He had been thinking that Johnny Fabian really hadn’t changed in the least-he probably never would. The dark hair which insisted on curling no matter how short it was cut would probably recede with the passing years, but the dancing blue eyes would keep their merry sparkle and the engaging smile still bring him more smiles in return than fell to most men’s lot. It had got him out of scrapes at home, at school, in the army, and it would continue to do so. He turned it on pretty girls and on plain ones, upon the elderly, the clever, the dull, and the disappointed. Frank had never known him well-just a chance encounter here and there-but he was clapped on the shoulder and greeted like an old friend.

“Hullo there! Ages since we met. How’s crime?”

Frank said, “Much as usual.”

Johnny turned to Georgina.

“Our famous detective, in case you don’t know. A shining light of what American books talk of as the Homicide Squad. A Lieutenant in the Homicide Squad, that’s what he would be over there. Sounds much more imposing than a Detective Inspector or whatever he is at Scotland Yard.”

Frank laughed.

“And what are you doing with yourself?” he asked. “Didn’t I hear about your going into shipping or something?”

Johnny shook his head.

“Not shipping. Something frightfully dreary that I never really got the hang of-I think they call themselves General Importers. There was a second cousin twice removed of my grandfather’s who was a sleeping partner, he got me in, and after about six months a partner who wasn’t asleep chucked me out. It was practically bound to happen, because if I ever came across a business that was a smell under the nose, that was it.”

“So what are you doing now?”

“Well, a misguided aunt left me her little all a few months ago, and I am looking round for something to put it into. It’s difficult of course, because what I want is an amusing job where there isn’t any boss and where I don’t have to do any work. And meanwhile I do a spot of car-coping-pick ’em up cheap and sell ’em as dear as I can with a lick of paint and what have you to make ’em go down easy.”