He moved toward her again. But before he could reach her the door burst open and Inspector Dart ran into the room, followed by half a dozen uniformed officers. “Police!” he yelled. “Stop right there, Cartwright. Okay, lads, take him.” They rushed toward him in a body. Cartwright picked up the fallen chair Lindsay had been sitting on previously and hurled it at the approaching policemen, then threw himself through the window. He’d reckoned without Dart’s foresight. He dived, bleeding, straight into the arms of Dart’s sergeant and another group of uniformed men. He thrashed out blindly, but it was only a matter of seconds before they overpowered him, handcuffed him, and hustled him off to a waiting police van.

While the struggle was going on, Dart crouched behind Lindsay’s chair and picked the tape away from her wrists. She felt herself close to tears and collapse, but she was determined not to give way in front of the policeman. “You took your bloody time,” she complained weakly. “I was beginning to think the radio mike had packed in when he jumped me.”

“You did well,” Dart said as he helped her to her feet and lit a cigarette for her. “We picked it all up loud and clear. I took the precaution of having a shorthand writer take it all down as well as taping it, just in case. We wanted to let him hang himself good and proper, since he seemed reluctant to make anything amounting to an admission. Probably because he guessed you were wired. That was a good idea of yours to take your own tape recorder. It put him right off his guard after he’d disposed of that. Now we can probably get him for attempted murder on you as well.”

“Terrific. That makes me feel it’s all been worthwhile,” said Lindsay ironically. “Now, could one of your lads take me back to Derbyshire House? I’ve had enough for one day.”

“We’ll need a full statement from you. But that can wait till the morning. Don’t you think you should go down to the hospital and get checked over?”

Lindsay shook her head. “There’s nothing broken. I’d know if there was. I’m just bruised and shaken. Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t put more or less right. But thanks for the belated concern,” she added. She walked out of the room on very nearly steady legs.

A few minutes later, the police car drew up outside Longnor House. Lindsay glanced across at her car. It seemed many hours since she’d left it. She glanced at her watch and was astonished to see it was barely past midnight. “I’ll never feel the same about that car again,” she said to the policeman with her. “If that bastard had had his way, it would have been my coffin. Tell the Inspector I’ll see him tomorrow about noon.”