I turned and found Negrini. ‘Hello, Gerry.’

‘Are you here by invitation?’ His voice expressed incredulity.

‘I haven’t got leprosy,’ I said.

‘You’ve got the social equivalent, from what I hear,’ he said. ‘You are not too popular with Conyers.’

‘Maybe I’ve been invited to be the principal guest at a lynching.’ Roker and Hosmer strolled by, their heads close together. They were talking in short, jerky sentences and both faces were unsmiling. I indicated Roker. ‘That’s the chap I asked you to check on.’

‘Roker,’ said Negrini. ‘There’s a kind of Chamber of Commerce – not the official one but a sort of inner club of the big boys. Very private and by invitation only. Roker seems to be a trouble-shooter and hatchet man. Who’s the other guy?’

‘Lord Hosmer, my employer – for a short while. He’s going to fire me.’

‘Going to fire you!’ Negrini was baffled. ‘Why the hell doesn’t he do it now?’

‘I’ve got him by the balls,’ I said. ‘But I can’t hang on long. Besides, I was present when someone reamed him out. He’s not going to forget that.’

‘You lead an interesting life,’ said Negrini.

‘What are you doing here?’ I asked. ‘You told me Conyers is going to chase you off the island after the election. You’re not too popular, either.’

He grinned. ‘It’s the old political game of pretending we’re all gentlemen. Besides, it’s easier to stab a man when you’re shaking his hand.’

I looked across the room and saw Hanna talking to the uniform I’d seen earlier. ‘Who is that with Hanna?’

‘His boss, Commissioner Barstow.’ He laughed. ‘Do you see Jackson just behind them trying to eavesdrop?’ He tapped me on the arm. ‘What the hell is going on at El Cerco? Jill Salton tells me that Hanna has arrested someone from the estate.’

‘Not arrested,’ I said. ‘Just held for questioning. When did she tell you that?’

‘About five minutes ago.’

‘She’s here then?’

Negrini nodded across the room. ‘Over in the far corner.’

‘I’ll see you later,’ I said, and moved off through the crowd. It seemed as though the gang was all here and they must have been assembled for a reason. Any man who gets to become Prime Minister is no fool, and I wondered what was in Conyers’s mind.

Jill was talking to a short, balding guest but she saw me coming, excused herself and came to meet me. She wasted no time. ‘What does Hanna think he’s doing?’ she demanded in a low voice. ‘Why has he arrested Raymond White?’

‘He hasn’t,’ I said. ‘White is helping the police with their inquiries.’

‘You know damned well that’s a newspaper euphemism,’ she said.

‘But it’s true this time. Barstow blundered when he went to El Cerco. He neglected to question White. Hanna is just doing a follow-up.’