‘Why the devil are Bow Street Runners bothering me?’ he demanded. ‘I’m one of the most law-abiding men in London.’

‘We’ve not come to arrest you, Captain,’ said Hale.

‘No,’ added Yeomans, ‘we’re the bearers of bad news, I fear. It’s my sad duty to inform you that Sir Roger Mellanby died last night.’

‘That’s impossible,’ said Golightly, stamping a foot. ‘He was in rude health when I last saw him. The fellow has another thirty years in him.’

‘He did not die by natural means, Captain.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Sir Roger was shot dead.’

‘Never!’ exclaimed Golightly. ‘I refuse to believe it.’

‘We were there at the time,’ said Hale. ‘We were acting as bodyguards to the Prince Regent while he watched a play at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. After the performance, His Royal Highness expressed a wish to go to the stage door.’

‘And that’s where the murder took place,’ said Yeomans. ‘As we joined the crowd there, a pistol was fired and everyone ran away in panic, leaving the body of the man we now know as Sir Roger Mellanby dead on the ground.’

Golightly slowly adjusted to the grim news. His body was slack, his face ashen and his manner abruptly changed. All the authority seemed to have been drained out of him. In the course of a long career in the army, he’d seen many men perish on the battlefield. Yet none of the deaths he’d witnessed had left him with the searing pain he now felt.

‘Has an arrest been made?’ he asked at length.

‘I fear not,’ replied Yeomans. ‘It was dark and the killer got away in the commotion. We had to wait until this morning to find out who the victim was. The friend who identified him told us the name of the hotel where Sir Roger had stayed. During our search there of his luggage, we found a letter sent by you and inviting him to dine here this evening.’

‘It’s true. We’d planned to attend a meeting together this afternoon. Once that was done, he’d have joined me and some like-minded friends here. He’s dead?’ he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. ‘This cannot be. We were like brothers. I valued his company above that of almost everyone else.’

‘You won’t enjoy it any more,’ murmured Hale.

‘The villain must be caught,’ insisted Golightly, recovering his composure. ‘Whatever it takes, he must be hunted down with all celerity. Hanging is too good for him. If it were left to me, I’d have his rotten carcass torn apart by two horses, and his head displayed on a spike outside the Tower.’

‘We must follow legal procedure, Captain,’ said Yeomans.

‘What steps have been taken?’

‘My men are out searching for the killer at this very moment.’

‘Are you confident of success?’