Prenderby sighed.
‘I wish you’d decided to overtake,’ he said. ‘This is a marvellous road. It wouldn’t hurt us to be a bit nearer, anyway, would it?’
Martin nudged him gently.
‘If you want to try your speed, my lad,’ he said, ‘here’s your opportunity. The old lady has started to move.’
The other two glanced ahead sharply. The Rolls had suddenly begun to move at something far beyond her previous respectable rate. The red tail-light was already disappearing into the distance.
Prenderby’s share in the conversation came to an abrupt end. The Riley began to purr happily and they shot forward at an ever-increasing pace until the speedometer showed sixty.
‘Steady!’ said Martin. ‘Don’t pass them in your excitement. We don’t want them to spot us either.’
‘What makes you so sure that they haven’t done so already?’ said Abbershaw shrewdly, and added as they glanced at him inquiringly, ‘I couldn’t help thinking as we came along that they were going very leisurely, taking their time, when there was plenty of other traffic on the road. As soon as we were alone together they began to move. I believe they’ve spotted us.’
Prenderby spoke without looking round.
‘He’s right,’ he said. ‘Either that or they’re suddenly in the deuce of a hurry. I’m afraid they’re suspicious of us. They can’t possibly know who we are with lights like these.’