‘Oh, yes, of course, I recall that now,’ said Holmes, rubbing his forehead tiredly. ‘It has been a fraught night and morning. Of course, no one has actually seen these letters. Unless perhaps your deacon. But was there a further threat, perhaps more specific, after this?’

‘Yes, another letter from Leo Vitale.’

‘I see. A letter from Vitale? What did it say?’ asked Holmes. ‘Do you have it now?’

Father Lamb shifted in his chair and turned to Inspector Hadley. ‘Sir, why are you allowing this man to question me so?’

‘Please consider him as an official representative of the police and answer him directly,’ said Hadley.

The priest paused, fingered the cross hanging from a chain round his neck. ‘Very well. In a letter Miss Wyndham had received, Vitale threatened to murder her. It seems the duplicitous girl had pledged herself to him, then became engaged to another.’

‘Enough to enrage anyone, certainly. Where is Vitale’s letter now?’ asked Holmes. ‘Or is this, too, conveniently missing?’

‘The deacon destroyed the letter, of course, hoping to dissuade Vitale from murderous sin,’ declared Father Lamb.

Convenient indeed, I thought. But what if there was such a letter? If this were true, it did indeed implicate the young scientist.

‘Hmm. Are you sure it was not Miss Wyndham’s other suitor, that terribly wealthy Freddie Eden-Summers, who threatened her?’ asked Holmes. ‘He, too, must have felt wronged.’

‘I don’t know. That fellow may have written also. Deacon Buttons knows the whole story. May I see him, please? Why are you holding him, Inspector Hadley?’ asked Father Lamb.

‘He attempted suicide,’ said Hadley. ‘That’s against the law, and we are holding him for his own good.’

But Holmes was not finished with Father Lamb. ‘It seems odd that Mr Vitale would murder Miss Wyndham in Deacon Buttons’ room. Father, did he tell you why he did that?’

‘No! My God!’ Father Lamb shuddered at the thought. ‘What on earth makes you think this happened under my own roof?’ he cried.

‘Both the police and I have confirmed it from the evidence,’ said Holmes.

‘How terrible. But you are the detective! Isn’t it obvious why Vitale might have killed her there? To make it look like Peregrine did it! She had probably come to him for help. Vitale must have followed her!’

‘He did indeed follow her, Father Lamb,’ said Holmes. ‘That, too, has been confirmed by the evidence.’

‘Well then, there you have it,’ said Lamb. He stood. ‘I should like to see my boy now.’

‘Sit down, please, Father,’ said Hadley. The priest hesitated, but at Hadley’s stern look did so, reluctantly.

‘As I said, we know that Vitale did follow her there,’ said Holmes.

And, of course, Vitale had just admitted it to us, I thought. Had he lied about the rest?

‘It must have taken a great deal for you to hear him confess,’ Holmes continued, ‘learning that he was a murderer.’