“Well, if it’s any help, that’s what I think happened. Look here, Alleyn, are you any further on with this case. I don’t want to make a nuisance of myself but this game is literally costing the Firm hundreds. It’s driving me silly, honestly it is. What about the affair on the train, can’t you get a lead from that?”

Alleyn got up and walked across to the fireplace.

“Wade,” he said, “I don’t know whether you’ll approve of this but I’m going to take Mr. Mason into our confidence over the affair on the train.”

“Just as you please, Mr. Alleyn,” said Wade, looking rather blank. “You do just as you think best.”

“It’s this,” said Alleyn, turning to Mason. “You remember that before we got to Ohakune everyone in the carriage was asleep.”

“Well,” said Mason, “I don’t remember because I was asleep myself.”

“As Mr. Singleton would say,” grinned Alleyn, “a very palpable hit. I put it carelessly. Let me amend it. Each of us has admitted that he or she was asleep for some time before we got to Ohakune. I have asked all the others and they agree to this. They also agree that they were all awakened by a terrific jolt as we got on to the thing they call the spiral. Old Miss Max was decanted into my lap. You remember?”

“I do. Poor old Susie! She looked a scream, didn’t she?”

“And Ackroyd let out a remarkably blue oath.”

“That’s right. Foul-mouthed little devil—I don’t like that sort of thing. Common. He will do it.”

“Well now, you remember all this—”

“Of course I do. I thought we’d run into a cow or something.”

“And Mr. Meyer thought someone had given him a kick in the seat.”

“By George!” said Mason, “why didn’t someone think of that.”

“That’s what we’re always saying to the chief, Mr. Mason,” said Wade. “The trouble is, we don’t, and he does.”

There was a knock on the door.

“That’ll be the doctor,” said Wade. “Come in.”

Dr. Te Pokiha came in, smiling.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get here before. I had to go to the hospital—urgent case. You wanted to see me, Mr. Alleyn?”

“We all want to see you, I think,” said Alleyn. “It’s in connection with our conversation last night.”

He repeated the story of Mason and his overcoat. Te Pokiha listened without a word. When Alleyn had finished, there was a pause.

“Well, doctor, do you think you made a mistake?” said Wade.

“Certainly not. Mr. Mason came in at the outside door wearing his coat and hat. He took them off afterwards, when I removed my own coat. I am not in the habit of making mis-statements.”