“It is just possible that Kenneth took it seriously,” Giles said.
“Really, I think that is a little too ridiculous!” she said, half-laughing. “Why do you assume that he was at Roger's flat last night? Does he admit it?”
“No. But we found his pipe, with the ash in it, on the mantelpiece in Roger's sitting-room,” he replied.
“His pipe — ?” she stared at him. How do you know it was his?”
“Both Hannasyde and I recognised it.”
“Recognised a pipe!” she exclaimed. “How could you?”
He smiled. “To a pipe-smoker all pipes don't look the same, Miss Williams. But that's beside the point. Kenneth admitted it was his as soon as he saw it.”
She looked at him with an expression of incredulous horror in her eyes. “But it's impossible! I don't believe it! What time was Kenneth in the flat? What was he doing there?”
“That is precisely what I, as his legal adviser, want to find out,” said Giles. “According to Miss Rivers he was never out of her sight the entire evening. Kenneth corroborated that statement, but only after a moment's perceptible hesitation, Miss Williams. To put it baldly, he was quite obviously lying. His tale - or rather Miss Rivers's tale - is that the whole party met after each dance, in the box they were sharing. Superintendent Hannasyde has only to question the other members of the party to find out whether that is true or not. If - as I am very much afraid — it is not true, Kenneth will be in an extremely dangerous position. And since he has this bee in his bonnet, that he's capable of handling his own case without assistance, I can't do anything to help him.”
“But why do you come to me?” she interrupted. “What has it got to do with me? What can I do about it?”