‘That one has me worried,’ said Hanna. ‘It doesn’t fit.’ He cornered with a squeal of tyres. ‘But we’ll come to it in time.’ He swung the wheel violently the other way. ‘If I’m given the time,’ he added grimly.

‘And if no one takes another shot at me,’ I said. ‘They may not miss next time.’

As we approached El Cerco, I saw that the gates stood open and a uniformed policeman was at the entrance instead of the two estate guards. Hanna stopped and said, ‘Is White here?’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘All right.’ He smiled tightly. ‘Don’t announce me.’ I saw that the sleepy look had come back and I felt a bit more cheerful.

We drove down to the quay and got out of the car. ‘There’s no one to take us over,’ said Hanna and pointed to the launch. ‘But I think I can drive that thing.’

Hanna was good at driving a car; at piloting a boat he was terrible. When we got to the island he rammed the bows into some stonework with a crunch. I grabbed a mooring ring and held on, and we tethered the painter to it. As we climbed from the launch, John appeared. He seemed perturbed by the fact that someone had come through the gate and reached the island unannounced.

‘Superintendent Hanna to see Mrs Salton.’

‘I don’t think Mrs Salton is receiving,’ said John.

Hanna speared him with a gimlet eye. ‘She’d better,’ he said. ‘See to it.’

John vanished into the house. Hanna said, ‘Loyalty is one thing. Common sense is another.’

I looked at him sideways, thinking of the spot he’d put himself in. ‘You ought to know,’ I said.

John came back in jig time. ‘Mrs Salton will see you, sir.’

‘Of course she will,’ said Hanna with a trace of triumphalism.

‘Come this way.’

Hanna grunted in his throat. ‘That grandson of yours; you tell him he’s a damned fool. Tell him from me that if he keeps running with Joe Hawke, he’ll be in big trouble.’

John’s eyes were steady. ‘I’ve already told him, sir. But I’ll pass on your message.’ He turned and led us into the house.

Jill Salton had been swimming or sun-bathing. She wore a white robe very like the one Leotta had worn when I first saw her. I marvelled again how two women could rival each other in loveliness and yet be so different. Behind her stood Stern. Just as I’d advised. She said, ‘Hello, Bill. Inspector, what can I do for you?’

‘Superintendent,’ said Hanna flatly. ‘The time has come for you to answer some questions, Mrs Salton.’

‘And if I don’t?’

‘Then I’ll have to take you to San Martin and hope you’ll answer them there.’

‘Now wait a minute,’ said Stern. ‘You can’t do that.’