John Creasey - Alibi

“This is only a preliminary statement. No others will be issued tonight and no questions will be answered. It can be stated, however, that these raids followed the death by suicide of the editor of the Globe, and that among those arrested are Sir Roland Warrender, M.P., Benjamin Artemeus of the Allsafe Security Company, and members of the boards of both of these as well as other companies and partnerships.

“We are of the opinion that it should be stated that these raids, and the arrests of individuals inimical to the state, were made at the instigation of Chief Superintendent Roger West. Further, it should be stated that among those charged is Miss Gwendoline Ferrow, secretary to the undersigned, Commander Coppell.”

The picture faded.

Coppell’s bitchy secretary! Roger gasped inwardly. So that was how so much information had been leaked.

Martin got up slowly and moved to the screen and switched off. Then he saw Roger. Showing no sign that he had done so, he went across to Janet, by whom Richard was already sitting. With a gleam in his eyes, he asked,

“Good thing he didn’t take that job, isn’t it, Mum?”

“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