In the office the smell was less penetrating. The windows looked out to the smoking chimneys and over the corrugated iron roof of the factory to the sea. 'So it was Lovaas who brought that whale in.' Jorgensen seated himself at the desk by the radio equipment. 'Was that on the 8th or 9th?'
'The 9th,' Kielland answered. He had pulled forward a chair for Jill. Curtis and I seated ourselves on the edge of a desk. 'He came in at dawn. The meat was cut out, packed and away on the meat boat by the evening.'
'When did Lovaas leave?' Jorgensen asked.
'Not till the evening. He required water and fuel.'
'So the message could have been placed in the meat by any one on the station or any of the crew of Hval Ti?'
'Yes.'
'What about your head packer? Why doesn't he keep an eye on things?'
'He does. But the packing sheds are too big to watch everyone who comes and goes. Besides, there is no reason for him to watch the men coming through from the deck to the quay.'
'They might steal meat.'
'They have no need. I allow them to take as much as they wish back to their homes.'