“She and Eliot are doing a grand job, raising investments. She telephoned just before you arrived. They are arranging a meeting with important investors in London.” He closed the lid on his stamp collection. “She thought you might invest, you know.”

“I’m advised by a very cautious bank manager, Benjie, and I follow his judgement. But to be honest, I forgot to mention it to him.”

He laughed. “You always were a bit of a card, you know. If you change your mind, just say. Fully subscribed or not, there’ll always be a slot for Gertie’s oldest friend.”

That was kind of him, even though untrue on both counts.

I had heard someone come in, and thought Sykes had grown tired of waiting. Raynor appeared at the door. For once he looked slightly flustered, which at first I put down to his having the sudden additional duty of shepherding a couple of four-year-olds.

“Sir, there’s Chief Inspector Emsley here to see you. I told him you have someone with you and when he heard who, he says perhaps you will both be interested in what he has to say.”

Since Mr. Emsley had, if reluctantly, accepted Gertrude and Eliot’s version of events at the Dell house, I felt a sudden animosity towards him. Whatever he wanted to say now would not bode well.

“Show him in,” Benjie said. “While you’re about it, see if Mrs. Shackleton’s chap would like to come in. I’ve spotted him walking past the window. I’m sure our grounds aren’t so very fascinating.”

Raynor had already thought of this. “Mr. Sykes has declined. He is enjoying the fresh air.”

Benjie often surprised me. He had never met Sykes, but made the connection. Just as I had Benjie marked as a man with his head in the clouds of his collections, he would be suddenly astute. I wished I could remember whether he had always been like that, or whether he was feeling his age.

Moments later, Chief Inspector Emsley entered. He took the chair offered by Benjie, while giving the impression that he would have preferred to stand.

“It’s good news and it’s bad news, sir. The good news for him and his friends is that we will be releasing Stephen Walmsley.”

I blinked. I listened, waiting for him to say it again, just to be sure.

“There has been a lot of interest in his case, from various quarters, leading to the conclusion that a trial may not be in the public interest. The charges against him have been withdrawn, after new information has come to light.”

What I most wanted to know was what new information, and where it came from, and was this really justice for Stephen, or might some dark cloud cast a shadow across his future?

“What new information?” Benjie asked. “And is the lad innocent?”