‘Come in, come in. What I imagine the commander would like is to find us all settled down and getting acquainted.’ James Bacchus of Special Branch waved a languidly inviting hand across the central table of the operations room. ‘I see we’ve all arrived five minutes early to impress Sir. It’s Hopkirk, isn’t it? How do you do, Superintendent? Hopkirk, why don’t you and your colleague park yourselves over there while we’re waiting? And may I introduce my second in command — Captain Rupert Fanshawe, late of the Grenadier Guards?’
‘Delighted,’ grunted Hopkirk. ‘And may I introduce Inspector Charles Chappel, late of the Victoria Vice?’
The four men sat down opposite each other, casting an occasional covert glance across the table. Hopkirk made a show of taking a sheaf of foolscap sheets from his briefcase and arranging them to his satisfaction in front of him. Chappel did the same with a more modest display of documents. Hopkirk placed a fountain pen and a pencil alongside the sheets. He tweaked the lever of his pen to test the ink supply, he tickled the point of his pencil to assess its sharpness. ‘I like to be prepared,’ he commented. His glance swept unemphatically over the shamingly empty space in front of the two Branch men who were lounging at ease, trying not to catch each other’s eye.
They all waited.
‘Sandilands is always one minute early and comes in like a hurricane, you’ll find,’ Bacchus remarked knowingly to the company.
‘Then this would be the moment to bring the washing in and batten down the hatches,’ Hopkirk advised. ‘If I’m not mistaken, here he-’
Joe came striding into the room. ‘No, no, remain seated, will you? Now, Hopkirk is here as officer in charge of the investigation of the admiral’s murder. And please note: murder is what we’re calling it until further notice, not assassination. Hopkirk, I see you’re ready. In a moment you will treat us to an outline of your findings, and we’ll follow that with whatever questions the Branch may have.’
He took his place at the head of the table. ‘But first, gentlemen …’ He leaned forward and fixed on the eyes of each man in turn. ‘I see you’ve lined yourselves up for a quadrille, or is it a bout of jousting you have in mind? I’m partial to a bit of cut and thrust myself but I won’t have sides taken on this one. We’re all in this together and we succeed together. I’m not contemplating any other outcome. Don’t take me for your scoutmaster or your padré. Think for yourselves. Get it right. Share what you have. Hopkirk, you have five minutes to convince Bacchus and Fanshawe that we are considering a civil misdemeanour in the case of the death of the admiral.’
‘Well, thank you for that exposé, Superintendent. I understand you’d have us believe that the nationality of the gunmen is pure coincidence?’ Bacchus’s voice was gently scathing. ‘Now tell me if I’m hopelessly adrift here — two Irishmen, both, you are able at last to tell us, with links to Fenian gangs, lay ambush to the most vocal and most respected of British opponents to the notion of Irish self-rule — barring only Winston Churchill perhaps — and you say the motive was not a political one? Moreover, these chancers choose the very moment when protection squads have been stood down … and the target steps back on to his home stage in the capital again after a long absence. Well, well! My question is: if we’re called on to leave political sensitivities aside, one does rather wonder what Lord Dedham could possibly have done in his last twenty-four hours to upset these fellows to the point of having them turn a pistol on him?’
Hopkirk was not put out. ‘A deliberate misinterpretation. I’m just saying we ought to keep an open mind for a bit longer. The victim was other things in his life besides Navy man and politician. He was rich — and that’s always something worth bearing in mind. We plan to look with interest at his will when we can get our hands on a copy. And he was an abrasive type … even his wife admits he’d made enemies, not all of them in the field of politics.’