Mrs Bradley elected to wait. She was assisted in arriving at this conclusion when she saw a typewriter on the side table. Although she knew the answer, she asked the woman whether it was a new one.

‘Brand new,’ the woman proudly replied. ‘Mr Fullalove only brought it in from Cheltenham yesterday. ’Tisn’t for him, though, I believe. He brought it in for one of his London friends, who’s writing a book, so they tell on. But there! Mr Fullalove’s that good, he’d do anything—’

‘Indeed?’ said Mrs Bradley. ‘It looks a very nice one.’ She stepped negligently up to it and raised the cover. Then she tore a leaf out of her notebook, inserted it in the machine, and, watched admiringly by the woman, who betrayed neither surprise nor resentment at this free handling of her employer’s property, tapped out a hundred words with the rapidity of machine-gun fire.

Then she removed the piece of paper, scanned it, pushed it into her pocket, and waited composedly for Tiny to return. When he came in she remarked on the new machine and said that she had tested it.

‘I hope you don’t imagine that the anonymous letters were typed on it,’ said Tiny, helping himself to a cigarette. ‘Oh, sorry! Will you have one of these?’

‘No, to both remarks,’ said Mrs Bradley. ‘I came to ask you a leading question.’

‘Yes?’ He looked warily at her.

‘Who killed Mrs Dalby Whittier? Do you know?’

‘I? Of course not! How should I? If I did I should go to the police. I believe she was set upon and robbed.’

‘Robbery with violence?’

‘Well, I know she was poisoned, but that would mean poor old Bill or me.’

‘It is rather difficult about the poison,’ Mrs Bradley agreed. ‘Do you think she had found out something which somebody did not want known?’

‘Now, look here,’ said Tiny, seating himself astride a chair and resting his arms on the back. ‘What is all this? Are you asking me whether there was anything fishy about poor old Bill’s death, too?’

‘Well, was there anything fishy about it, Mr Fullalove?’

Tiny drew at his cigarette, took it out of his mouth, looked at the lighted end, and then tossed the cigarette into the fireplace.