“Oh! What were the questions about, do you know?”
“About poor Mr Kendall who was killed out in his hut.”
“But young Mr Jason wouldn’t know anything about that, would he?”
“Of course he didn’t,” Rose Marie replied indignantly. “No one liked that beastly Sergeant Redman.”
Footsteps fell on the ground beyond the open door, and Rose Marie murmured: “Oh my!”
Into the doorframe loomed the figure of Sergeant Marshall. He stepped inside the cell. Rose Marie’s little body stiffened into rigidity. Her hands were clasped and nursed in herlap, and over her face spread an expression of resignation, such as she had probably seen on her mother’s face when she waited for a storm to break.
Bony stood up. From regarding his daughter, Sergeant Marshall surveyed the evidence of the afternoon tea. The silence was tense. Then the policeman exploded.
“Well I’m damned!” he said, giving a pause between each word.
Chapter Two
Bony Gets Down to Business
“FLORENCE, take those things back to the house and then wait for me at the office.”
“Yes, Father.”
Sergeant Marshall stood stiffly erect, his red neck swelling over the collar of his tunic, reminding Bony ofan goanna when annoyed. The sergeant’s eyes were like small brown pebbles in his brick-red face. With delightful dignity Rose Marie stood up and, with wilfulunhaste, collected the afternoon tea service, picked up her tray, and sedately marched out, her back like a gun barrel, the plaits of her hair giving never a swing. Then, to Bony, the sergeant said:
“Good job you never made a break for it.”
“You know, it never occurred to me,” Bony told him gravely. “By the way, I have a letter for you.”
The sergeant’s eyesnarrowed, and his big body appeared to rise slightly on springs in his feet. Other than that he made no move. Neither did he speak whilst watching Bonyunstrap his swag, although he was prepared to jump should the prisoner produce a weapon. His eyes narrowed still more when he was presented with a plain foolscap envelope inscribed with his rank, name, and station.