‘I gather from Lamprey’s far-reaching conversation that you are a New Zealander,’ he said. ‘If I may say so, you seem to have dropped out of a clear sky into your own success story. Have you been long at the Vulcan, Miss Tarne?’

‘A night and three days.’

‘Good Lord! And in that time you’ve migrated from dresser to what sounds like minor stardom. Success story, indeed!’

‘Yes, but—’ Martyn hesitated. For the first time since she walked into the Vulcan she felt able to talk about herself. It didn’t occur to her that it was odd for her confidant to be a police officer.

‘It’s all been very eccentric,’ she said. ‘I only reached England a little over a fortnight ago and my money was stolen in the ship so I had to get some sort of job rather quickly.’

‘Did you report the theft to the police?’

‘No. The purser said he didn’t think it would do any good.’

‘So much,’ said Alleyn with a wry look, ‘for the police!’

‘I’m sorry—’ Martyn began and he said: ‘Never mind. It’s not an uncommon attitude, I’m afraid. So you had a rather unhappy arrival. Lucky there was your cousin to come to your rescue.’

‘But—no—I mean—’ Martyn felt herself blushing and plunged on. ‘That’s just what I didn’t want to do. I mean I didn’t want to go to him at all. He didn’t know of my existence. You see—’

It was part of Alleyn’s professional equipment that something in his make-up invited confidence. Mr Fox once said of his superior that he would be able to get himself worked up over the life story of a mollusc provided the narrative was obtained first-hand. He heard Martyn’s story with the liveliest interest up to the point where she entered the theatre. He didn’t seem to think it queer that she should have been anxious to conceal her relationship to Poole or that she was stupid to avoid the Vulcan in her search for a job. She was describing her interview with Bob Grantley on Wednesday night when Sergeant Gibson’s voice sounded in the passage. He tapped on the door and came in.

‘Excuse me, sir,’ he said, ‘but could you see the night-watchman. He seems to think it’s important.’

He had got as far as this when he was elbowed aside by Fred Badger who came angrily into the room.

‘ ‘Ere!’ he said. ‘Are you the guvnor of this ‘owd’yerdo?’

‘Yes,’ said Alleyn.

‘Well, look. You can lay orf this young lady, see? No call to get nosy on account of what she done, see? I don’t know nothink abaht the law, see, but I’m in charge ‘ere of a night and what she done she done wiv my permission. Nah!’

‘Just a moment—’ Alleyn began and was roared down.

‘Suppose it was an offence! What abaht it! She never done no ‘arm. No offence taken where none was intended, that’s correct ain’t it! Nah yen!’