"Did you wield the dagger?" one of the scrum of reporters outside the Liberal Democrat HQ asked tonight after Simon Hughes and Vince Cable made their announcement.
The fact that Sir Menzies Campbell was nowhere to be seen as his resignation was announced seemed to give the question extra weight. Mr Hughes, the party chairman, and deputy leader Vince Cable, refused to take questions.
But plenty of questions were being asked about the manner of the announcement and where it leaves the party? When he took over last year amid the concern over Charles Kennedy's problems with alcohol, Sir Menzies was seen as a distinguished safe pair of hands that could provide stability.
With the party struggling in the polls, Sir Menzies leaves it in a debatable state and, whatever has happened, it certainly was not the smoothest exit from the leader's office.
Sir David Steel was insisting on Sky News that questions of who "wielded the dagger" were not relevant and that it was "clearly" Sir Menzies' decision to stand down.
Just as Sir David was saying this, words from Sir Menzies' resignation letter emerged.
Sir Menzies, 66, said it had "become clear that following the prime minister's decision not to hold an election, questions about leadership are getting in the way of further progress by the party. Accordingly, I now submit my resignation as leader with immediate effect".
He has long had to try and bat away the claims that he was too old to continue leading the party and surely won't miss that constant questioning.
Ironically, the prime minister arguably gave the warmest tribute tonight saying he was a man of "great stature and integrity who has served his party and country with distinction".
So who will succeed him at the Lib Dem helm at a time when the party is in the doldrums? Who can capitalise on Gordon Brown's wobble and dampen down the suddenly-soaring David Cameron?
The odds for the next leader from Ladbrokes put Nick Clegg as the clear frontrunner on 4/5. Next is Chris Huhne 3/1, David Laws 8/1, Ed Davey 10/1, Simon Hughes 12/1 and Charles Kennedy 16/1.
Might one of those have that "vision thing" to revive the party?
