Hanna turned on him. ‘Why not?’ he said, and there was a whipcrack in his voice that made Stern flinch. ‘I’ve questioned others in San Martin. Why not Mrs Salton?’

Stern said stiffly, ‘I think you should pay due regard to Mrs Salton’s position. And besides …’

Hanna cut in fast. ‘I’m not impressed with money,’ he said uncompromisingly. ‘Well, Mrs Salton?’

‘This is outrag—’ Stern spluttered.

‘Oh, stop it, Abel,’ said Jill. ‘I’ll answer the Superintendent’s questions.’ She looked at me. ‘I said I would.’

I chipped in. ‘Can I suggest we all sit down?’

So we sat down while Stern chuntered on. I think he really did regard the ownership of a lot of money as a qualification for special treatment. In general he may have been right, but it wasn’t what was written in Hanna’s book, and Hanna always went by the book. Even if he had to write parts of it himself, as he had been doing recently.

Hanna said, ‘Let’s get the simpler questions disposed of first. We know about Miss Tomsson. When did you find out about her, Mrs Salton?’

Stern said, ‘Don’t answer that. Are you accusing Mrs Salton of anything, Superintendent?’

‘This is just a preliminary inquiry,’ said Hanna. He looked at Stern thoughtfully. ‘It is entirely up to Mrs Salton whether she answers any questions at all. If she does not do so, I will draw the appropriate conclusions and take the steps that I deem to be necessary. Do I make myself quite clear?’

Stern looked baffled. What Hanna had said was quite true but it didn’t mean a damned thing. Jill laughed shortly. ‘Abel, you’re a fool. Just keep quiet and let’s get this over with.’

Stern looked hurt. Jill said, ‘I first learned about Miss Tomsson on the day my husband disappeared. David and I quarrelled about her.’

‘How could that happen when you didn’t know about her?’

‘I suspected something,’ said Jill. ‘I challenged David with it and he admitted it. So there was a quarrel – as you can imagine. I actually met Miss Tomsson for the first time last night.’

‘I’m sorry about that,’ said Hanna regretfully. ‘My files were not as protected as I imagined.’

‘Yes, how did that happen?’ asked Stern.

Hanna seemed even sleepier than usual. Perhaps the riotous night was catching up with him. ‘I suggest you ask Commissioner Barstow.’

‘Barstow,’ said Jill. ‘Of course.’

‘And after the quarrel, what happened?’

‘David went off in a rage and I didn’t see him again. Ever.’

‘You assumed he’d flown to the States. But that wasn’t right. Then, when it was discovered that the dinghy was missing, you thought your husband had taken it.’

‘He had,’ said Jill. ‘He was found dead in it.’

‘Can you give the exact time your husband left you?’

‘Yes. It was just after ten o’clock on the morning of the ninth.’