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M agnus was reading the Saturday paper in his dressing gown when he noticed the brief article entitled “Boxer Arrested in Banker’s Death.”

“Boxer Ezra Curiel, the Hammering Hebrew, has been arrested in conjunction with the beating death of banker Nathan Walpert. Walpert’s body was found in the alley behind the boxing ring at New Cross in the late hours of Saturday November 28. The coroner has determined that he suffered a severe body blow to the stomach, which pushed him backwards so that he hit his head on the cobblestones. The subsequent injury caused his brain to bleed out and resulted in his death.”

He looked over at Toby, who had already washed and dressed, wearing a pair of gray slacks, a white shirt and a wool jumper. “Here, Toby, did you see this?” he asked. “Silas’s lover has been arrested.”

Toby moved his chair around the breakfast table to read along with Magnus. “A witness placed Curiel at the scene of the crime. Upon being questioned, his wife, Mrs. Rebecca Curiel, told the police that her husband had returned home that evening in blood-stained clothes.”

Magnus put the paper down. “Why, that is ridiculous,” he said. “Anyone familiar with boxing would know that the men involved frequently sustain injuries which result in blood on their clothing.”

“But presumably Curiel did not travel home in his boxing shorts,” Toby said. “Wouldn’t his wounds have been treated at the ring, and then he dressed in his regular clothing?”

“That is true. But many bandages do not hold, and blood seeps out,” Magnus said. “Remember how you skinned your knee last month? Despite our efforts to control the blood it did seep into your tweed trousers.”

“And Will had a devil of a time removing the stain,” Toby said. “But poor Silas, to have his romantic hopes dashed so terribly.”

“Well, we both knew there was little hope of a happy ending between them,” Magnus said. “The Mrs. Curiel of whom the article spoke would surely be an impediment.” He shook his head. “And now this charge of murder. Surely that will be the end of their affair. Silas will have to count himself lucky if his assignation with the boxer is not revealed.”

They both sighed, and Magnus resumed reading the paper while Toby returned to his breakfast. Will was clearing the table when they heard a prodigious banging on the front door.

“Whoever is that?” Magnus asked. “On a Saturday morning?”

“I will see to it,” Will said. “Probably a peddler.”

Magnus heard him open the door, and then hurried footsteps in the hall. Silas Warner burst into the breakfast room. “I need your help!” he exclaimed.

Right behind him, Will looked chagrined. “Mr. Warner,” he said.

“It’s all right, Will.” Magnus rose, pulling the belt of his dressing gown tighter. “Shall we retire to the parlor? We have already read the article in the Times , but you may tell us anything else you know.”

“I saw him arrested last night,” Silas said, his voice rent with despair.

Toby took Silas by the arm. “Will, could you bring Mr. Warner a cup of strong tea?”

Will bustled into the kitchen as the three men removed to the parlor. Magnus brought the paper with him, and handed it to Silas to read.

Magnus felt uncomfortable receiving guests in his gown, so he left Toby and Silas in the parlor and hurried upstairs, where he dressed quickly. By the time he returned, Silas had finished reading the article.

“This is utter falsehood,” he said. “I know Ezra and though he’s strong, he’d never deliberately hurt someone.”

Magnus said gently, “From what the Times has written, the coroner believes Mr. Walpert suffered a punch, which knocked him backwards. Mr. Curiel could have delivered such a punch, not realizing that it would send Mr. Walpert to the ground.”

“And there is the matter of blood on Mr. Curiel’s clothes,” Toby said. “Though as Magnus has pointed out that could have been from his injuries in the fight that night.”

“That’s just it,” Silas said. “I was there for that fight, and Ezra won cleanly. He was not injured at all.”

“Then the blood must have come from Mr. Walpert?” Magnus asked.

Silas shook his head. “There was no blood. Or you would have seen it yourselves.”

Toby and Magnus looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?”

“Look at the date of the banker’s death. Last Saturday night.”

Magnus said, “The night of our most recent soirée.”

“Indeed,” Silas said. “I watched Ezra win his bout, and then we met outside the ring. There was no blood on his clothes. We dined together at the Tabard Inn. And then I brought him here directly.”

“So you believe that he could not have committed this crime?” Magnus asked.

“I don’t believe it, I know it.”

“Do we have last week’s Times ?” Magnus asked Toby.

“Will usually saves the papers for kindling,” Toby said. “I’ll ask him.” He walked out.

“This is a difficult situation,” Magnus said, leaning forward from his place on the divan. “The police have a witness who places Mr. Curiel at the scene of the crime, at the time Mr. Walpert was hit. And yet you affirm that Mr. Curiel could not have been at that place at that time, because he was with you.”

“That’s true. But I can’t just go to the police and tell them that, can I? It would mean the ruination of Ezra’s career, if his proclivity became known.”

“Does his wife know of you? Or other dalliances with men that Mr. Curiel may have had in the past?”

“I don’t know,” Silas said.

Toby returned with the front section of the previous Monday’s paper. “It was at the top of the pile, ready to go into the fire,” he said.

The three of them clustered together to read the original article. “See, it says that Mr. Walpert was beaten after the last fight of the evening, when the ring had emptied,” Silas said. “That night, Ezra was in the first of six matches, before the main event. By the time the last fight was finished, we had already dined and arrived here.”

Magnus put down the paper. “So it appears that someone has put Mr. Curiel into the frame, with the assistance of the boxer’s wife. Unless all three of us, those who might have seen the two of you at the Tabard, and those in attendance at the soirée, have been fooled, Mr. Curiel is innocent of this crime. The question is what can we do to prove that?