"What's all this," she repeated in exactly the same quiet voice, "about bringing them here?"
Lasser rubbed his chin.
"Oh, of course," he said. "Bringing them here. Yes.
I didn't tell you — I didn't really mean them to meet me at Lulworth. That was just to get them ready for the story Jopley had to tell them. It was all arranged so that they'd be sure to come here, so I suppose I can say we brought them."
"I see," she said innocently. "So you were just using me as a sort of stuffed decoy."
Lasser's broad smile did not waver.
"I shouldn't say that, my dear. No. Not at all. You couldn't have played your part nearly so well if you hadn't believed in it. I was just making it easier for you." He tugged at his ear again for a moment and then pulled out his watch, consulted it, stuffed it back in his pocket and rubbed his hands briskly together with an air of breezy decision. "Now, Brenda, it's time you were off. As a matter of fact I thought you'd have started by this time. Remember you're due in London at one o'clock."
Her shoulders moved slightly.
"I can make it in three hours easily in the new Lagonda," she said slowly. "And since I'm here I'd like to see how you get on."
"But you've got to allow for accidents. If you had a puncture—"