Alibi

“Yes,” Janet said huskily. “Yes, it is. Not that anything would ever make him resign from the Force until he’s compelled to by old age. It’s his life. I do know, boys. Try —try to make him understand. I do. I tried to get him this afternoon, I wanted to tell him that this man Artemeus was obviously trying to make me persuade him! But nothing would have made me. I wanted to try to make him understand that I know he would hate to work for Allsafe, that he mustn’t do it for me.” She paused, looked from one son to the other, and then asked in a pleading voice, “Do you think, after all I’ve said in the past, that he will believe me?”

Martin looked down on her solemnly, then glanced over her head at Roger, and said, “Why don’t you ask him?”

Janet sprang up and spun round. Roger moved towards her. He could never know the brilliance in his eyes, the glow, the satisfaction which shone in his face.

“Come on, Fish,” said Martin-called-Scoopy. “This is no place for little boys.”

THE END