front of the house and we might see the rays shining on the glass of the syringe. I’ll tell Turner that we are leaving for a walk very early and we can dress ourselves.’

There was a knock at the door. Daisy opened it. Harry stood there with Becket.

‘I came to see how you were feeling, Lady Rose,’ he said.

‘Oh, I’m fine now,’ said Rose airily. ‘It was the heat in the dining-room.’

Daisy was disappointed. Rose was obviously not going to tell them about the search for the syringe, so they would not be joining the early-morning hunt.

‘As long as you are well,’ said Harry. His eyes moved to the sooty pair of gloves Daisy had left on a side table. ‘Someone been cleaning out the fireplace with evening gloves on?’ he asked.

‘Silly of me,’ said Daisy, not meeting his eye. ‘I dropped a brooch in the grate and scrabbled about for it.’

Harry’s eyes moved to the grate. Because of the warm weather, the fireplace had been cleaned and was now decorated with leaves and pine cones.

‘I found it,’ Daisy went on hurriedly.

‘They’re up to something,’ said Harry as he and Becket walked down the stairs. ‘Why would Daisy’s gloves be covered in soot?’

‘Miss Levine may have been searching up the chimneys looking for the blackmail material. I had forgotten, people sometimes hide things up chimneys when the fires are not being lit.’

‘I’ll suggest that to Kerridge tomorrow. But why did she not tell me? Lady Rose will put herself in danger if she decides to detect on her own.’

Rose had a restless night. She was frightened of oversleeping. But as soon as they pale grey light of dawn filtered in through the curtains, she got up and roused Daisy.