‘Find out first what all those people …’ She said, strangely for one who worked behind the footlights, ‘I hate crowds.’

He walked slowly on alone, the snow caking on his heels. It wasn’t a political meeting, for no one was making a speech. He had the impression of heads turning to watch him come, as though he were somebody who was expected. When he reached the fringe of the little crowd, he knew for certain that it was the house. A man looked hard at him and said, ‘Are you another of them?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘The police.’

‘No. What are they doing?’

‘They’ve been in and out all day.’

‘What’s everybody waiting for?’

‘They want to see him brought out.’

‘Who?’

‘Herr Koch.’ It occurred to Martins that somebody besides himself had discovered Herr Koch’s failure to give evidence, though that was hardly a police matter. He said, ‘What’s he done?’

‘Nobody knows that yet. They can’t make their minds up in there – it might be suicide, you see, and it might be murder.’

‘Herr Koch?’

‘Of course.’

A small child came up to his informant and pulled at his hand. ‘Papa, Papa.’ He wore a wool cap on his head, like a gnome; his face was pinched and blue with cold.

‘Yes, my dear, what is it?’

‘I heard them talking through the grating, Papa.’

‘Oh, you cunning little one. Tell us what you heard, Hansel.’

‘I heard Frau Koch crying, Papa.’

‘Was that all, Hansel?’

‘No. I heard the big man talking, Papa.’

‘Ah, you cunning little Hansel. Tell Papa what he said.’

‘He said. “Can you tell me, Frau Koch, what the foreigner looked like?”’

‘Ha, ha, you see, they think it’s murder. And who’s to say they are wrong? Why should Herr Koch cut his own throat in the basement?’

‘Papa, Papa.’

‘Yes, little Hansel?’

‘When I looked through the grating, I could see some blood on the coke.’

‘What a child you are. How could you tell it was blood? The snow leaks everywhere.’ The man turned to Martins and said, ‘The child has such an imagination. Maybe he will be a writer when he grows up.’

The pinched face stared solemnly up at Martins. The child said, ‘Papa.’

‘Yes, Hansel?’

‘He’s a foreigner too.’

The man gave a big laugh that caused a dozen heads to turn. ‘Listen to him, sir, listen,’ he said proudly. ‘He thinks you did it just because you are a foreigner. As though there weren’t more foreigners here these days than Viennese.’

‘Papa, Papa.’

‘Yes, Hansel?’

‘They are coming out.’