he did. Presumably he meant to ingratiate them both by saying "Thank you, Inspector."
The man resumed his seat without haste. "Captain Apostolides," he said.
"Our apologies. An easy mistake to make, I'm sure you'll agree. We aren't too familiar with your local ways." When none of this earned any perceptible reaction Julian pointed several fingers at the dangling badges. "We can see you've had quite a career."
"I have served my island." While he said so Apostolides looked as solemn as the photograph of some venerable dignitary on the wall to the left of the desk. "Now," he said, "you are..."
"Julian Banks, and this is my—"
"There is no haste, please." Once a pause had underscored this, Apostolides said "I thought you would be Mr Banks."
"May I know why?"
"You are the one that talks."
"If you mean when we reported the incident, it was Mr Thornton here who contacted you."
"Ray Thornton, yes." Without having looked away from Julian, Apostolides said "You are the one who wanted to be gone."
"Was there anyone who didn't, Raymond? I didn't need to ask my son's mother if she did."
"Why did she?" Apostolides said.
"He's five years old. Didn't whoever Raymond spoke to tell you that?"
The policeman left the question unacknowledged. "What did you fear for your son?"
"We didn't want him seeing what was there. Would you like your young children to know about that kind of thing?"
"Nothing else."
"I should think that's quite enough to keep from him."
"Here nothing comes that is not called for."
Ray supposed this was meant as reassurance if not a declaration on behalf of the island, but Julian retorted "I shouldn't think the fellow in the cave would agree with you."
At once the policeman's gaze seemed as keen as the rays of sunlight through the shutter. "Who in the cave?"
"The man you've brought us here to talk about. Why else have we had to come?" When the scrutiny didn't relent, Julian said "You can scarcely expect us to know his name."
Apostolides looked away at last, to fix his gaze on Ray. "You have your passports."
"Not on me. Have you brought yours, Julian?"
"Nobody advised us that we should," Julian made sure the policeman appreciated. "None of your people was in touch."
"All right, Julian, I'll see to it." Ray thought it best to show Apostolides his phone, only to find a belated report of a missed call. "It looks as if someone did try to get me," he admitted.
"We will wait," Apostolides said, folding his muscular arms on the desk.
The sense of retrieving the call from a number in England made Ray feel unexpectedly isolated, cut off from home. That was just a few hours away if Sandra needed to return, but why did he have to think about that now? The call had indeed been from the police. "I'm sorry," he said. "They did give us the pickup time and ask us to bring our passports."
"Things can interfere with your reception on our island," Apostolides said and breathed out just as hard as in. "Well, so I must write your details."
As the desk expressed the tedium with a creak of the drawer he dragged out, Julian said "Don't you delegate tasks like that? It's hardly worth having subordinates otherwise."
While Ray saw he was trying to engage with the policeman, he was afraid Apostolides mightn't realise. "Mind you," Julian said as Apostolides found a pad of printed forms, "I know what a chore it can be when you're lacking staff. When you're promoted you don't expect it to bring you more work and less sleep."
Ray couldn't help blurting "You didn't say it was that serious."
With enough resentment to be directing much of it at the policeman Julian said "I've had to say it now."
"When you are ready." Apostolides was poising a ballpoint over the topmost form. "Mr Thornton will come first," he said.
The blades of light through the shutter had swung close to Ray by the time the policeman completed the form, which entailed minutely inking words in narrow rectangles and crosses in boxes before poring over the results.
The man resumed his seat without haste. "Captain Apostolides," he said.
"Our apologies. An easy mistake to make, I'm sure you'll agree. We aren't too familiar with your local ways." When none of this earned any perceptible reaction Julian pointed several fingers at the dangling badges. "We can see you've had quite a career."
"I have served my island." While he said so Apostolides looked as solemn as the photograph of some venerable dignitary on the wall to the left of the desk. "Now," he said, "you are..."
"Julian Banks, and this is my—"
"There is no haste, please." Once a pause had underscored this, Apostolides said "I thought you would be Mr Banks."
"May I know why?"
"You are the one that talks."
"If you mean when we reported the incident, it was Mr Thornton here who contacted you."
"Ray Thornton, yes." Without having looked away from Julian, Apostolides said "You are the one who wanted to be gone."
"Was there anyone who didn't, Raymond? I didn't need to ask my son's mother if she did."
"Why did she?" Apostolides said.
"He's five years old. Didn't whoever Raymond spoke to tell you that?"
The policeman left the question unacknowledged. "What did you fear for your son?"
"We didn't want him seeing what was there. Would you like your young children to know about that kind of thing?"
"Nothing else."
"I should think that's quite enough to keep from him."
"Here nothing comes that is not called for."
Ray supposed this was meant as reassurance if not a declaration on behalf of the island, but Julian retorted "I shouldn't think the fellow in the cave would agree with you."
At once the policeman's gaze seemed as keen as the rays of sunlight through the shutter. "Who in the cave?"
"The man you've brought us here to talk about. Why else have we had to come?" When the scrutiny didn't relent, Julian said "You can scarcely expect us to know his name."
Apostolides looked away at last, to fix his gaze on Ray. "You have your passports."
"Not on me. Have you brought yours, Julian?"
"Nobody advised us that we should," Julian made sure the policeman appreciated. "None of your people was in touch."
"All right, Julian, I'll see to it." Ray thought it best to show Apostolides his phone, only to find a belated report of a missed call. "It looks as if someone did try to get me," he admitted.
"We will wait," Apostolides said, folding his muscular arms on the desk.
The sense of retrieving the call from a number in England made Ray feel unexpectedly isolated, cut off from home. That was just a few hours away if Sandra needed to return, but why did he have to think about that now? The call had indeed been from the police. "I'm sorry," he said. "They did give us the pickup time and ask us to bring our passports."
"Things can interfere with your reception on our island," Apostolides said and breathed out just as hard as in. "Well, so I must write your details."
As the desk expressed the tedium with a creak of the drawer he dragged out, Julian said "Don't you delegate tasks like that? It's hardly worth having subordinates otherwise."
While Ray saw he was trying to engage with the policeman, he was afraid Apostolides mightn't realise. "Mind you," Julian said as Apostolides found a pad of printed forms, "I know what a chore it can be when you're lacking staff. When you're promoted you don't expect it to bring you more work and less sleep."
Ray couldn't help blurting "You didn't say it was that serious."
With enough resentment to be directing much of it at the policeman Julian said "I've had to say it now."
"When you are ready." Apostolides was poising a ballpoint over the topmost form. "Mr Thornton will come first," he said.
The blades of light through the shutter had swung close to Ray by the time the policeman completed the form, which entailed minutely inking words in narrow rectangles and crosses in boxes before poring over the results.
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