Paula came in at this moment, carrying a leather-bound box She was breathing quickly, and for the first time in her life she looked disheveled. Her hair was all over the place, the light overcoat she was wearing was wrongly buttoned up, and the legs of her trousers looked like twin concertinas.
‘I couldn’t get Francon,’ she said, trying to get her breath. ‘He wasn’t in. They haven’t charged you yet?’
MacGraw caught hold of her arm.
‘You’ve no right in here. Get out!’
‘Lay off!’ Mifflin said. ‘What do you want?’ he went on to Paula as MacGraw reluctantly released her.
Paula put the box on a nearby table, opened it to reveal the small gramophone on which was a record.
‘You may remember, Mrs. Dedrick,’ I said quietly, ‘that just before we had our interesting conversation I turned down a switch, telling you it was a telephone extension switch. Actually it set a recording machine into motion. When I entertain wealthy women alone and at night, I take care they don’t bring an assault charge against me.’
Serena looked as if she could kill me.
‘He’s lying!’ she said. ‘Charge him! What are you waiting for.’
‘Go ahead and play it,’ I said to Paula.