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trailing Paige’s stalker – the second man followed and seized his chance to knock Jem unconscious.’
    ‘It’s a sound theory,’ said Paul, ‘but it may turn out to be a misleading one.’
    ‘Oh, I agree. We must take nothing for granted.’
    ‘Jem, poor lad, is not easily tricked. Only a crafty rogue could lure him into a trap. On the other hand, I’m glad that we have another murder to solve. It will test us to the full. I need something like this to sink my teeth into, Peter.’
    His brother could understand his sentiments. Paul was not driven solely by the desire to apprehend a killer. He wanted a distraction. Peter was happily married and had a stable existence whereas his brother’s private life had been wildly erratic. Over the years, there had been a series of dalliances, all of them conducted with great passion until they inevitably burnt themselves out. The previous year, however, Paul had at last found someone with whom he was ready to share his life, whatever compromises were involved. Hannah Granville was a brilliant actress who’d become the toast of London. Paul marvelled at her. However, she was in demand elsewhere and had to take her talents to Bath, Norwich, York and other cities where avid theatregoers were eager to see her. Paul accepted her need to travel and they kept in touch by letter.
    That had become more difficult now. Such was her eminence, Hannah had attracted international attention and been invited to perform in Paris. Sad to see her go, Paul acknowledged that it was an important stage of her career. He waved her off with his best wishes then felt her loss immediately. Only by keeping himself occupied could he fend off the urge to mope. Because the murder investigation would need all of his concentration, he welcomed it.
    ‘Have you heard from Hannah?’ asked Peter.
    ‘I had one letter and it took an age to reach me.’
    ‘How is she faring?’
    ‘She loves Paris. I just hope that she misses me as much as I miss her.’
    ‘Can you doubt that?’
    ‘I just wish she wasn’t so far away and surrounded by foreigners.’
    ‘Now that it’s possible to visit Paris again,’ said Peter, ‘there are lots of English people there. She’ll not lack for people who speak the same language. I’d love to go to the city myself.’
    ‘Yes,’ said Paul, ‘you’d actually have time to see its sights now. When you worked as a spy during the war, your trips there were fraught with danger. Charlotte was beside herself while you were away.’
    ‘I’m just grateful that she didn’t know what I had to endure.’
    ‘She knew that many British agents were captured and killed.’
    ‘I was one of the lucky ones, Paul.’
    The door opened and Gully Ackford came in, whisking off his hat. There was an exchange of greetings, then Ackford told them about his visit to Jem Huckvale. When he described how the reluctant patient reacted to the appearance of the maidservant, all three of them shared a laugh.
    ‘I did what you asked of me,’ said Ackford, turning to Peter. ‘I remembered as much as I could of the conversation I had with Leo. He was full of surprises.’
    ‘Tell us about them, Gully.’
    After clearing his throat, Ackford launched into a long, albeit repetitive, account of Paige’s earlier visit. The brothers listened attentively, taking it in turns to ask for clarification of some points in the narrative. When their friend had finished, they felt that the investigation had been given impetus and direction.
    ‘We need to get hold of old copies of Paige’s Chronicle ,’ said Paul. ‘They’ll provide us with a list of possible suspects. Those who were denounced in print are unlikely to have dirtied their own hands but one of them might well have hired thugs to do the deed.’
    ‘Yes,’ agreed Peter. ‘What happened to Jem proves that we’re dealing with villains who are proficient in their trade. But where do we get these newspapers, Gully? If your friend had his own