There was a little pause.
“Well, thank goodness Margaret seems to be outside it at last,” said Anthony.
“Yes, and talking of Margaret, Anthony, I want you to treat what I’ve told you as highly confidential. It’s much better for her not to know about this for the time being, at any rate till we hear from Scotland Yard. It may only raise false hopes, and in any case I don’t want it talked about. You can simply say that I’m still pursuing my enquiries. Is it a bet?”
“I’m quite sure,” Anthony began, “that Margaret can be trusted not to⸺”
“It isn’t a case of that at all,” Roger interrupted peremptorily. “It’s simply that this information is to be looked on as my private property till I choose to make it public. If I can’t rely on you to keep things to yourself when I don’t want them to go any further, then I simply shan’t be able to tell you anything. Now then, what about it?”
“Of course if you make such a point of it,” said Anthony, a little sulkily.
“I do!”
“All right, then.”
“Then that’s settled,” Roger said cheerfully. “Have some more beer.”
Anthony rose. “No thanks. As a matter of fact I—I’ve got to be getting along now.”