“Ah yes, the half crown. Marks him as a professional destitute, at least. Knows the rules and plays by them. He’s probably on record at the shelters. Follow that up tomorrow, will you, Redfyre? And a white linen hankie, you say? That’s a novel touch, isn’t it? Mucky red spotted square of cotton is what they usually carry about.”

“May have been bought at a local store, sir. Something else I can ask Thoday to track down.”

“But the brandy? Do you reckon he nicked it? There’s only one place you can get this stuff, after all, and it’s proudly displayed on the label. You can’t get the likes of that over the counter at the Beer-Off shop.”

“Perfectly possible. But only if he could get into the college in the first place, and we all know how hard that is to do. I doubt Houdini could manage it! They won’t let the police in unless they’re waving warrants and police-issue Brownings.”

“And once inside, how in hell did he penetrate as far as the wine cellar? It’s hardly the first room you wander into. And, for obvious reasons, college wine cellars are always under lock and key and the key in the pocket of a gimlet-eyed male custodian.”

“Could he have swiped it from the drinks cabinet in the master’s lodge?”

“Even harder to access, I should imagine. Either way, we’re going to need to get hold of a plan of the college buildings.” MacFarlane frowned in dismay, anticipating the difficulty and the tediousness of the task before them. “I say . . .”

Reading his thoughts and approving them, Redfyre was already on his feet and reaching down two beer glasses from a shelf. “Sure you can spare a couple?”

“The wife won’t be counting. Hands off the stout, though. That’s for Hilda, my mother-in-law.”

“Two stouts, sir?”

“That’s what it usually takes.”

“I thought you got on well with your mother-in-law?”

An unattractive expression of piety flitted across the superintendent’s face as he said modestly: “In twenty years, she’s never heard a disobliging word from me. Because I’ve never yet managed to interrupt her! Ply her with a couple of milk stouts, though, and she’ll collapse into her apple crumble and spend the afternoon snoring on the sofa. Works a treat!”

MacFarlane took a deep swig of his beer and, fortified, said carefully: “Bloody colleges! Unless you’re perfectly sure of your information and facts, don’t think of going near them! You are not to approach that college, Redfyre, until you have a full report from Beaufort, have established an identity for this bloke and get clearance from me. Understand?”

“Well, I wasn’t thinking of ringing the front doorbell and asking if they were missing a corpse! Wouldn’t dream of storming the college authorities without backup and from a securely defended position, sir.”