They waited and waited. ‘I wonder if there’s a back door,’ said Rose uneasily.

‘Come on,’ said Daisy. ‘We’d better go and look. Can’t sit here all night.’

A narrow lane ran up the side of the shop. This led to another lane along the back of the shops.

‘He must have left from the back,’ sighed Rose. ‘Let’s go back to Chepstow Mansions and try him there.’

But the first thing they saw as they approached the block of flats was Harry’s car parked outside.

‘They’ve beaten us to it,’ mourned Daisy. ‘We may as well wait for them and get them to drive us home.’

They both leaned against the car.

A policeman approached them and eyed them up and down. ‘Now, now,’ he said. ‘Go about your business. This is a decent neighbourhood.’

‘This motor belongs to Captain Cathcart,’ said Rose in cut-glass tones. ‘I am Lady Rose Summer and we are waiting for him. You go about your business, constable.’

‘Not my fault,’ grumbled the policeman. ‘The porter in there, he phones and says there’s a couple of prostitutes outside.’

Just go away,’ Rose was saying furiously when Harry and Becket joined them.

‘This officer has accused us of being prostitutes,’ said Rose.

Harry turned hard black eyes on the constable. ‘I’m right sorry, sir,’ he said. ‘But it was that porter what told me.’

‘Just go about your duties,’ said Harry. The policeman touched his helmet and walked off.

‘Now,’ said Harry, ‘what are you doing here?’

‘Looking for Mr Jones. We tried to talk to him at his shop but he escaped by the back way.’

‘Well, I tried as well, but he had warned the porter not to admit anyone. Let’s get out of here. We need to talk. You are putting yourself at risk.’

They went to the tea room opposite the haberdashery. Rose told Harry all they had found out. She said finally, ‘Are you sure that Jeffrey Biles was not our murderer?’

‘I am not sure at all. He did not receive any visitors.’

‘Not even a lawyer?’

‘He did not ask for one. But a lawyer would have been appointed to him before his trial.’

‘Then it must have been one of the guards at the prison,’ said Daisy.

Becket gave his wife an indulgent smile. ‘What on earth would a guard have to gain by killing him?’

‘Money,’ said Daisy. ‘Maybe someone paid him to shut Jeffrey up.’

‘That sounds ridiculous,’ said Becket.

‘Wait a minute,’ said Harry. ‘I will go to Kerridge tomorrow and ask if I can interview the guard. We must try everything. Perhaps Jones became so obsessed with Dolores and was furious when he found out she had become a tart that something in him snapped. I mean, why does he refuse to see us? Why did he leave by the back door of his shop rather than be confronted by Rose and Daisy?’

‘I would like to come with you,’ said Rose.

‘Don’t you think it will be difficult to escape?’ asked Harry. ‘Your parents must be wondering where you are.’