"That's just it," Robert said equably, ignoring this additional flick at his Milford security. "It's there on the doorstep and I don't quite know how to deal with it. I want to listen to someone being intelligent about the situation. I don't know why I should unload it on you. You must be sick of problems. But you always did do my algebra for me."
"And you always reckoned the stocks and shares ones, if I remember rightly. I was always a fool about stocks. I still owe you something for saving me from a bad investment. Two bad investments," he added.
"Two?"
"Tamara, and Topeka Tin."
"I remember saving you from Topeka Tin, but I had nothing whatever to do with your breaking with Tamara."
"Oh, hadn't you, indeed! My good Robert, if you could have seen your face when I introduced you to her. Oh, no, not that way. Quite the contrary. The instantaneous kindness of your expression, that blasted English mask of courtesy and good breeding-it said everything. I saw myself going through life introducing Tamara to people and watching their faces being well-bred about it. It cured me of her in record time. I have never ceased to be grateful to you. So produce what is in the despatch case."
Nothing escaped Kevin, Robert thought, taking out his own copy of Betty Kane's statement to the police.
"This is a very short statement. I wish you would read it and tell me how it strikes you."
He wanted the impact on Kevin, without preliminaries to dull the edge of it.
Macdermott took it, read the first paragraph in one swift eye movement, and said: "This is the Ack-Emma 's protegee, I take it."