— it must have rained when we were inside.'
'Good night. See you in the morning.'
Newman had two surprises when he steered Basil outside Goodfellows. His companion suddenly straightened up, walked a few very steady paces before he turned back.
'Aren't you coming? You know my flat is just off Regent Street. Takes only a few minutes to hoof it there.'
Newman's second surprise was when he looked across the street at another restaurant. Sitting at the window table by himself, still wearing the horn-rims, was Marler. What on earth was he up to?
'I said, aren't you coming?' Basil called out again. 'Bloody cold hanging around out here.'
'That flat of yours must be damned expensive,' Newman commented as he hurried to walk alongside his companion.
Basil, striding along, showed no sign that he was affected in any way by the amount of alcohol he had consumed. He was even humming a tune.
'Awfully damned expensive,' he agreed in a lordly way. 'What does it matter? I've borrowed it from a wealthy lady who has gone abroad.'
'Do you ever buy anything yourself?' Newman wanted to know.
'Not if I can help it. Here we ire. Down this side street.'
Newman had the uncanny feeling they were being followed. He glanced back once. Couldn't see any sign of another human being. Odd. His instinct in that direction had always been right before. They walked rapidly down the narrow street. It was deserted. Basil stopped by his front door, felt for his keys. Newman turned to see if he could fit key into lock first time. He did without hesitation.
'Bob,' he said, turning on his heel. 'Now we've got here I'm feeling a bit tired.'
'Go straight up to bed,' Newman urged, relieved he wouldn't have to spend any more time with him. 'You look fresh but...'
'I was up till 4 am last night — that is, this morning. Do you mind? And thanks for coming with me.'
'Off to beddy-byes.'
Basil disappeared inside, closed the door. Newman felt spots of rain on his face. He swung round and Marler was only a few paces away. Newman grinned, punched Marler on his shoulder.
'Thought I had a tail.'
'You did. But it wasn't me.'
'Who the hell was it, then?'
'The Ear. He's been tracking Windermere all evening. I just wonder why.'
'Where is the Ear?'
'Ahead of us. He slipped past you when you watched Windermere opening his door. You never hear him. You rarely see him. And we're going to get soaked. Let's walk on, find a cab.'
They turned up the collars of their raincoats. It was very quiet. Only the patter of the rain and the squelch of their shoes on the pavement. Newman stopped suddenly, staring ahead. A small figure wearing a trilby hat appeared out of nowhere, shuffling away from them.
'I wonder who that is,' Newman mused.
'That is the Ear. Maybe he wants to talk to me. Now he is slowing down. Why?'
He looked up as he spoke and thunderclouds seemed almost to touch the top of the flat roofs of the terrace houses, most turned into flats, one of which was occupied by Basil Windermere. A brilliant flash of lightning was followed instantly by a deafening clap of thunder.
'Under cover,' said Marler. 'The Ear has darted into the shelter of a doorway.'
They had just reached their own shelter, close to a front door and under an overhang of a stone beam, when the cloudburst enveloped the street. Rain sluiced down at a slanting angle like a curtain of fine wires. Rivers of water ran down the street's gutters, the top of drainpipes overflowed, sending cascades of water down.
'That's why the Ear paused,' said Marler. 'He knew what was coming.'
Frequently he glanced out to make sure the Ear hadn't moved out of his shelter. The cloudburst ceased as quickly as it had erupted. They heard the storm drifting away to the east. Marler peered out again, stood stock-still.
'What's the matter?' Newman asked.
'The Ear is coming this way. I see now why he really paused.'
'Why?'
'Four men coming up the street this way. The Ear may be the target.'
It was the first time Newman
'Good night. See you in the morning.'
Newman had two surprises when he steered Basil outside Goodfellows. His companion suddenly straightened up, walked a few very steady paces before he turned back.
'Aren't you coming? You know my flat is just off Regent Street. Takes only a few minutes to hoof it there.'
Newman's second surprise was when he looked across the street at another restaurant. Sitting at the window table by himself, still wearing the horn-rims, was Marler. What on earth was he up to?
'I said, aren't you coming?' Basil called out again. 'Bloody cold hanging around out here.'
'That flat of yours must be damned expensive,' Newman commented as he hurried to walk alongside his companion.
Basil, striding along, showed no sign that he was affected in any way by the amount of alcohol he had consumed. He was even humming a tune.
'Awfully damned expensive,' he agreed in a lordly way. 'What does it matter? I've borrowed it from a wealthy lady who has gone abroad.'
'Do you ever buy anything yourself?' Newman wanted to know.
'Not if I can help it. Here we ire. Down this side street.'
Newman had the uncanny feeling they were being followed. He glanced back once. Couldn't see any sign of another human being. Odd. His instinct in that direction had always been right before. They walked rapidly down the narrow street. It was deserted. Basil stopped by his front door, felt for his keys. Newman turned to see if he could fit key into lock first time. He did without hesitation.
'Bob,' he said, turning on his heel. 'Now we've got here I'm feeling a bit tired.'
'Go straight up to bed,' Newman urged, relieved he wouldn't have to spend any more time with him. 'You look fresh but...'
'I was up till 4 am last night — that is, this morning. Do you mind? And thanks for coming with me.'
'Off to beddy-byes.'
Basil disappeared inside, closed the door. Newman felt spots of rain on his face. He swung round and Marler was only a few paces away. Newman grinned, punched Marler on his shoulder.
'Thought I had a tail.'
'You did. But it wasn't me.'
'Who the hell was it, then?'
'The Ear. He's been tracking Windermere all evening. I just wonder why.'
'Where is the Ear?'
'Ahead of us. He slipped past you when you watched Windermere opening his door. You never hear him. You rarely see him. And we're going to get soaked. Let's walk on, find a cab.'
They turned up the collars of their raincoats. It was very quiet. Only the patter of the rain and the squelch of their shoes on the pavement. Newman stopped suddenly, staring ahead. A small figure wearing a trilby hat appeared out of nowhere, shuffling away from them.
'I wonder who that is,' Newman mused.
'That is the Ear. Maybe he wants to talk to me. Now he is slowing down. Why?'
He looked up as he spoke and thunderclouds seemed almost to touch the top of the flat roofs of the terrace houses, most turned into flats, one of which was occupied by Basil Windermere. A brilliant flash of lightning was followed instantly by a deafening clap of thunder.
'Under cover,' said Marler. 'The Ear has darted into the shelter of a doorway.'
They had just reached their own shelter, close to a front door and under an overhang of a stone beam, when the cloudburst enveloped the street. Rain sluiced down at a slanting angle like a curtain of fine wires. Rivers of water ran down the street's gutters, the top of drainpipes overflowed, sending cascades of water down.
'That's why the Ear paused,' said Marler. 'He knew what was coming.'
Frequently he glanced out to make sure the Ear hadn't moved out of his shelter. The cloudburst ceased as quickly as it had erupted. They heard the storm drifting away to the east. Marler peered out again, stood stock-still.
'What's the matter?' Newman asked.
'The Ear is coming this way. I see now why he really paused.'
'Why?'
'Four men coming up the street this way. The Ear may be the target.'
It was the first time Newman
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