“Never saw the inside of a gaol in my life,” he boasted. “Nor did Staveley either, that I know about.”
“I've no doubt my colleagues did their best,” Sir Clinton said amiably.
The inspector came back to his earlier question.
“Is that all you can tell us about him?”
“Who? Staveley? Well, sometimes we worked together. But it's not likely I'd tell you much about that, is it?”
“What was he doing down here?”
“Staying with me for a day or two. I was getting a bit jaded with rush-work in the City, so I came down here for a rest. And Staveley, he said he'd join me and we'd work out a new scheme for benefiting some members of the public.”
The inspector nodded.
“Some easy-money business, I suppose. Now come to last night, and be careful what you say. Tell me exactly what you can remember. Begin about dinner-time.”
Billingford reflected for a moment or two before answering.