Arm in arm they started walking the deck. “Have any trouble with that habeas corpus?” he asked.
“Nuh uh,” she said.
Another half turn in silence. “Happy?” Mason asked.
“Uh huh,” squeezing his arm.
Like two happy children, they walked the deck. “Dammit,” Mason said, frowning, “I wonder what it was that Paul Drake had. It’s the first time I’ve ever known him to get excited over a case. It must be a humdinger—”
She placed her fingers across his lips. “Stop it,” she ordered. “Quit talking about it, and quit thinking about it. If you so much as mention business on this trip, I’ll take a separate ship and leave you to your own devices.” Mason held up his hands in grinning surrender and said, “Kamerad! You win!”
Thereafter, passengers getting their last taste of the cold wind which came tanging in from the sea, hurrying toward their staterooms to lay out light weight tropical garments in anticipation of the warm cruise ahead, smiled tolerantly as they saw the tall, distinguished man, accompanied by the capable, good-looking young woman, parading around the deck, as though it was a ceremonial march, and, as they walked, whistling Hawaiian Paradise.