"Our next task of course was to try to prove what had become of Talley's body. This took us many more days."
"You engaged detectives to help you?"
"No, sir. I hadn't money enough. But all of Spike Talley's friends helped me. They proved themselves as good detectives as professionals."
"But they are only making out their friend to be a murderer!"
"They seem not to mind that. According to their code he was simply doing his job. Instead of getting his pay for it he was murdered. They wish to avenge him by helping to convict his murderer. I might say that if it was not for me they would probably choose a more direct way of avenging him, but I have persuaded them that it would be a much more terrible punishment to bring the murderer into court."
His Honor wagged his head. "You have been keeping strange company, young lady!"
"I had no choice, sir."
"I suppose you know that these gunmen, gangsters, burglars and so on are not very credible witnesses."
"They are not my principal witnesses, sir. I rely chiefly on Mr. Slaughter, the different professional men, the servants, the second taxi-driver, all of whom are obviously disinterested."
"Where did you get so much information about what constitutes evidence and so on."