'Don't tell me,' he said. 'I've heard all about it. Well, at least you can find the Japanese fellow's wife.'
'We've done that, sir,' Linton said.
'So I should bloody well think,' said Loomis. 'Was she hurt?'
'No, sir.'
Loomis grunted. 'No thanks to you,' he said. 'Well, what are we going to do now? You stand by like stone images and watch a girl shoved under a train and Craig fighting a private war. What are you going to do?'
'I take it they're both dead, sir?' Linton asked.
'What do you think?' Loomis snarled. 'They killed his girl. Bloody fools. Just like that duel business. If they'd let well enough alone, he was going to give himself up. Did you know that? He must have been very fond of her.'
'Yes, sir,' said Grierson, and rubbed bis neck.
'That's why he clobbered you,' Loomis said, 'and I don't blame him. He did better on his own. Trouble is, he killed a couple of blokes. One might be self-defense. The other was murder.'
'No, sir,' said Linton. 'Duclos was shooting at him.'
'Ah,' said Loomis. 'Was he now? A bloke running amok, shoving girls under trains, charging at the great British public with a loaded pistol, and along comes a hero and knocks him off. Very public-spirited.'
'It was his girl who was killed,' said Linton.
'Whosegirl?',….
Sanderson said, 'Craig's, of course.' She sounded bewildered.;
'Craig's'dead,' said Loomis. 'I keep telling you. I've seen the death certificate. This bloke's name is Jameson. He's in nuts and bolts. Doesn't go in for girls. His hobby's pistol-shooting. He's got a gun licence too. I saw it made out myself.'
'You're going to let him go then?'
'He's gone,' said Loomis. 'Visiting a pal in Corfu. Another businessman. An American. Name of Turner. He met fiim on the Riviera. Got a couple of girls with him. Singers or something. Very interested in culture is Jameson.' He glared for the last time at Linton and Sanderson.
'You can shove now,' he said.
They shoved.
'We've had word from France. Officially, they take a dim view. Unofficially, they're grateful-and so they should be. St. Briac and his pals were raving loonies, and they knew it. Well, it's nice to know they owe us a favor.'
He settled back in his chair and leered at Grierson.
'I sent Craig to Corfu myself,' he said. 'I thought he was entided to a bit of a holiday. I don't want him to overdo it.'
'You mean he's coming back to us?' Grierson asked. 'Well of course he's coming back to us,' said Loomis. 'He's got nowhere else to go.'
