“What is he?”

“A Russian carry-over from a former case of mine. He very nearly got himself arrested. Can you really eat caviare and drink Russian tea? He’s put some milk there.”

“I don’t want milk and I shall eat any quantity of caviare,” said Troy.

When they had finished and Vassily had taken away the tea things, Troy said: “I must go.”

“Not yet.”

“Oughtn’t you to be at Scotland Yard?”

“They’ll ring me up if I’m wanted. I’m due there later on.”

“We’ve never once mentioned Bunchy,” said Troy.

“No.”

“Shall you get an early night tonight?”

“I don’t know, Troy.”

Alleyn sat on the footstool by her chair. Troy looked down on his head propped between his long thin hands.

“Don’t talk about the case if you’d rather not. I only wanted to let you know that if you’d like to, I’m here.”

“You’re here. I’m trying to get used to it. Shall you ever come again, do you think? Do you know I swore to myself I would not utter one word of love this blessed afternoon? Well, perhaps we’d better talk about the case. I shall commit a heinous impropriety and tell you I may make an arrest this evening.”

“You know who killed Bunchy?”

“We believe we do. If tonight’s show goes the right way we shall be in a position to make the arrest.”

He turned and looked into her face.

“Ah,” he said, “my job again! Why does it revolt you so much?”

Troy said: “It’s nothing reasonable — nothing I can attempt to justify. It’s simply that I’ve got an absolute horror of capital punishment. I don’t even know that I agree with the stock arguments against it. It’s just one of those nightmare things. Like claustrophobia. I used to adore the Ingoldsby Legends when I was a child. One day I came across the one about my Lord Tomnoddy and the hanging. It made the most extraordinary impression on me. I dreamt about it. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I used to turn the pages of the book, knowing that I would come to it, dreading it, and yet — I had to read it. I even made a drawing of it.”

“That should have helped.”

“I don’t think it did. I suppose most people, even the least imaginative, have got a bogey man in the back of their minds. That has always been mine. I’ve never spoken of it before. And so you see when you and I met in that other business and it ended in your arrest of someone I knew—” Her voice wavered. ”And then there was the trial and — the end—”

With a nervous movement she touched his head.

“It’s not you. And yet I mind so much that it is you.”

Alleyn pulled her hand down against his lips.

There was complete silence. Everything he had ever felt; every frisson, the most profound sorrow, the least annoyance, the greatest joy and the smallest pleasure had been but preparation for this moment when her hand melted against his lips. Presently he found himself leaning over her. He still held her hand like a talisman and he spoke against the palm.

“This must be right. I swear it must be right. I can’t be feeling this alone. Troy?”

“Not now,” Troy whispered. “No more, now. Please.”

“Yes.”

“Please.”

He stooped, took her face between his hands, and kissed her hard on the mouth. He felt her come to life beneath his lips. Then he let her go.

“And don’t think I shall ask you to forgive me,” he said. “You’ve no right to let this go by. You’re too damn particular by half, my girl. I’m your man and you know it.”

They stared at each other.

“That’s the stuff to give the troops,” Alleyn added. “The arrogant male.”

“The arrogant turkey-cock,” said Troy shakily.

“I know, I know. But at least you didn’t find it unendurable. Troy, for God’s sake can’t we be honest with each other? When I kissed you just then you seemed to meet me like a flame. Could I have imagined that?”

“No.”

“It was as if you shouted with your whole body that you loved me. How can I not be arrogant?”

“How can I not be shaken?”

When he saw that she was indeed greatly shaken an intolerable wave of compassion drowned his thoughts. He stammered. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Troy began to speak slowly.

“Let me go away now. I want to think. I will try to be honest. I promise you I did not believe I loved you. It seemed to me that I couldn’t love you when I resented so much the feeling that you made some sort of demand whenever we met. I don’t understand physical love. I don’t know how much it means. I’m just plain frightened, and that’s a fact.”

“You shall go. I’ll get a taxi. Wait a moment.”

He ran out and got a taxi. When he returned she was standing in front of the fire holding her cap in her hand and looked rather small and lost. He brought her coat and dropped it lightly across her shoulders.

“I’ve been very weak,” said Troy. “When I said I’d come I thought I would keep it all very peaceful and impersonal. You looked so worn and troubled and it was so easy just to do this. And now see what’s happened?”

“The skies have opened and the stars have fallen. I feel as if I’d run the world in the last hour. And now you must leave me.”

He took her to the taxi. Before he shut the door he said: “Your most devoted turkey-cock.”

The assistant Commissioner’s clock struck a quarter to nine as Alleyn walked into the room.

“Hello, Rory.”

“Good evening, sir.”

“As you have no doubt observed with your trained eye, my secretary is not present. So you may come off the official rocks. Sit down and light your pipe.”

“Thank you,” said Alleyn.

“Feeling a bit shaky?”

“A bit. I shall look such an egregious ass if they don’t come up to scratch.”

“No doubt. It’s a big case, Chief Inspector.”

“Don’t I know it, sir!”

“Who comes first?”

“Sir Herbert and Lady Carrados.”

“Any of ’em arrived yet?”

“All except Dimitri. Fox has dotted them about the place. His room, mine, the waiting-room and the charge-room. As soon as Dimitri arrives, Fox’ll come and report.”

“Right. In the meantime, we’ll go over the plan of action again.”

They went over the plan of action.

“Well,” said the Assistant Commissioner, “it’s ticklish, but it may work. As I see it, everything depends on the way you handle them.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Alleyn grimly, “for those few reassuring words.”

The Assistant Commissioner’s clock struck nine. Alleyn knocked out his pipe. There was a tap on the door and Fox came in.

“We are all ready, sir,” he said.

“All right, Mr Fox. Show them in.”

Fox went out. Alleyn glanced at the two chairs under the central lamp, and then at the Assistant Commissioner sitting motionless in the green-shaded light from his desk. Alleyn himself stood before the mantelpiece.

“Stage set,” said the quiet voice beyond the green lamp. “And now the curtain rises.”

There was a brief silence, and then once more the door opened.

“Sir Herbert and Lady Carrados, sir.”

They came in. Alleyn moved forward, greeted them formally, and then introduced them to the Assistant Commissioner. Carrados’s manner as he shook hands was a remarkable mixture of the condescension of a viceroy and the fortitude of an early Christian martyr.

The Assistant Commissioner was crisp with them.

“Good evening, Lady Carrados. Good evening, Sir Herbert. In view of certain information he has received, Chief Detective-Inspector Alleyn and I decided to invite you to come and see us. As the case is in Mr Alleyn’s hands, I shall leave it to him to conduct the conversation. Will you both sit down?”

They sat. The light from the overhead lamp beat down on their faces, throwing strong shadows under the eyes and cheek-bones. The two heads turned in unison to Alleyn.