“You’ll have to talk to the superintendent about that,” the young policeman said.

Savage came in then, rubbing his hands, full of energy, as if he were at the start of a working day. George thought that he must have shaved before coming to the island. He looked very clean, very healthy. George suddenly felt tired and grey.

“Could I have a word with you, Superintendent,” he asked, “before you speak to Mr. Mardle?”

They went into the common room. The embers of the fire were still glowing. Savage poked them restlessly while George was talking.

“Pamela Marshall came to see me,” he said. “She thought she had some information about Charlie’s death. She admitted that she’d been to see Charlie last night, though she wouldn’t say why.”

“Oh. What was the information?” He was listening as intently as ever, but only out of courtesy. It really wasn’t relevant now. He wanted to get the boy at the station, the formalities over with.

“I don’t know. I didn’t get the opportunity to speak to her again alone. I was waiting until the morning to see her.”

“Too late then,” the policeman said, obviously and callously.

“The boy won’t admit to it.”

For the first time Savage took a serious interest. “ I thought he already had.”

“No. Not exactly.”

“The murder weapon was his knife.”

“Yes.”

“Well then.” Savage looked cheerful. He didn’t like things to be too easy. It was a challenge. He had enough evidence to charge the boy. They could be in court on Monday and he could get a week’s remand to the police cells for further investigation. He’d get his confession in that time. “I’ll be on my way back to the mainland.”

“Don’t you want to talk to anyone else?” George was starting to become frustrated by the policeman’s blinkered interpretation of the case.

“No,” Savage said. “That’ll do in the morning. We can take statements then.”

Palmer-Jones’s surprise registered with Savage. “ You won’t know,” he said, “but the boy threatened to do away with the whole bloody family. We’ve got witnesses. I would have had him in anyway. This …” He nodded his head towards the stairs. “ This is just the icing on the cake.”

Palmer-Jones was no longer useful to him. He dismissed the older man from his thoughts as he had dismissed all the other suspects. George followed him through to the ringing room.

“Come on then, lad,” the policeman said to Nick. “ Let’s get you back to dry land.” He left the room and waited just outside the door.

The boy stood up to follow. He did not argue. He was still very pale, but quite calm.

George went to the desk, took the cassette from the tape-recorder and gave it to Martindale, who nodded.

“I’ll give it to the superintendent,” he said.

Nick spoke to George. “I didn’t do it. I don’t know if I can make them believe me.”

“Don’t worry,” George said. “ Don’t worry.” Then he realized how ridiculous that was. But it seemed to comfort Nick. He walked out, between the two policemen, to the Land Rover.