‘Then I will speak,’ said Holmes. ‘Correct me if I am wrong, Mr Vitale. Fail to do so at your peril.’ He glanced up at Hadley, who nodded in the affirmative. ‘You were there because after arguing with Miss Wyndham outside the Cross and Anchor, you did not just ‘walk the streets for awhile’. No! Instead you followed her to the rectory. You wanted your ring returned. You saw her enter the rectory, but you didn’t go in right away. Instead, you stood outside her window, in the rain, watching.’ The boy stared at Holmes in astonishment. I had seen that look many times before.

‘I saw a partial footprint outside, but it was muddied from the rain and I was not sure until now. Through the window you saw Buttons with her, but soon after, he left. I warrant you did not want a fight. You only wanted your ring back from her.’

Leo Vitale continued to stare at Holmes, wide eyed. He nodded again.

‘But your ring was not there. That is because Dillie had just sent Deacon Buttons to the pawnshop with it, and also with Freddie Eden-Summers’ ring. But she did not tell you that.’

Vitale moaned. ‘Dillie said her sister had stolen it.’ His voice was barely above a whisper.

‘Ha! Atalanta. A smart lie, and believable. Otherwise you would have followed Buttons and retrieved your ring. So you stayed.’

‘And you attacked Miss Wyndham!’ said Hadley, picking up Vitale’s right hand. ‘Look, gentlemen. His knuckles are abraded. You hit something with force. Odelia Wyndham was beaten before she died.’ Vitale closed his eyes and shook his head weakly.

‘Mr Hadley, please,’ said Holmes. ‘He fought with Eden-Summers later. That part is true, isn’t that right Mr Vitale? We will get to that. No. You lingered in the doorway of Buttons’ room instead of entering. A sense of propriety, perhaps?’

‘Yes. She … she was …’

‘Unclothed. Yes, I know.’

How did he know? I did not voice the question, Vitale did.

‘How do you know this, sir? It is like you were there!’

‘Traces in the deacon’s bed. The girl got into his bed unclothed. But this was after you left. We will get to that, too. You remained in the doorway … and …’ Holmes closed his eyes. I would swear that the scene was playing almost like a series of daguerreotypes, flipping in a carnival peepshow in his head.

‘Yes, yes, I see it now,’ he continued. ‘That ink stain on your neck, Mr Vitale. The residue in the doorframe. Watson! The half empty bottle of purple ink with the dented cap! Do you remember?’ Do you see?’

I remember him noting the ink bottle in Buttons’ room. But … ‘No, I don’t see,’ I said, frankly more puzzled than before.

Holmes stood up abruptly and looked down at Vitale.