Flora drew deeply on her cigarette before replying and, briefly, her carefully made-up face was haggard in the lamplight as she said, ‘I’ll go all the way with you if I must.’

‘Troop produces a strong alibi,’ said Carter. ‘And for both occasions. More or less the same thing – out with his friends. Corroborated, of course. Impossible to break. Look, have you any other reason for thinking Troop might be involved?’

She didn’t need to reflect on her answer. ‘Yes, Superintendent. Before the Conyers murder Edgar had been in debt. Gambling debts. He had tried to take more than was his due from the house profits and I had protested.’ A look of anxiety which might have amounted to fear furrowed her brow for a moment. ‘He reacted badly to that, I’m afraid! He told me what I could do with my money – very impolitely – and hinted that he knew other ways of getting it. It made me wonder, I must confess.’

‘And now?’ asked Carter. ‘Any signs of a flush of money?’

‘I don’t know… I’m not sure. Superintendent! Commander Sandilands! Do I have your absolute assurance that you will say nothing of this? If Edgar were to find out that I… He is a violent man, you know that, I think. He goes about in the world in a way which I am unable to do. His influence reaches further than one might expect and I do not understand why or how far. He has friends, friends who are unquestioningly loyal, friends on whom he has special claims, I believe.’

‘You mean he has the wherewithal to blackmail some influential and unscrupulous men and that he might, if pushed, use that influence to do you harm?’ Joe asked.

‘Do me harm?’ She smiled. ‘That man would put a cobra in my bed!’

Carter stirred uneasily. ‘Look, Flora, we’re very grateful for the information you’ve given us. You are in no danger from what we may divulge. You can rely absolutely on our discretion.’

‘Flora,’ said Joe seriously, ‘I continue to wonder why you are telling us this. Are you planning to break with Troop? For good? Is this the end of a beautiful friendship? Or merely a lovers’ tiff?’

‘Break with Edgar? I wouldn’t dare!’

‘Leave it there,’ said Joe, ‘for the moment. But if we were to want to communicate with you without raising suspicions, without going through the Troop front-of-house presence, is there any way…?’

‘Of course. Claudio. Contact him. He is discreet and loyal to me. And now I will show you to a side door. Edgar will grow suspicious if I delay my appearance any longer.’ She smiled a sly smile. ‘We have a most distinguished visitor to the house this evening.’

As they walked back to the police station in the Simla dusk, they went over the two interviews, exclaiming, swearing and laughing.

‘Now see here, Sandilands,’ said Carter, handing back to Joe the packet of cigarettes Joe had claimed to have found, ‘you’re to give me warning before you go pulling a trick like that again!’

‘Well, you never know! Seemed worth the try,’ said Joe. ‘But the whole place seems to abound in smoker’s requisites to suit all types so I don’t think it got us very far. Even the madam likes to take a puff, it seems.’

‘So, where do you think all this leaves us? Troop? Flora? Reggie? In collusion or at each other’s throats? Who’s your money on? Can we believe a word Flora says?’

‘Well, considering Troop for a moment – he’s quite a conspirator, our Mr Troop, but not a very practised one!’

‘Oh? How so?’

‘Well, first, that was an over-elaborate alibi he dished up and it depends on the testimony of three or four people. If it’s true, then he has no problems but if it isn’t, they’d have to be as well rehearsed as the chorus of the Messiah if they’re all to give us the same story, same times, same places. Very easy to break down an alibi like that. Want to watch me do it?’

‘I’ll take Johnny Bristow and you can have Jackie Carlisle,’ said Carter with relish.

‘I shall be very surprised if there isn’t a gap or two. Not sure I believed a word he said.’

‘And then there’s the guns! I’ll get them examined as soon as we get to the station. Tomorrow we’ll fire off a few rounds and send the results to Calcutta.’

‘Fingerprinting?’ said Joe. ‘Are you all right for fingerprinting? I can — ’

‘Got everything we need,’ said Carter confidently.

‘And what did you make of Flora’s fingering her partner for the double murder? Does she perhaps want him out of the way? Is she really afraid of him? You seem to know her pretty well?’

‘Wouldn’t say that,’ said Carter uncomfortably. ‘I don’t think anyone really knows her. And as for being afraid – don’t be taken in! Is a crocodile afraid of a rabbit? I can tell you, Sandilands, if I had to encounter one or other of them in a dark alley I’d choose Troop every time!’

‘Still, there was something,’ said Joe slowly, ‘the wistful way she said she couldn’t move about in the same circles, have the same influence as Troop… there was a genuine uncertainty there and perhaps fear? Don’t you think?’

‘Come down to earth!’ said Carter derisively. ‘Flora has lots of charm and poise and stunning looks with a certain amount of sexual magnetism – to which many fall prey. And, speaking of which – how’s your blood pressure, heart rate and respiration? But don’t forget she runs a grossly immoral business. She stays inside the law but she goes along with me because I could close her down – and there’s a lot to be said for an establishment of that sort in a town of this sort. It’s an alliance perhaps but not a friendship. I’m sure I don’t need to say any of this – but, have a care, Joe! Have a care! Put your loose change and six-shooter under the pillow!’

‘Oh, come now! I didn’t think she was particularly setting out to charm and, anyway, I’m charm-proof!’

‘I think she batted a pair of dampened eyelashes at you and you melted! I can see I shall have to watch your back for you, Sandilands! Now, I’ll get the chaps to drop these guns off at the station and head for home. Meg will be pleased to see me. If you don’t hang about you might get back to the Governor’s house in time for dessert. Always assuming he’s there, of course, and not out roistering at Flora’s!’ He laughed. ‘She did say she was expecting some top brass this evening! Pity we’ll never know exactly who.’

Chapter Ten

«^»

A little unsure of his welcome, Joe duly presented himself at the Residency. He couldn’t remember whether Sir George had been expecting him back for dinner and it was now half-past nine. But, hospitable to the last, Sir George greeted him with a cheerful bellow as he walked across the hallway and into the dining room.

‘Ah, there you are, my dear fellow! I understood that you had last been seen making your way under police escort into Madame Flora’s. Shan’t see him until morning! I thought. Boys will be boys! And worse – in Simla, men will be boys! What have you been up to, Joe?’

‘I really don’t know,’ said Joe, ‘how on earth your information service works! How the deuce could you possibly know that I’d visited Madame Flora? I only left there ten minutes ago.’

‘It’s very simple,’ said Sir George. ‘People like to keep in with me – they know I like to have information of all sorts and no better way of keeping in with me than by bringing me news as it arises. Anyway – so you’ve seen Madame Flora?’

‘I’ve seen her, I’ve seen the charming Captain Troop and I spent quite a lot of time earlier with Alice Conyers-Sharpe and, as no doubt you already know, I had lunch with Meg and Charlie Carter.’

‘Tell me – Alice – what about Alice?’

‘She has all the charm, all the elegance, all the competence – a sort of ruthless competence – and she has glittering success. Popular, you might say, with all classes of the community, including yourself, unless I’m mistaken.’