He asked Natouche what had passed between him and the motorcyclists. He waited for a moment or two and then said the young man had asked him if he was a passenger in the Zodiac. He thought from his manner that the question was intended as a covert insult of some sort, Dr Natouche said tranquilly, but he had answered that he was and the girl had burst out laughing.

‘I walked away,’ he said, ‘and the young man gave one of those cries—I think they are known as catcalls. It was not an unusual incident.’

‘Can you remember them clearly? They sound sufficiently objectionable to be remembered.’

‘They were dressed in black leather. The man was rather older than one expected. They both had long, very dark hair falling from their helmets to their shoulders. The man’s hair was oily. He had a broad face, small, deep-set eyes and a slightly prognathic jaw. The girl was sallow. She had large eyes and an outbreak of acne on her chin.’

Pollock made his standard remark. ‘Isn’t it marvellous?’ and gave his little sneering laugh.

‘Thank you,’ Alleyn said. ‘That’s very useful.’

Pollock now took action. He got up from the table, lounged across the saloon and stood with his hands in his pockets and his head on one side, quite close to Natouche.

“Ere,’ he said. ‘You! “Doctor”. What’s the big idea?’

‘I don’t understand you. I’m sorry.’

‘You don’t? I think you do. I see you talking to the ton-up combo and I never took the impression they was slinging off at you. I think that’s just your story like you lot always trot out: “Oh, dear, aren’t they all insultin’ to us noble martyrs”. I took a different impression. I took the impression you knew them two before. See?’

‘You are mistaken.’

Alleyn said: ‘Did anyone else get such an impression?’

Hewson said: ‘Yeah, I guess I did. Yeah, sure I did.’

‘Mr Lazenby?’

‘I’m very loath to jump to conclusions. I’m not prepared to say positively. I must confess—’

‘Well?’

‘We were some way away, Superintendent, on the wapentake slope. I don’t think an impression at that distance has much value. But—well, yes I thought—vaguely, you know—that perhaps the Doctor had found some friends. Only a vague idea.’

‘Mr Bard? What about you?’

Caley Bard drove his fingers through his hair and swore under his breath. He then said ‘I agree that any impression one may have taken at that remove is absolutely valueless. We could hear nothing that was said. Dr Natouche’s explanation fits as well as any other.’

‘If he never seen them before how’s he remember all this stuff about jaws and pimples?’ Pollock demanded. ‘After half a minute! Not likely!’