“You ask me to find out, I accommodate you. And now I go call the sheriff. I must ask you not to disturb anything.”
“I think,” the Saint said softly, “that before the evening is out we shall disturb many things, my friend.”
Esteban went back up the path, and the Saint took Patricia’s arm and led her off at a tangent to pass around the outside of the building. He had several more questions to ask, and he thought he knew where to start asking them.
In front of the club, the Admiral was admitting new customers on a froth of salt-water argot. He greeted the Saint and Pat with his largest smile.
“Ahoy, mates! Enjoying the trip?”
“That is hardly an accurate description of our emotions at the moment,” Simon said. “We’re after a little information about an incident that occurred a few moments ago.”
“I keep an accurate log, sir. Fire away.”
“Did you see Mrs Verity come out of the club?”
“Aye, that I did, not more than fifteen minutes ago. Fact is, I’d just sounded four bells when she went ashore.”
“Why didn’t you stop her?” Simon asked sharply. “You knew we were waiting for her.”