"Well sir?"
H.M. scowled and adjusted his spectacles.
"You've got" he stated rather than questioned, "you've got from the local police files some testimony from everybody, and I mean everybody, who was here at Fleet House on the afternoon of November 4th, 1927?"
From the thick-filled brown folder Masters took out a typewritten slip with pencilled notes.
"I have," he said. "Also what happened to each of 'em afterwards. The word 'here' means within a radius of three or four miles."
"So! Read it out loud!"
"As follows," said Masters, clearing his throat "Lady Fleet (here), Dowager Countess of Brayle (here), Earl and Countess of Brayle (one dead, one in Stockholm), young Fleet (here), Dr. Pierre Laurier (dead), Lady Fleet's companion (dead), governess (dead), butler (at Reading), parlourmaid (here), first and second housemaids (one here, one in Australia), gardener (dead). In addition to these persons's testimony, Stannard's too."
"Stannard!" interrupted Martin. "But he didn't give any statement then!" Masters grinned.
"No, Mr. Drake. Still, I'm told that in Sir Henry's presence and yours he said he'd talked to a newspaper reporter at the tram. The area's not so large that a few ‘phone-calls wouldn't cover it" Masters tapped the cardboard folder. They sent a copy of the press-cutting by hand.''
H.M. pressed his hands hard to his forehead.