What I believe may have happened is this,' he went on, thinking it through. 'Mr Kellow is a young man with a day off in a strange town. He was probably lured in here by a woman who persuaded him to let her tie him up so that she could tease him to heighten his pleasure.' Leeming was shocked. 'Once she had him in that condition, either she or a male accomplice took full advantage of him.'

'That's disgusting!' protested Leeming.

'It happens all the time in Butetown,' said Stockdale, wearily. 'Foreign sailors come streaming off their ships after months at sea and run straight to the arms of the nearest whore. After a drunken night of passion, they wake up to find they've been robbed of every penny. The only difference here is that poor Mr Kellow will never wake up.'

'A trap was set,' concluded Colbeck. 'That's why I incline to the notion that there were two of them. They knew when Mr Kellow was coming to Cardiff and what he would be carrying. He simply had to be enticed away from his errand. This room was booked by a man, giving his name as Hugh Kellow. When his female accomplice had rendered their victim helpless, he committed the murder and they fled.' He turned to Stockdale. 'The body can be moved now, Superintendent. I'll want an autopsy.'

'Of course, Inspector,' said Stockdale.

'I'll need to speak to the manager then I'd like some time with Mr Buckmaster and Miss Linnane. They must have talked at length to Mr Kellow.'

'What about me, Inspector?' asked Leeming.

'You must go straight back to London,' said Colbeck, 'but I'm not sending you there simply to spend the night with your wife. You must call on Leonard Voke as a matter of urgency, acquaint him with the details of this sorry business and find out who else knew that his assistant would be travelling to Cardiff today with an item of great value in his possession. Oh, there's one other thing, Victor.'