'Oh yes. Everyone keeps a bit of an eye on the club circuit, that's how we know as much as we do about him, but he's never been on the books.'

'Clever or clean,' said Pascoe. 'How's it going anyway, Sergeant?'

'Slowly and nowhere. No one's breaking the law and there isn't any public nuisance to speak of. I don't know why we bother! But Mr Dalziel says to keep at it, so keep at it I will! You didn't get anything, did you, sir?'

He spoke with a kind of reproachful neutrality. Pascoe had offered only the most perfunctory of explanations for his visit to the Calliope Club. He had passed on Shorter's comments on Droit de Seigneur, of course, but the sergeant obviously suspected that there was some other motive for his interest. Was there? wondered Pascoe. All he could think of was obstinacy, because everyone else seemed to be so dismissive of the dentist's claim, but he was not by nature an obstinate man. On the other hand here he was with enough work to keep two MPs, or six shop stewards, or a dozen teachers, or twenty pop-groups, or a hundred members of the Jockey Club, or a thousand princesses, going for a year and he was reaching for the phone and ringing Ace-High Distributors Inc. of Stretford, Manchester.

A girl answered. Quickly assessing that the word 'police' was more likely to inhibit than expedite information, he put on his best posh voice, said he was trying to contact dear old Gerry Toms, last heard of directing some masterpiece for Homeric Films, and could she help? She could. He noted the address with surprise, said thank you kindly, and replaced the receiver.

'Mike Yarwood beware,' said Dalziel from the doorway. 'There's laws against personation, you know that? Sergeant Wield tells me you went to the pictures last night. Asked a few questions I dare say?'

Pascoe nodded, feeling like a small boy caught trespassing.

'Jesus wept,' sighed Dalziel. 'What do I have to say to get through to you, Peter? You must be bloody slack at the moment, that's all I can say. Well, we'll soon put that right. My office, five minutes.'