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Phillipa against those curtains when – he – was away last year. I’ve painted the damn things.’
    â€˜Look here,’ interrupted Guy, ‘exactly what are you driving at, Mr Alleyn? If you mean to suggest that my brother—’
    â€˜I!’ cried Arthur. ‘What’s it got to do with me? Why should you suppose—’
    â€˜I found traces of blotting paper on the shafts and inside the metal knobs,’ said Alleyn. ‘It suggested a substitution of the metal knobs for the bakelite ones. It is remarkable, don’t you think, that they should so closely resemble one another? If you examine them, of course, you find they are not identical. Still, the difference is scarcely perceptible.’
    Arthur did not answer this. He was still looking at the wireless.
    â€˜I’ve always wanted to have a look at this set,’ he said surprisingly.
    â€˜You are free to do so now,’ said Alleyn politely. ‘We have finished with it for the time being.’
    â€˜Look here,’ said Arthur suddenly, ‘suppose metal knobs were substituted for bakelite ones, it couldn’t kill him. He wouldn’t get a shock at all. Both the controls are grounded.’
    â€˜Have you noticed those very small holes drilled through the panel?’ asked Alleyn. ‘Should they be there, do you think?’
    Arthur peered at the little steel shafts. ‘By God, he’s right, Guy,’ he said. ‘That’s how it was done.’
    â€˜Inspector Fox,’ said Alleyn, ‘tells me those holes could be used for conducting wires and that a lead could be taken from the – the transformer, is it? – to one of the knobs.’
    â€˜And the other connected to earth,’ said Fox. ‘It’s a job for an expert. He could get three hundred volts or so that way.’
    â€˜That’s not good enough,’ said Arthur quickly; ‘there wouldn’t be enough current to do any damage – only a few hundredths of an amp.’
    â€˜I’m not an expert,’ said Alleyn, ‘but I’m sure you’re right. Why were the holes drilled then? Do you imagine someone wanted to play a practical joke on your father?’
    â€˜A practical joke? On
him
?’ Arthur gave an unpleasant screech of laughter. ‘Do you hear that, Guy?’
    â€˜Shut up,’ said Guy. ‘After all, he is dead.’
    â€˜It seems almost too good to be true, doesn’t it?’
    â€˜Don’t be a bloody fool, Arthur. Pull yourself together. Can’t you see what this means? They think he’s been murdered.’
    â€˜Murdered! They’re wrong. None of us had the nerve for that, Mr Inspector. Look at me. My hands are so shaky they told me I’d never be able to paint. That dates from when I was a kid and he shut me up in the cellars for a night. Look at me. Look at Guy. He’s not so vulnerable, but he caved in like the rest of us. We were conditioned to surrender. Do you know—’
    â€˜Wait a moment,’ said Alleyn quietly. ‘Your brother is quite right, you know. You’d better think before you speak. This may be a case of homicide.’
    â€˜Thank you, sir,’ said Guy quickly. ‘That’s extraordinarily decent of you. Arthur’s a bit above himself. It’s a shock.’
    â€˜The relief, you mean,’ said Arthur. ‘Don’t be such an ass, I didn’t kill him and they’ll find it out soon enough. Nobody killed him. There must be some explanation.’
    â€˜I suggest that you listen to me,’ said Alleyn. ‘I’m going to put several questions to both of you. You need not answer them, but it will be more sensible to do so. I understand no one but your father touched this radio. Did any of you ever come into this room while it was in use?’
    â€˜Not unless he wanted to vary the programme with a little bullying,’ said Arthur.
    Alleyn turned to Guy, who was