Again the Superintendent nodded. He had taken a keen local interest in Gordon Cloade's death and in common with general local opinion he considered that Gordon's family had been badly treated. He endorsed the common opinion that Mrs Gordon Cloade "wasn't a lady," and that Mrs Gordon Cloade's brother was one of those young firebrand Commandos who, though they had had their uses in time of war, were to be looked at askance in peacetime.

"I don't suppose I need explain to you, Superintendent, that if Mrs Gordon's first husband is still alive, it will make a big difference to us as a family. This story of Beatrice's was the first intimation I had that such a state of affairs might exist. I'd never dreamed of such a thing. Thought she was definitely a widow. And I may say it shook me up a lot. Took me a bit of time to realise it, as you might say. You know, I had to let it soak in."

Spence nodded again. He could see Rowley slowly ruminating the matter, turning it over and over in his mind.

"First of all I thought I'd better get my uncle on to it - the lawyer one."

"Mr Jeremy Cloade?"

"Yes, so I went along there. Must have been some time after eight. They were still at dinner and I sat down in old Jeremy's study to wait for him, and I went on turning things over in my mind."

"Yes?"

"And finally I came to the conclusion that I'd do a bit more myself before getting my uncle on to it. Lawyers, Superintendent, are all the same, I've found. Very slow, very cautious, and have to be absolutely sure of their facts before they'll move in a matter. The information I'd got had come to me in a rather hole-and-corner manner - and I wondered if old Jeremy might hem and haw a bit about acting on it. I decided I'd go along to the Stag and see this Johnnie for myself."

"And you did so?"

"Yes. I went right back to the Stag -"

"At what time was this?"

Rowley pondered.

"Lemme see, I must have got to Jeremy's about twenty past eight or thereabouts - five minutes - well, I wouldn't like to say exactly, Spence - after half-past eight - perhaps about twenty to nine?"

"Yes, Mr Cloade?"

"I knew where the bloke was - Bee had mentioned the number of his room - so I went right up and knocked at the door and he said, 'Come in,' and I went in."

Rowley paused.