'Of course,' I said, and held out my hand.
His grip was limp and perfunctory. 'I wish to talk with you.' he said.
'Come on board, then,' I invited.
Carter poked his head up out of the engine-room hatch as I stepped down on to the deck. His face was smeared with grease. 'Where's Mr Everard?' I asked.
'Doon in the saloon, sir,' he answered. 'There's Miss Somers an' a man wi' him. The man came aboord wi' a suitcase as though he were planning to stay for the weekend.'
I nodded and dived down the main companionway. 'Mind your head,' I warned Jorgensen. When I entered the saloon I found the girl seated opposite Dick in the half light. Beside her stood a heavily-built man with red hair. I knew him at once. 'Curtis Wright, isn't it?' I asked.
'So you remember me, eh?' He sounded pleased. 'You know, you were one of the few industrialists I enjoyed visiting,' he added, seizing my hand in a powerful grip. 'You knew what we wanted and got things moving.' At one time he'd been responsible for testing our artillery equipment. He'd been in and out of the works quite a bit. He was regular army.
'Is this a social call?' I asked. 'Or are you here about Farnell?'
'I'm here about Farnell,' he answered. 'Sir Clinton Mann telephoned me this morning.'
'You knew Farnell?' I asked him.