It suggested that Barrant discredited the whole of his story.

The hood clock in the dead man's study had pointed to half-past nine on the night he was killed.

Thalassa's story, as it stood, proved that Sisily must have left the house long before then.

But Charles's story threw suspicion back on to Sisily by suggesting that the police had been misled about the time of the murder, which must have been committed at least half an hour earlier than they assumed.

Charles did not attempt to point out this supposed flaw in the detective's reasoning.