Hanna’s voice was solemn. ‘I have firm evidence that the dinghy was still in the boathouse at three o’clock on the morning of the tenth.’ Stern shot bolt upright. ‘Can you suggest what your husband was doing during those seventeen hours?’

‘But that can’t be,’ said Jill.

‘Impossible!’ exploded Stern simultaneously.

‘What’s impossible about it?’ asked Hanna testily. ‘Did you examine the boathouse at any time, Mr Stern?’

‘No, of course not. I wasn’t here.’

‘Then you’ll oblige me by keeping quiet when matters of fact you know nothing about are under consideration. If you have any hard evidence, I’ll be interested to hear it later. Mrs Salton, did you check the boathouse?’

‘Only when I thought of it, when Commissioner Barstow was here.’

‘And that was on the evening of the thirteenth,’ mused Hanna. ‘The dinghy had gone.’ He stirred, then put his hand to his breast pocket. ‘Do you mind if I smoke, Mrs Salton?’

‘Not at all.’

Hanna took out a cheroot and lit it. He examined the glowing end and said, ‘Do you like sailing at night, Mrs Salton?’

‘Sometimes, yes. David and I used to take a boat out at night occasionally. He liked night fishing.’

‘Always in a dinghy?’

‘Generally. David liked to sail. We have a big fishing cruiser but David rarely used it. He wasn’t much of a man for power boats.’

‘What about you, Mrs Salton? Did you ever take the dinghy out by yourself?’

‘I have done.’

‘At night?’

‘No, never at night. I wouldn’t go out alone at night. David was always with me then.’ She frowned. ‘Am I supposed to have taken the dinghy to sea at three in the morning? If Raymond said that he’s mistaken.’

‘Possibly. May I use your telephone?’

‘Of course. You’ll find one in the hall.’

Hanna stood up and jerked his head at me, so I followed him into the hall. He said, ‘Mr Kemp, I like you very much but I don’t want you talking to Mrs Salton at this stage of the investigation. You might not give anything away deliberately, but you could let a chance word slip.’

I grinned and said, ‘There’s the telephone.’

He picked it up and got through to the shore, speaking in a low voice. Presently he put it down and said, ‘They’re bringing White across.’

‘But we’ve got the launch on this side.’

‘There are other boats,’ he said without interest, and lapsed into thoughtful silence.

We waited half an hour in the hall, during which time John came and silently laid a tray of tea on a side table. He was going away when he turned and said to Hanna, ‘I told Jake what you said.’

‘Any answer?’

John looked at me. ‘He said Mr Kemp knows all about it.’ He went away.

Hanna said, ‘What was that about?’