"None at all," Amberley agreed. "Meanwhile, is the boy being watched?"
"He's being watched all right, sir," said the sergeant. "But if you were to ask me, I should have to say that you might as well put on an elephant to watch him as young Tucker; it wouldn't be any more noticeable."
"I don't mind that," Amberley said. "As long as someone's trailing him, that's all I wanted to know."
The sergeant coughed. "Of course you have your reasons, sir?" he said tentatively.
"No," said Amberley frankly. "I've only my suspicions - which may yet prove to be far-fetched. Watching Brown is a precaution and possibly an over-precaution."
"It sounds to me as though it's going to be a funny sort of a case, sir."
"I think it is, Sergeant. Very funny," said Mr. Amberley.
"And what I don't see," pursued the sergeant, "is what a young drunk has got to do with it. Because that's what he is, sir. A proper young drunk. Scandalous I call it, at his age. Evening after evening it's the same tale. Down he comes to the Blue Dragon, drinks himself silly, and has to be put outside at closing-time. I'm sorry for the young lady, but what I say is, why don't she have him put into one of these homes you read about where they set out to cure people of wanting liquor? Not but what that does seem a crool sort of thing to do, but there you are! What can you do for such a young boozer? Because it's no good her thinking she can manage him. Mrs. Jones, who does for them at the cottage, says that when he gets the craving it'd take a regiment of soldiers to keep him in."
"Goes to the Blue Dragon every night, does he?" said Amberley thoughtfully.
"Regular as clockwork. It's common knowledge, and even old Wagge, who's been in the lock-up for drunk and disorderly I don't know how many times, gets shocked to see a kid of his age making so free with the bottle."