‘You are running true to form, aren’t you? I suppose there was some petty racket going on with petrol and you couldn’t pin it on anyone, so you’ve picked a dead man. That’s just like a policeman. You’re a real policeman, I suppose?’

‘Yes, Scotland Yard, but they’ve put me into a colonel’s uniform when I’m on duty.’

He was between me and the door now. I couldn’t get away from the table without coming into range. I’m no fighter, and he had six inches of advantage anyway. I said, ‘It wasn’t petrol.’

‘Tyres, saccharin – why don’t you policemen catch a few murderers for a change?’

‘Well, you could say that murder was part of his racket.’

He pushed the table over with one hand and made a dive at me with the other; the drink confused his calculations. Before he could try again my driver had his arms round him. I said, ‘Don’t treat him rough. He’s only a writer with too much drink in him.’

‘Be quiet, can’t you, sir,’ my driver said. He had an exaggerated sense of officer-class. He would probably have called Lime ‘sir’.

‘Listen, Callaghan, or whatever your bloody name is …’

‘Calloway. I’m English, not Irish.’

‘I’m going to make you look the biggest bloody fool in Vienna. There’s one dead man you aren’t going to pin your unsolved crimes on.’

‘I see. You’re going to find me the real criminal? It sounds like one of your stories.’

‘You can let me go, Callaghan. I’d rather make you look the fool you are than black your bloody eye. You’d only have to go to bed for a few days with a black eye. But when I’ve finished with you, you’ll leave Vienna.’

I took out a couple of pounds’ worth of bafs and stuck them in his breast pocket. ‘These will see you through tonight,’ I said, ‘and I’ll make sure they keep a seat for you on tomorrow’s London plane.’

‘You can’t turn me out. My papers are in order.’

‘Yes, but this is like other cities: you need money here. If you change sterling on the black market I’ll catch up on you inside twenty-four hours. Let him go.’

Rollo Martins dusted himself down. He said, ‘Thanks for the drinks.’

‘That’s all right.’

‘I’m glad I don’t have to feel grateful. I suppose they were on expenses?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’ll be seeing you again in a week or two when I’ve got the dope.’ I knew he was angry. I didn’t believe then that he was serious. I thought he was putting over an act to cheer up his self-esteem.

‘I might come and see you off tomorrow.’

‘I shouldn’t waste your time. I won’t be there.’