‘Do you mean he might have been some sort of criminal using the shop as a cover?’

‘Something like that. I’m thinking of going back down the East End to make some inquiries. Can you come?’

Rose looked at the clock. Three in the afternoon. She planned long preparations to dazzle Roger. ‘I cannot, Daisy. I am going out driving with a gentleman and want to look my best.’

‘And who is this gentleman?’

‘Lord Cherm’s son, Roger. He is well travelled and is very interesting.’

‘And what about the captain?’

‘Daisy, he promised to be at the Mrs Blenkinsop’s last night and he did not bother to come. Delighted as I am to see you, I feel he should have made a push to see me himself.’

‘Perhaps he was unable to get an invitation.’

‘Pooh, I happen to know he has done work for Mrs Blenkinsop in the past. He does not care enough. If he had really loved me, he would not have become enamoured with Dolores.’

Rose, much as she liked to consider herself democratic, felt that there was something seriously wrong when Harry could be charmed by a vulgar creature from the East End.

‘I’ll go myself,’ said Daisy.

Harry went to Scotland Yard. ‘How did you get on with Jones?’ he asked Kerridge.

‘Jones got a lawyer here very quickly. He acted the outraged shopkeeper. As we had nothing so far to connect him with either Carver or Biles, we had to let him go.’

‘What did you make of him?’

‘I’m puzzled. He does seem a respectable man, rather weak and fussy. It would take a great stretch of my imagination.’

‘If he is innocent, why did he refuse to see me?’

‘Perhaps he has something murky to hide other than murder.’

‘I wonder. He does seem to live in style and have a large shop. Quite a social jump-up from the East End. I think I’ll go down there with Becket and ask around where the shop used to be.’

Daisy had had the same idea. The shop was now an ironmonger’s. She pushed open the door and went in.

A huge man in a brown overall stood behind the counter. Without Rose’s purse to back her up, Daisy did not want to spend the small amount of money she had with her by buying items of ironmongery. She decided to be direct.

‘I am working for the Cathcart Detective Agency,’ she said.‘Did you know the previous owner,MrJones?’

‘I bought the shop from him, that’s all,’ he said.

‘The thing that puzzles me,’ said Daisy, ‘is how he got enough money out of the sale to buy that big shop up west?’

‘Why don’t you ask him?’

‘I tried. Anyway, the police are questioning him today.’

‘I don’t like nosy parkers.’ He came round the counter and loomed over her. ‘Do you know what happens to nosy parkers round here?’

Daisy turned to go.

‘They end up in the river,’ he shouted.