‘It’s only a theory, Sir Edward.’

‘It has the ring of truth to me.’

‘We shall see.’

‘Let me get this right,’ said the commissioner, recapitulating. ‘You believe that someone was concealed in the building before that mob got anywhere near it. Where could he hide?’

‘The attic is the obvious place. From that vantage point, he’d have been able to see that gang coming along Jermyn Street. Once the attack started and the diversion was created, he came down into the office, killed Jacob Stein and emptied the safe.’

‘How could he know that the safe would be open?’

‘He couldn’t,’ replied Marmion. ‘That was pure luck. I think that he was only there to commit murder. When he saw that the safe had been left obligingly open, he helped himself to its contents.’

‘The murder seems to have been planned so carefully.’

‘Mr Stein paid for being a creature of habit.’

‘I’m just grateful that his daughter was not there when the killer struck or she, too, might have been murdered.’

‘She had a problem of her own to contend with, Sir Edward.’

‘Yes — those two men lurking in the alley. It must have been a terrifying experience for her.’ He touched Marmion’s shoulder. ‘I’m so pleased that you and Sergeant Keedy managed to apprehend Cochran so quickly. We can’t have a rapist on the loose.’

‘Cochran has another charge to face now,’ said Marmion, ‘and it’s one of attempted murder. The sergeant and I will act as witnesses.’

‘You caught him red-handed, so to speak.’

‘I’m hoping that it will encourage Ruth Stein to face the man in court. If she knows he’s certain to be convicted on the other charge, she has no worries that he’ll be released to torment her again. That will reassure her.’

‘We need to put Cochran and Gatliffe away for a long time.’

‘I’m certain that that will happen, Sir Edward.’

‘Good.’

Marmion updated him on the progress of the investigation. A detective had been deployed to watch David Cohen’s movements. Other men had been told to gather more information about Howard Fine and Cyril Burridge. The people whose names were on Herbert Stone’s list of potential enemies were also being contacted. Marmion had cast his net wide.

‘What about Sergeant Keedy?’ asked the commissioner.

‘He’s testing his own theory.’

‘An anti-Semitic element is clearly present, Inspector.’

‘He’ll bring it out into the open. Since we were landed with this case,’ observed Marmion, ‘we’ve gathered a lot of significant evidence. What we lack is the connecting thread that runs through it and brings it all together. I’m looking to the sergeant to find it.’

He was there again. She sensed it. As soon as Dorothy came out of the shop, she knew that she was being watched. Though she looked in every direction, she saw no sign of her stalker. Taking out her keys, she locked up the shop then walked briskly away. There was only one way to solve the mystery. Discounting the possibility that it could be a woman, she resolved to confront the man. It was a difficult thing for someone like Dorothy to do and she had to summon up all her courage. Eventually, she felt strong enough to take action. When she turned a corner, therefore, she didn’t continue her walk along the pavement. She stepped into the porch of a house and waited. Twenty seconds ticked past. As she heard footsteps approach, her heart began to pound. Someone eventually came around the corner and stopped as if wondering where she had disappeared. Making an effort to control her nerves, she stepped out to face him.

‘Are you following me?’ she asked in a querulous voice.

‘Good evening,’ he said, raising his hat in greeting. ‘There’s no need to be alarmed. It’s just that you remind me of a good friend of mine — Irene Bayard.’

‘I’m her sister.’

‘There — that explains it. I’m Ernie Gill, by the way.’

Dorothy relaxed. ‘Irene has spoken about you.’

‘I saw you yesterday and decided that I must be mistaken. So I came back for a second look today. You must be Dorothy Holdstock.’ She nodded. ‘There was just something about you that was so like Irene. I had to find out the truth. Did I upset you?’

‘It was rather troubling, Mr Gill.’

‘I’m sorry about that. Well,’ he said, looking her up and down, ‘it’s good to meet you at last. Irene’s told me a lot about you. What she didn’t mention was that her sister was such a handsome woman.’

She was flattered. ‘Oh, I’d never claim that.’

‘Don’t be so modest. I only speak as I find.’

‘Thank you.’

‘Irene and I worked together for many years.’

‘So I gather, Mr Gill.’

‘Call me Ernie — everyone else does.

‘Except my lodger, Miss James, that is — she prefers Ernest.’

‘She seemed a sweet old girl when I met her.’

‘She is, Mr Gill … oh, sorry — Ernie.’

‘How is Irene settling in?’

‘Very well,’ said Dorothy. ‘She told me that she wished she’d moved in with me years ago. She only took the job with Cunard to get over the loss of her husband.’

‘Yes,’ he sighed. ‘That really hurt her. I mean, he was so young.’

‘She still hasn’t fully recovered.’

Ernie Gill wasn’t at all as she’d imagined. He was taller, thinner and older than the portrait in her mind. He had a pleasant voice and an easy manner, though there was a faint hint in his eyes of the intensity that Irene had warned her about. Dorothy’s main emotion was relief that he had not been some anonymous stalker with designs on her handbag or, even worse, on her body. Gill was wearing a smart suit and was well groomed. He looked perfectly presentable and she could not understand why Irene had kept them apart.

‘Does your sister ever talk about me?’ he asked.

‘Oh, yes. She’s told me all about the rescue.’

‘I wasn’t going to let my favourite person drown. When I saw her flailing around in the water, I just had to go to her.’

‘Irene is eternally grateful.’

‘I simply acted on impulse, Miss Holdstock.’

‘You can call me Dorothy — or Dot, if you prefer.’

‘I’ll stick to Dorothy. It was my mother’s name.’

‘I inherited it from an aunt.’

Gill was slowly getting her measure. It was not difficult to see why she’d remained a spinster. She had none of Irene’s physical charms and was uneasy in the company of a man. Dorothy didn’t know how to cope with flattery because she was so unused to receiving it. Gill found her dull and fatally old-fashioned.

‘What else has Irene told you about me?’ he probed.

‘She said what a good friend you’d been to her.’

‘You need friends on board a ship. Otherwise, voyages can get very boring, even on a liner like the Lusitania.’

‘It seems such a coincidence that both of you decided to leave Liverpool and move to London together.’

He chuckled. ‘Unfortunately, we moved here separately,’ he said. ‘If it was left to me, we would have moved here together.’

‘Yes, she mentioned that you were … an admirer of hers.’

‘I’m much more than that, Dorothy. You tell her. Oh, no,’ he corrected himself. ‘It might be safer if you didn’t mention that we bumped into each other like this. For some reason, Irene didn’t want me to meet you. Do you happen to know why?’

‘To be honest, I don’t.’

‘Then let’s keep this meeting as our little secret, shall we?’

Dorothy was uncertain. ‘I suppose that we could.’

‘At least you know who I am now.’

‘Yes, that’s true.’

‘So you won’t have to worry about your sister if she says that she’s meeting Ernie Gill.’ He flashed a smile. ‘As you can see, I’m quite harmless. I’m just a nice, respectable, hard-working barber.’

‘Irene said that you’ve already found a job.’

‘Yes, I work strange hours but I really like it. I’ve made some new friends as well. In fact,’ he went on, ‘the move to London has been a success in every possible way — especially now that I’ve met you.’