"No, but I got a feeling," said Miss Jenkins mysteriously.
"You and your feelings!"
"Tell me this," interposed Hannasyde. "Was the man dark or fair?"
But Miss Jenkins refused to commit herself on this point. Pressed, she said that it was too dark to see. Mr. Sydney Potter said indulgently: "You never sor a thing. It was this way, sir: me and my young lady were having what you might call a chat. We didn't notice no one particularly. What I mean is, not to be sure of them."
"Did you see the man in evening dress?"
Mr. Potter said cautiously: "Not to remember, I didn't. There was two or three people passed, but I didn't take no notice. It's like this: I do seem to think there was a toff walking down the other side of the road, but I wouldn't like to swear to it."
"Yes, and he must have met the policeman, what's more," put in Miss Jenkins. "It was just a minute after he went by that I saw the policeman. Fancy if he done it under the policeman's nose, as you might say. Oo, some people haven't half got a nerve! I sort of know it was a gangster."
"You're barmy! The policeman came by ages before," said Mr. Potter fondly. "Go on, put a sock in it! You don't remember nothing."
This opinion was shared by Sergeant Hemingway, who said disgustedly as soon as the couple had departed: "Nice pair of witnesses, I don't think! If they were carrying on the whole evening like they were when I found them, it's a wonder to me they saw anyone. Proper necking-party. I'm bothered if I know how people keep it up for the hours they do. The girl wants to see her picture in the papers, I've met her sort before. Potter's not much better, either. In fact, they're neither of them any good."
"Except that the girl did see a man in evening dress, which corroborates the coffee-stall proprietor's story. We'll see what the policeman has to say. If the girl was speaking the truth about his having passed just after she saw the man in evening dress, we may get somewhere."