‘There you are, then,’ said Ruddock. ‘I could be right, after all. Mr Howlett was reminded of The Provok’d Husband by a man who walked into the Golden Crown. He’d actually seen the first performance – Mr Howlett, that is, not this stranger. It was the cut and colour of his clothing – this stranger’s, not Mr Howlett’s – that jogged his memory.’

‘You’re not making much sense, Chevy,’ said Hale.

‘Didn’t you tell me that the Giles Clearwater you met had the air of an actor?’

‘Yes, we did.’

‘And he was outside a theatre when Sir Roger was shot dead?’

‘That’s right.’

‘If he needed to use a false name, the chances are that he might filch one from a play. And where better to go to than to a play known by very few people?’

‘This is beginning to sound interesting,’ said Hale.

‘No, it isn’t,’ said Yeomans with a wave of his arm. ‘There are two Giles Clearwaters – the real one and the one from the play. Indeed, there may well be more than two. There could be three, four or five.’

‘Then why has nobody ever heard of any of them?’ asked Ruddock.

‘That’s a fair point, Micah,’ said Hale.

‘No, it isn’t,’ retorted Yeomans. ‘We met Clearwater in person and – though I took against him on sight – he seemed to me to be exactly who he said he was. Even if he pulled the wool over our eyes, he’d never have got past the chief magistrate. That’s three of us with endless experience of dealing with confidence tricksters and Giles Clearwater is definitely not one of them.’

‘I second that,’ said Hale.

Ruddock was unrepentant. ‘I still think I’m right,’ he said under his breath.

After their visitor had left, Peter and Paul continued to talk about the coincidence that had come to light. There was an identical pattern to the way that three different people were murdered. The killer was ruthlessly methodical.

‘I’m so glad that Captain Golightly came to us,’ said Peter.

‘It’s not the first time he’s given me vital information,’ said Paul. ‘It was from Golightly that I got the names of Sir Roger’s worst enemies, and he also told me about the murder victim who turned out to be Orsino Price.’

‘Yes, he was the odd man out – killed by a dagger.’

‘Given the choice, I think I’d prefer a bullet in the head.’

‘You’re quite safe, Paul,’ said his brother. ‘With me guarding your back, nobody will get close enough to stab or shoot you.’

‘And you can always count on me, Peter. However, there’s one thing we mustn’t forget. The very fact that we’re searching for this man puts us in jeopardy. Whoever hired him won’t welcome our interest. If we get too close, he’ll want us killed.’