Caley said: ‘This is getting a bit tough, Alleyn, isn’t it?’ and Pollock at once began to talk about police methods. ‘This is nothing,’ he said. ‘Nothing to what goes on in the cells. Don’t you answer ‘im, kid. Don’t give ‘im the satisfaction. They can’t make you. Don’t put yourself in wrong.’

Tom turned aside, ducked his head into the crook of his arms and gave way to ungainly tears. There were sounds of indignation from the passengers.

The Skipper had returned. His voice could be heard on deck and in a moment he came nimbly down the companion-way followed by the Sergeant from Tollardwark.

The Skipper looked at his son. ‘What’s all this?’ he asked.

Tom raised a tear-blubbered face, tried to say something and incontinently bolted to the lower deck.

Alleyn said: ‘I’ll have a word with you about this in a moment, Skipper,’ and turned to the Sergeant.

‘What is it?’

‘Message from the Super at Toll’ark, sir.’ He looked at the assembly and produced a note which he handed to Alleyn.

‘Motorbike couple picked up near Pontefract. Bringing them to Tollardwark at once. With article of jewellery.’

CHAPTER 9
The Creeper

‘I pause here,’ Alleyn said, ‘to draw your attention to a matter of technique.

‘You’ll have noticed that at this point I questioned the passengers in a group instead of following the more orthodox line of seeing them separately, taking notes and getting a signed statement. This was admittedly a risky thing to do and I didn’t take that risk without hesitation. You see, by now we were sure we had a case of conspiracy on our hands and I felt that, interviewed separately, they would have time to concoct some kind of consistent tarradiddle whereas, if we caught them all together and on the hop, they would have to improvise and in doing so might give themselves away. We felt certain they were under orders from Foljambe and that Foljambe was one of them, and Mr Fox and I had a pretty good notion which. You will, I dare say, have a pretty good notion yourselves.’

Carmichael, in the second row, showed signs of becoming active.

‘I won’t, however,’ Alleyn said, ‘ask what they are. We’re not playing a guessing game, or are we? Well—never mind. I’ll press on.