“It’s Mason getting rattled, I should think,” said Elk fretfully. “Why I came here I don’t know. Madness! I get like that sometimes—just go dippy and do silly things.” “You came here,” said Inspector Bray heavily, “because you were told to come by your superior officer.” Elk groaned. “The trouble with you, Billy, is that you’ve no sense of unimportance,” he said helplessly. “That doesn’t sound very respectful,” said Mr. Bray severely. He wanted to be very severe indeed, but you never knew with Elk. At any moment he might force you into bringing him before the Chief Constable, and invariably when he was brought before the Chief Constable he demonstrated that he and the Chief Constable were the only people in the world who took a sensible view of the circumstances. “How many men have you posted?” he asked. “I don’t want to give either of these two people a chance of slipping us.”
