“What on earth good do they think they can do? One of the girls has a bicycle chain and said she would chain herself to the railings.” She sat up. “You rode a bicycle, Kate. Is that something it’s possible to do? Those chains always look so horribly oily.”

“That wouldn’t work.”

“Our reputation will be in the dust if this gets into the papers.”

Raynor came into the room. He hovered discreetly.

“Gertrude, you know that my dad is a senior police officer in Wakefield?”

“I knew he was something.”

“Why don’t I telephone him?”

“Will he be there? Don’t they go out keeping us all safe?”

“Men of rank are usually at their desk. He is very good at calming situations.”

Raynor’s clearing of the throat indicated an intervention. “I’m told there’s been a whip-round among the men. They have fare for the train.”

Gertrude groaned.

I put my idea to her. “Dad would see the women are spoken to in a reasonable way. He might even do it himself, promise to look into things.”

My idea would also keep Dad in the picture, and through him Mr. Sykes.

Gertrude asked, quite reasonably, “What is there to look into?”

Raynor leaned forward. “If I may, madam?”

“What is it, Raynor?”

Solomon himself could not have spoken better. “When a party who considers himself or herself injured believes someone is looking into a grievance, they might be soothed.”

Gertrude sighed. “Then Kate, do try it, please.”

“I will.” Now was my moment to take a giant step. “I can look into the murder and see whether there is any cause to suspect a miscarriage of justice, starting from the presumption that Stephen Walmsley is innocent.”

From her lounging position, Gertrude suddenly sat bolt upright. “Have you gone completely mad? Stephen Walmsley is guilty.”

Raynor, who must by now have forgotten why he came into the room, spoke up. “Oh but madam, presumption of innocence is a cornerstone of British justice.”

Gertrude stared at him, suddenly speechless. It crossed my mind that seeing himself look so noble in a portrait had turned him into a reincarnation of a fair-minded Roman senator. She opened her mouth to speak.

At that moment, Eliot Dell arrived unannounced. He went over to Gertrude. “I’ve heard what’s happened. Leave this to me.”

Raynor and I exchanged a look. He gave the slightest of moves that in another man would signify nothing. Coming from Raynor, it indicated alarm.

Gertrude allowed Eliot to place a soothing hand on her brow, creating a tableau for a sentimental painting. “We’ll sort this out, Gertie. I’ll put the fear of God into them.”

Gertrude, who had her legs outstretched on the chaise longue, swung round. “Kate has come up with an idea of having her father do something. I told you he’s a high-ranking police officer.”