“You can put me down as an actor. I have an Equity card, and from time to time, given the opportunity, I act. I’m also what you might call an entrepreneur. I get ideas. Some of them work and some of them don’t. When I’m not acting and have no bright ideas, I get help from my friends. And if that fails, I look to a benevolent government for what is laughingly called the Job Seeker’s Allowance.”

Benton asked, “What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean? I’ve rented the cottage. I’ve paid for it. I’m on holiday. That’s what I’m doing here.”

“But why at this time? December can’t be the most propitious month for a holiday.”

The blue eyes fixed on Benton’s. “I could ask you what you’re doing here. I look more at home than you do, Sergeant. The voice so very English, the face so very—well—Indian. Still, it must have helped you to get taken on. It can’t be easy, the job you’ve chosen—not easy for your colleagues, I mean. One disrespectful or disobliging word about your colour and they’d find themselves sacked or hauled up before one of those race-relations tribunals. Hardly part of the police-canteen culture, are you? Not one of the boys. Can’t be easy to cope with.”

Malcolm Warren looked up and gave an almost imperceptible shake of the head as if deploring one more example of the propensity of people in a hole to go on digging, then returned to his notebook, his hand again moving slowly across the page.

Benton said calmly, “Will you answer my question, please? I’ll put it differently. Why are you here at this particular time?”

“Because Miss Gradwyn asked me to come. She booked in for an operation which would be life-changing for her, and she wanted to have a friend here to join her for her week’s convalescence. I come to this cottage fairly regularly, as no doubt my cousins have told you. It was probably because the assistant surgeon, Marcus, is my cousin and I recommended the Manor that Rhoda came here. Anyway, she said she needed me, so I came. Does that answer your question?”

“Not entirely, Mr. Boyton. If she was so anxious to have you here, why did she make it plain to Mr. Chandler-Powell that she didn’t want any visitors? That’s what he says. Are you accusing him of lying?”