At three o'clock, the village reconvened at the Parish Hall.

A strange atmosphere hung thick over every man, woman and child. Mr Cavendish noted that the usual niceties of village life had yielded to a dark mood that hung over the congregation like a cloud. Lanky had let it be known that all suspects had been detained, and no left-handed villager had been allowed to return to his or her home. This news proved popular. But less so was his statement that although he was now quite certain of the axe-murderer's identity, he flatly refused at this time to reveal who it was. All the villagers seemed ready, willing and eager, to unify with burning torch and pitchfork, to lynch the axe-murderer – if Lanky would but give them that name.

But this was not to be the way of things, and only Mr Cavendish appreciated that this was just another phase of the Plan.

"Listen to me!" Lanky called from the stage. Behind him, Mrs Knight hastily scribbled down minutes, and Mr Cobbler nodded. "I might know in my heart who the axe-murderer is, but my heart cannot provide hard evidence."

The villagers seemed to draw a breath as one, ready to attack Lanky with a barrage of angry shouts, but Lanky cut them short with a shout of his own.

"Quiet! I will not let your fear and anger judge a man or woman on my hearsay. You are better than a mob. You are the people of Ideal Village."

Mr Cavendish smiled as Lanky's words seemed to give each villager a moment of reflection.

"I am a policeman, and I will gather evidence as a policeman should. Many of you have no doubt noticed the Woodpecker pub is currently closed for business, and that our intrepid Adventurers have not been present at these meetings."

Some villagers were indeed aware of this; others simply frowned thoughtfully, and then said, "Oh yeah."

Lanky continued. "Margaret Sharpspear, Dennis Trueshot, and Roger Honourbound have been aiding my investigations. They are gathering information, hard facts, even as we speak. And at midnight tonight, I will meet them in Ring Wood, where I believe they will hand over the irrefutable evidence that I will not make an arrest without.

"Be assured, the Plan proceeds as planned. Return to your homes, each and every one of you, and observe the rules of curfew more stringently than ever. Go – now! – watch everybody. Keep each other safe. And I promise you, come the morning, the threat of the axe-murderer will be gone for good."

Before any more objections could be raised, and with the prompting of the police officers sitting amongst them, the villagers were encouraged out of the Parish Hall to return home and observe curfew.

Mr Cavendish checked his watch. He was in no rush to leave this time, or to be anywhere in particular. After all, the next phase of the Plan could not happen until the dead of night.