‘Till there was no more signalling. The tide was in by then. By heck, I didn’t much enjoy wading back. He beat me to it coming home. Me blinking tyre had gone flat on me and I had to pump up three times. His bus was in the garage. By cripey, he’s a beaut. Wait till I get him. That’ll be the day.’

‘What will you do about it?’

‘Bike into town and go to the police station.’

‘I’ll ask for the car.’

‘Heck, no. I’ll bike. Here, you’d better not say anything to him.’

‘Who?’

Simon jerked his head.

‘Gaunt? I can’t promise not to do that. You see we’ve discussed Questing so much, and Colly talks to Gaunt and you’ve talked to Colly. And anyway,’ said Dikon, ‘I can’t suddenly begin keeping him in the dark about things. You’ve got a fantastic idea of Gaunt. He’s—dear me, how embarrassing the word still is—he’s a patriot. He gave the entire profit of the last three weeks’ Shakespearean season in Melbourne to the war effort.’

‘Huh,’ Simon grunted. ‘Money.’

‘It’s what’s wanted. And I’d like to talk to him about last night for another reason. He took the car out after dinner. Once in a blue moon he gets a sudden idea he wants to drive. He may have noticed a light out to sea. He said he’d go up the coast road to the north.’

‘And what he’s done to the car is nobody’s business. It’s a terrible road. Have you looked at her? Covered in mud and scratched all over the wings. It’s not his fault he didn’t burst up the back axle in a pot hole. He’s a shocking driver.’

Dikon decided to ignore this. ‘What about Dr Ackrington?’ he said. ‘After all he was the first to suspect something. Oughtn’t you to take his advice before you make a move?’

‘Uncle James doesn’t see things my way,’ said Simon aggressively, ‘and I don’t see things his way. He thinks I’m crude and I think he’s a nark and a dug-out.’

‘Nevertheless I think I should tell him.’

‘I dunno where he’s got to.’

‘He’s returning tomorrow, isn’t he? Wait till he comes before you do anything.’

A motor horn sounded on the main road.

‘Is that the mail?’ cried Dikon.

‘That’s right. What about it?’

Dikon looked out of the window. ‘It’s beginning to rain again.’

‘What of it?’

‘Nothing, nothing,’ said Dikon in a hurry.

II