‘I’m only obeying orders.’

He tried to close the door, but Peter got a firm hand to it, deliberately raising his voice so that it might be heard by Ferriday himself. His strategy yielded the desired result. The Cabinet minister came out of his study to see what the noise was.

‘Our conversation is ended, Mr Skillen,’ he snapped.

‘That’s what you might say to my brother, Paul, but I’m Peter Skillen and I have some rather different questions to ask you.’

‘I’m too busy.’

‘Viscount Sidmouth told me that you’d be more accessible.’

‘Did he send you?’

‘No, but he realised how eager I was to speak to you.’

‘It will be on the same subject that your brother raised.’

‘Not quite,’ said Peter.

‘I had nothing whatsoever to do with Sir Roger’s death,’ said Ferriday.

‘I accept that, sir. I wish to talk to you on a related matter.’

The older man eyed him up and down. Inclined to shun him, he remembered that Peter had worked as an agent in France during the war. That was worthy of respect. It swayed Ferriday’s judgement.

‘Oh, very well,’ he said, reluctantly, ‘but I can only give you fifteen minutes.’

‘That will be more than enough.’

Peter stepped into the house and followed him down the passageway to the study. He sat in the chair that Paul had occupied the previous day. Ferriday was behind his desk. He squinted at his visitor.

‘You look remarkably like your brother,’ he decided, ‘but you lack his air of ostentation. I should have remembered that when I saw you at the Home Office. I wouldn’t have confused you with your brother then.’

‘Paul and I have taken different paths in life.’

‘Yet I understand that you work together.’

‘We do indeed, sir.’

‘Someone, I believe, asked you to investigate the murder. Sir Roger was unique in many ways, though I can’t say that I’ll miss that booming voice.’

‘He had important things to say and made sure that he was heard.’

‘I was deaf to his entreaties,’ said Ferriday, coldly. ‘So please don’t spend any more of your fifteen minutes by extolling his virtues.’

‘You, I hear, were critical of his vices.’

‘I’m a family man who lives by Christian principles. I disapprove of those who pretend to do the same until they are away from home.’

‘Would you say that the government’s policy of denying people basic rights was in line with Christian principles?’

‘I’m not interested in a theological discussion, Mr Skillen.’

‘You’ve seen what the Home Secretary has done.’

‘I’ve seen what he’s been forced to do,’ said Ferriday, pointedly, ‘and I support him to the hilt. Since the war ended, floods of discharged soldiers have returned here to find that they have no jobs. Bands of them roam around this city and cause endless problems.’