'The hotel has a safe, Miss Linnane.'

'That's where everything will go when I leave for the theatre.'

'A wise decision,' he said.

Admiring her as an actress, Colbeck found her less appealing as a woman, her self-absorption masking any finer qualities she might have. Her towering vanity matched that of Nigel Buckmaster. He waited until she had put the jewellery box away in the portmanteau and resumed her seat. She beamed at him with the confidence of a woman who could rely on her beauty to enchant any man.

'How would you describe Mr Kellow?' asked Colbeck.

'He was very reserved, Inspector,' she replied, 'and ill at ease in our company. As a rule, when I find myself travelling in public, men have a tendency to steal at least a glance at me. Some just stare blatantly. Mr Kellow barely raised his eyes. I felt that he was rather immature for his age – or perhaps naive would be a better word. He was certainly not a man of the world.'

'That may have been his downfall, Miss Linnane.'

'As a silversmith, however, he obviously had a promising future ahead of him. When he talked about that coffee pot, he came alive for the first time. I felt that he was a kindred spirit – bewitched by the magic of silver. He spoke with such intense pride about his work.'

'He also mentioned a sister, I hear.'

'Yes, Inspector. The poor creature only has one week's holiday a year. Mr Kellow was saving up to take her to Margate. He was a very caring brother.'

'So it seems,' said Colbeck. 'What else can you tell me about him? Did you see, for instance, if anyone was at the station to meet him when the train pulled in?'

'I saw nobody waiting for him.'