Kenneth Marshall tapped on his wife’s door. When her voice answered, he opened the door and went in. Arlena was just putting the finishing touches on her toilet. She was dressed in glittering green and looked a little like a mermaid. She was standing in front of the glass applying mascara to her eyelashes.

She said: “Oh, it’s you. Ken.”

“Yes. I wondered if you were ready.”

“Just a minute.”

Kenneth Marshall strolled to the window. He looked out on the sea. His face, as usual, displayed no emotion of any kind. It was pleasant and ordinary.

Turning around, he said: “Arlena?”

“Yes?”

“You’ve met Redfern before, I gather?”

Arlena said easily: “Oh, yes, darling. At a cocktail party somewhere. I thought he was rather a pet.”