“As a matter of fac’, I didn’t. Ackshully, Robin was going to play with me. You see I had to give Uncle G. the parcel.” Mike looked out of the corners of his eyes at Nanny. “I say,” he said, “it’s pretty funny to think of, isn’t it? I mean, where is dead?”
“Heaven,” said Nanny firmly. “Your Uncle Gabriel’s as happy as the day’s long. Well content, he is, you may depend upon it.”
“Well, Henry said this afternoon that Uncle G. could go to hell for all he cared.”
“Nonsense. You didn’t hear Henry properly.”
“Where was the parcel?” asked Alleyn.
“In Mummy’s room. Just by the screen inside the door. I couldn’t find it when Robin said Mummy wanted me to give it to Uncle G.”
“When was that?” asked Alleyn, taking out his cigarette case.
“Oh, before. After they’d done their charade. The others were horribly waxy because Uncle G. didn’t look at the charade. Stephen said he was an old—”
“That’ll do, Michael.”
“Well, Nanny, he did. I heard him when I was looking for the parcel.”