And he went away to see what he could bribe the lounge waiter at the Midland into giving him out of hours.
10
"I suppose you know what you're doing, dear," Aunt Lin said, "but I can't help thinking it's very odd of you to defend people like that."
"I am not 'defending' them," Robert said patiently, "I am representing them. And there is no evidence whatever that they are 'people like that'."
"There is the girl's statement, Robert. She couldn't just have made all that up."
"Oh, couldn't she!"
"What advantage would it be to her to tell a lot of lies!" She was standing in his doorway passing her prayer-book from one hand to the other as she put on her white gloves. "What else could she have been doing if she wasn't at The Franchise?"
Robert bit back a "You'd be surprised!" It was always best with Aunt Lin to take the line of least resistance.
She smoothed her gloves into place. "If it's just that you're being noble, Robert dear, I must say you are just being wrong-headed. And do you have to go out to the house! Surely they could come to the office tomorrow. There's no hurry is there? It isn't as if someone was going to arrest them on the spot."
"It was my suggestion that I should go out to The Franchise. If someone accused you of stealing things off Woolworth's counter and you couldn't disprove it, I don't suppose you would enjoy walking down Milford High Street in broad daylight."