“How do you do?” said Alleyn cheerfully, and held out his hand.

“I’m very very pleased to meet you, Chief Inspector,” said Inspector Wade, shaking it relentlessly. “Very very pleased. We had word that you were on your way, and as a matter of fact, Superintendent Nixon was going to look in at the Middleton as soon as you came down. Yes, that’s right. The super was going to call. We’ve all been trained on your book. It’s—it’s a great honour to meet the author.”

“That’s very nice of you,” said Alleyn, easing his fingers a little. “I should have called at your headquarters on my arrival but you know how it is in a new place. One puts off these things.” He glanced through the wings on to the stage.

“That’s right. And now we meet on the job as you might say. Ye-ees.”

“Not my job, thank the Lord,” said Alleyn, “and, look here. I want to hide my job under a bushel. So—if you don’t mind—just don’t mention it to any of these people.”

“Certainly, sir. I hope you’ll let the boys here meet you. They’d be very very pleased, I know.”

“So should I—delighted. Just tip them the wink, if you don’t mind, to forget about the C.I.D. And as I’m a layman, I suppose you want to ask me a few questions, Inspector?”

The New Zealander’s large healthy face again turned red.

“Well now, sir, that makes me feel a bit foolish but—well—yes, we’ve got to do the usual, you know.”

“Of course you have,” said Alleyn very charmingly. “Nasty business, isn’t it? I shall be most interested to see something of your methods if you will allow me.”

“It’s very fine of you to put it that way, sir. To be quite frank I was wondering if you would give us an account of what took place before the accident. You were in the party, I understand.”

“A statement in my own words, Inspector?” asked Alleyn, twinkling.

“That’s right,” agreed Wade with a roar of laughter, which he instantly quelled. His two subordinates, hearing this unseemly noise, strolled up and were introduced. Detective-Sergeants Cass and Packer. They shook Alleyn’s hand and stared profoundly at the floor. Alleyn gave a short but extremely workman-like account of the tragedy.

“By cripes!” said Inspector Wade with great feeling, “it’s not often we get it like that. Now, about the way this champagne business was fixed. You say you made a sketch of it, sir?”

Alleyn showed him the sketch.

“Ought to have worked O.K.,” said Wade. “I’ll go up and have a look-see.”