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and then quickly went back to the wall to examine the result. ‘Not bad!’ he congratulated himself.
    As he replaced the desk chair in its proper position, Starkwedder could hear voices in the hall. He rushedoff through the french windows, taking the gun with him. A moment later he reappeared, snatched up the torch, and dashed out again.
    From various parts of the house, four people hurried towards the study. Richard Warwick’s mother, a tall, commanding old lady, was in her dressing-gown. She looked pallid and walked with the aid of a stick. ‘What is it, Jan?’ she asked the teenage boy in pyjamas with the strange, rather innocent, faun-like face, who was close behind her on the landing. ‘Why is everybody wandering about in the middle of the night?’ she exclaimed as they were joined by a grey-haired, middle-aged woman, wearing a sensible flannel dressing-gown. ‘Benny,’ she ordered the woman, ‘tell me what’s going on.’
    Laura was close behind, and Mrs Warwick continued, ‘Have you all taken leave of your senses? Laura, what’s happened? Jan–Jan–will someone tell me what is going on in this house?’
    â€˜I’ll bet it’s Richard,’ said the boy, who looked about nineteen, though his voice and manner were those of a younger child. ‘He’s shooting at the fog again.’ There was a note of petulance in his voice as he added, ‘Tell him he’s not to shoot and wake us all up out of our beauty sleep. I was deep asleep, and so was Benny. Weren’t you, Benny? Be careful, Laura, Richard’s dangerous. He’s dangerous, Benny, be careful.’
    â€˜There’s thick fog outside,’ said Laura, looking through the landing window. ‘You can barely make out the path. I can’t imagine what he can be shooting at in this mist. It’s absurd. Besides, I thought I heard a cry.’
    Miss Bennett–Benny–an alert, brisk woman who looked like the ex-hospital nurse that she was, spoke somewhat officiously. ‘I really can’t see why you’re so upset, Laura. It’s just Richard amusing himself as usual. But I didn’t hear any shooting. I’m sure there’s nothing wrong. I think you’re imagining things. But he’s certainly very selfish and I shall tell him so. Richard,’ she called as she entered the study, ‘really, Richard, it’s too bad at this time of night. You frightened us–Richard!’
    Laura, wearing her dressing-gown, followed Miss Bennett into the room. As she switched on the lights and moved to the sofa, the boy Jan followed her. He looked at Miss Bennett who stood staring at Richard Warwick in his wheelchair. ‘What is it, Benny?’ asked Jan. ‘What’s the matter?’
    â€˜It’s Richard,’ said Miss Bennett, her voice strangely calm. ‘He’s killed himself.’
    â€˜Look,’ cried young Jan excitedly, pointing at the table. ‘Richard’s revolver’s gone.’
    A voice from outside in the garden called, ‘What’s going on in there? Is anything wrong?’ Looking throughthe small window in the recess, Jan shouted, ‘Listen! There’s someone outside!’
    â€˜Outside?’ said Miss Bennett. ‘Who?’ She turned to the french windows and was about to draw back the curtain when Starkwedder suddenly appeared. Miss Bennett stepped back in alarm as Starkwedder came forward, asking urgently, ‘What’s happened here? What’s the matter?’ His glance fell on Richard Warwick in the wheelchair. ‘This man’s dead!’ he exclaimed. ‘Shot.’ He looked around the room suspiciously, taking them all in.
    â€˜Who are you?’ asked Miss Bennett. ‘Where do you come from?’
    â€˜Just run my car into a ditch,’ replied Starkwedder. ‘I’ve been lost for hours. Found some gates and came up to the house to try to get