attempt to take the Yard man by surprise. Grice, still sitting on the stool with his hands in his pockets, looked round with a grin. Ebbutt took off his glasses.
“Why, fancy seein’ you, Mr Ar!”
“Yes, fancy,” said Grice. “Hallo, Roily.”
Rollison gravely shook hands with Ebbutt. Grice kept his hands in his pockets. The flapping sound of gloves hitting gloves stopped and they knew that the far doorway was crowded, everyone was trying to see what was happening in the office.
“On holiday?” Rollison asked Grice.
“Just taking an hour off.”
“And hundreds of bad men are running around London doing what they like,” reproached Rollison. “Give the ratepayer a square deal, old chap.”
“Cor!” choked Ebbutt. “Cor, that’s a good one, that is!” He was doubled up, not altogether with mirth but to hide his confusion, for he was on edge and embarrassed. “Cor, that’s wunnerful, Mr Ar!”
“Yes, isn’t he good?” asked Grice dryly. “You on holiday, Roily, or just looking for trouble?”
“Your guess,” said Rollison.
Grice shrugged. “I don’t have to guess; I know. [ thought I’d probably find you here and I’ve come on a mission of good will.”
“The improbable policeman,” murmured Rollison.
“Did you find Mellor?” asked Grice and leaned back on the stool, looking at Rollison through his lashes.
Ebbutt grunted as if something had struck him in the stomach and shot a glance at Rollison, whose poker-face gave nothing away.
“It’s still your guess,” he said.
“I don’t want to waste time guessing. Roily, I know you’re full of good intentions and we’ve done some useful work together but be careful. Mellor is a killer.”
“So you say.”
“I know he’s a killer. There isn’t any argument about it. He’s not worth your attention.”
“Judge and jury both, are you?” asked Rollison.
“Where is he?” demanded Grice.
“You’ve been after him for a month. Don’t you know?”
Grice frowned. “So it’s like that? I was afraid of it when I heard you’d been to see Judith Lorne. She’s a nice kid and I know you’ve a soft spot for damsels in distress but you’d be wise to convince her gently that she got tied up with a bad ‘un and she ought to forget him. That’s the simple truth of it. Why didn’t you come and see me if you thought you had something on Mellor?”
“I didn’t think we’d see eye to eye.”
“If you’re going to campaign for Mellor, we won’t.”
“That’s too bad because I’m campaigning for him. But we don’t have to quarrel.”
“I think we shall have to if you’re awkward.” Grice didn’t shift his position. His manner was still friendly for, unlike many officers at Scotland Yard, he was well disposed towards Rollison. “I haven’t been to Knoll Road but I’ve heard what happened there. We picked up a man named Waleski who’s charged you with common assault. His story is that you forced him out of his car at the point of a gun, made him go to Miss Lome’s flat and there knocked him about to get information from him. He says he hadn’t any information he could give you, that he’d never heard of you or Miss Lome before and he swears he’ll see you in jug for this.”
Rollison laughed. “Nice chap! Did he also mention that I held him up with his own gun and acted in self- defence?”
“Can you prove it?”
“Yes. Did he tell you that his buddy nearly killed the landlady? And is Waleski known?”
“I haven’t checked very far but I don’t think so,” Grice said. “Roily, I’m serious—and you’d better listen to this, Ebbutt, because if you’re not careful, Rollison will get you into trouble. The moment I knew that you’d been to see Judith Lome I realised you were on the Mellor case. You’ve a clear duty. Tell us anything you may know and which we don’t— I don’t say there is anything but there might be—and then get out of it. It’s an ugly business. Mellor may seem to you a victimised young fool but he’s bad, Roily—as bad as they come. There aren’t many gangs but there are one or two bad ones. Ask Ebbutt, he’ll bring you up to date. Mellor’s in one of them. He’s a killer. We’re after him and we’d have got him if he hadn’t been under cover with everyone lying themselves sick to keep him there. We’re going to get Mellor eventually and we don’t mind who gets hurt in the process—even if you’re one of them. That’s friendly advice, Roily, and this time I think you ought to take it. Don’t you, Ebbutt?”
Ebbutt grunted unintelligibly.
“He says yes,” said Grice and stood up. “I didn’t lose any time because I thought you ought to know where you stand from the beginning. You can’t do anything on your own, you’ll have to get the help of a lot of other people and you’ll land them in a mess as well as yourself. Don’t do it.” He looked down at his shoes. “Now and again you forget what you’re up against with us, you know. This ought to be an eye-opener. Fifteen minutes after my men reached Knoll Road I was talking to the AZ Division. Half an hour after that I was told you were in the East End. You can’t compete with it, Roily. If there’s any way you can help us, fine—we’ll be glad to listen. But if you start the lone-wolf act—”
“Heaven help me,” murmured Rollison.
“That’s about it.”
