Kim turned the glass in his fingers. “I spoke to Harry. He very reasonably told me to go to the devil: he can’t possibly let me in again. He also said he hadn’t noticed Waring or Cheveley being particularly chummy with Fairfax, or Fairfax with anyone else. That may just tell us they were careful: the Symposium is full of rooms where one can have private conversations unobserved. But it doesn’t help.”

“No.”

“And I spoke to Rennick.”

“Not—” Will said, before he could stop himself.

“Of course not, it wouldn’t work,” Kim said, apparently not insulted by the idea that he might seek to bribe the police. “I asked him if he was coming under any pressure from his superiors, in any direction. He said no, though he has received heavy hints of willingness on the Symposium side to support a M’Naghten plea if Chingford were to make one.”

“But you don’t think that will fly.”

“No, it’s hopeless. Rennick also let me look at the statements taken from the Club, for those without witnesses to their whereabouts.”

“Any use?”

Kim swallowed a deliberate gulp of wine. “If it is, I couldn’t see it. There’s twenty-odd men who were on their own for five minutes or more at the relevant time. Some of them are decrepit, several others barely muster half a brain between the lot of them. There’s perhaps nine possibles, but none have motives for killing Fairfax that have been discovered, except for your friend Yoxall, who would be a marvellous culprit if he hadn’t voluntarily brought his complaints to the Club and the police. I asked Rennick if they should not all be investigated for hidden sins and he very kindly didn’t laugh in my face as he reminded me Chingford had means, motive, opportunity, and his prints on the murder weapon.”

“What about any of them being Zodiac?”

“Harry, with much muttering, has agreed to keep an eye out for wrist tattoos, but I don’t expect anything to come of it. If Leo is reasserting control, he doubtless has people to do his dirty work. If he did it at all.” He shut his eyes. “I am not convinced.”

“No?”

“No. It was Father’s visit that swayed me. Maybe Leo wanted Fairfax dead, maybe others felt the same, but the fact is, so did Chingford. He wanted him dead, and I am very afraid he did something about it.”

“Bugger,” Will said. “So where do we stand?”

“On the edge of a precipice.” Kim knocked back the remainder of his wine and poured another glass. “You asked this morning what we were going to do next. I have an answer, but you aren’t going to like it.”

“Go on.”

“I took all Fairfax’s papers with me. Filled the Daimler, brought it back here, stashed it in Peacock’s flat, and will put the lot in a safe-deposit tomorrow.”