Oblivious to the lady’s extreme distress, the two detectives faced each other. But Madame Borelli was transfixed on the body. I stepped in front of her to block the grisly sight.

But Lestrade was not swayed. ‘Of course it is Borelli, Holmes,’ said he. ‘Smith, bring out what you found.’

A young policeman with thinning blond hair and drooping eyes came forward with something wrapped in a handkerchief. He drew back the covering to reveal a ring and two shiny buckles, married by ash.

‘Recognize these, Madame Borelli?’ asked Lestrade.

She turned away, repelled, and did not answer.

‘Of course you do. Your husband’s ring, and the buckles from your husband’s shoes. All part of his stage costume, confirmed by his crew. And removed from the corpse earlier by Smith here.’

I glanced at Hamilton, who shrugged.

‘You withheld evidence from me, Lestrade. Hardly sporting.’ Holmes smiled ruefully. ‘I will admit Borelli wore both the ring and buckles in the show I saw.’

‘Exactly! And there is more,’ crowed Lestrade. ‘Two hundred people witnessed Borelli climb into the cauldron. Normally, he would simply escape through the secret hatch in the back right away, according to Mr Fricano, the stage manager. But he did not come out … because he could not! Take a look, Mr Holmes.’

Lestrade shut the front hatch on the corpse and spun the cauldron on its chain to the back. He pointed to the tiny, hidden latch.

‘A new latch. Recently welded on, look at the solder here – pewter-coloured, when everything else is copper and brass,’ said the policeman.

‘Very observant, Lestrade. You improve.’

‘I found it because I was looking for it,’ announced Lestrade, ‘as you like to say. Trapped in his own trick. As he nearly was last week.’

‘Dario!’ wailed Madame. I patted her shoulder.

Holmes simply smiled at Lestrade. ‘There is a similar new one on the front, as well.’

Lestrade shrugged this off. ‘And so there was no escape! Few people in the world are familiar enough with this stage contraption to hide a little latch like this—’

‘Two latches.’

‘Fine. Madame was familiar with both,’ said Lestrade. ‘And she had motive. They had been heard arguing. Mr Fricano himself said he felt that the couple was on the verge of separating.’

‘Yes, where is Mr Fricano now?’ asked Holmes innocently. Next to me, Hamilton started, remembering that Holmes had asked him to keep an eye on the fellow. ‘He might be able to shed some light.’

‘He is a witness, to be sure,’ said Lestrade. ‘Hamilton, find the fellow, would you?’ Hamilton moved off, rounding up two more policemen.

‘Madame Borelli, is it true that you fought with your husband earlier today?’ asked Holmes.

‘Yes,’ said the lady, ‘but I welded no latch.’ She rose shakily to her feet. ‘I must see inside,’ she said, nodding towards the cauldron.

‘Madame, perhaps not,’ I suggested. ‘it is a pitiable sight.’