I saw the worried look cross his face. “When was this?” “On my way from my solicitors’. I was at the front of a crowded platform and the crowd must have surged forward at the approach of a train. I was almost pushed in front of it.”

“You want to be more careful, my love. London’s a dangerous place,” he said.

“I will be in future.”

He looked at me for a moment, head cocked on one side, then he said, “Oh, well, I suppose we had better get on with what we came to do.”

“Have you had a chance to speak to anybody yet?”

He touched the side of his nose. “Hasn’t lost his touch, your old granddad. Still got what it takes. Knows how to butter ’em up. I went to your posh square first and I can tell you that there weren’t no window cleaners working that day.”

“So if somebody saw a window cleaner . . .”

“It was someone up to no good.”

“Exactly what I thought. I wonder if they could describe him, or them?”

“Nobody notices tradesmen, my love.”

“The same as nobody notices maids,” I said. “I’m wearing my maid’s uniform, but I have to find out which room and I have no idea how I can possibly get into it.”

“As for that, it was room 317. And what’s more, it ain’t been cleaned out yet. Seems that the gentleman paid a week in advance and so they didn’t like to shift his things without instructions.”

“How did you manage to find out all that?”

He grinned. “Alf the doorman still remembered me.” “Granddad, you’re a genius.”

“See, your old granddad does still have his uses.” He beamed at me.

“Anything else you can tell me?”

“Your Monsieur de Mauxville went out every night gambling—to Crockford’s and to other places less savory. And he had a visitor. A dark-haired young man. Posh.”

“Anything else?”

“Not yet. I thought I’d have a chat with the bellboys and you could ask the other maids on that floor.”

“All right,” I said. Now that it was about to happen, I was terrified. Breaking and entering were serious enough, but they would also make me look guilty in the eyes of Inspector Sugg. “How can I possibly get up the stairs without being noticed? People might recognize me.”

“Fire escape. There always has to be a safe way out of a hotel.”

“Here I go, then. You wouldn’t like to come with me, I suppose?”

“I’d do a lot for you, my sweet, but not this. I’m an ex-policeman and a nobody. The law would treat me very differently from you, if we’re caught. I’ve no wish to spend the rest of my days in Wormwood Scrubs.”

“I’m not too anxious to do so either,” I said and he laughed.