‘I can’t tell you,’ Rose said, looking wretchedly unhappy. ‘I do know actually, but it’s private. But I’m sure he went to Occy’s because I saw him take the envelope out of the desk and put it in his pocket …’ She put her hand to her eyes. ‘But,’ she said, ‘where is it, then?’

Alleyn said: ‘Where exactly was the envelope? In which drawer of his desk?’

‘I think the bottom one on the left. He kept it locked, usually.’

‘I see. Thank you. And of course Mr Phinn was not at home?’

‘No. I suppose, finding him not at home, Daddy followed him down to the stream. Of course I mustn’t tell you what his errand was, but if ever,’ Rose said in a trembling voice, ‘if ever there was an errand of – well, of mercy – Daddy’s was one, yesterday afternoon.’

Rose had an unworldly face with a sort of pre-Raphael-iteish beauty; very unmodish in its sorrow and very touching.

Alleyn said gently: ‘I know. Don’t worry. I can promise we won’t blunder.’

‘How kind you are,’ she said. Mark muttered undistinguishably.

As Alleyn turned away towards the police car her voice halted him. ‘It must be somebody mad,’ she said. ‘Nobody who wasn’t mad could possibly do it. Not possibly. There’s somebody demented that did it for no reason at all.’ She extended her hand towards him a little way, the palm turned up in a gesture of uncertainty and appeal. ‘Don’t you think so?’ she said.

Alleyn said: ‘I think you are very shocked and bewildered as well you might be. Did you sleep last night?’

‘Not much. I am sorry, Mark, but I didn’t take the thing you gave me. I felt I mustn’t. I had to wake for him. The house felt as if he was looking for me.’

‘I think it might be a good idea,’ Alleyn said to Mark, ‘if you drove Miss Cartarette to Hammer Farm where perhaps she will be kind enough to hunt up her own and Mrs Cartarette’s garments of yesterday. Everything, please, shoes, stockings and all. And treat them, please, like egg-shell china.’

Mark said: ‘As important as that?’

‘The safety of several innocent persons may depend upon them.’

‘I’ll take care,’ Mark said.

‘Good. We’ll follow you and collect them.’

‘Fair enough,’ Mark said. He smiled at Rose. ‘And when that’s done,’ he said, ‘I’m going to bring you back to Nunspardon and put my professional foot down about nembutal. Kitty’ll drive herself home. Come on.’

Alleyn saw Rose make a small gesture of protest. ‘I think perhaps I’ll stay at Hammer, Mark.’

‘No, you won’t, darling.’

‘I can’t leave Kitty like that.’

‘She’ll understand. Anyway, we’ll be back here before she leaves. Come on.’