McKittrick was waiting by the roadside, the field behind him all neat and tidy. As I pulled the car to a halt, he stepped forward and then stopped to look back along the road. I glanced into the mirror and saw the copper on the motorcycle come to a halt, the regulation two hundred yards behind. Dust rose in the hot air.

McKittrick bent down and said through the window, ‘Why did you bring him?’

‘I didn’t,’ I said. ‘He’s fastened to the back of the car with an invisible length of rope. Whither I go, he goeth. I suppose he’s some kind of bodyguard.’

‘Do you need one?’

‘Superintendent Hanna seems to think so. Someone took a shot at me yesterday. Gave me a real pain in the neck.’

McKittrick looked back at the motorcycle. He seemed worried. ‘Let’s go to my place,’ he said, and opened the door. He settled in the seat and I set off. ‘Who would want to kill you?’

I looked sideways at him. ‘Don’t you know?’

He jerked. ‘How would I know?’

‘You’ve got a hell of a lot to answer for,’ I said. ‘I’ve just had a fast talk with your grandfather. Jesus, when I talked to you the other day I thought you were all right. Now I don’t know if you’re a damned fool or a raving maniac.’

He was silent, then he said, ‘Turn right here.’ I wheeled the car around the corner and checked the mirror to see if Old Faithful was still with me. He was. McKittrick said, ‘It’s Joe Hawke – he’s pushing hard.’

‘Why don’t you leave him?’

‘Where would I go? Join Conyers and his mob?’ He sounded sick.

‘You could always go back to the Liberals. Now Salton is dead they need leadership.’

‘I left them once. I doubt if they’d have me back. I’ve been thinking over what you said. Salton was right and I was wrong.’ He shook his head. ‘But it’s too late now.’

‘I don’t think so,’ I said. ‘Better men than you have turned their coats twice. Churchill did it, went from the Conservatives to the Liberals and back to the Conservatives again to become leader of the party.’ I smiled grimly. ‘He said that anyone can rat once, but it takes a man to rat twice.’

‘I’ll think about it.’ His tone was unconvincing.

I said, ‘Whoever set up that political demonstration was looking for trouble. The police were waiting.’

‘That’s Joe,’ said McKittrick. ‘He’s trying to make as much political capital out of Salton’s death as he can. After the inquest things cooled down but when you came, he saw the chance to stoke the fire again. There was another riot today.’