Alan Hunter - Gently by the Shore

‘Over here our first brush with them occurred at about the same time. They suborned a couple of atomic research physicists and when the balloon went up, I regret to say that they succeeded in getting one of them out of the country. After that we had the sabotage trouble down at Portsmouth in which Streifer was identified as the agent. There was nothing else then for some time. But about a year ago, as you may remember, a rash of naval sabotage broke out from Scapa down to Plymouth and it didn’t take us long to discover that the TSK were back, this time in some strength. In fact, gentlemen, they had built an organization over here, an organization similar, though perhaps not so extensive, as the one they had built in the States.

‘I need hardly mention that we have left no stone unturned to get at grips with this organization. Chief Inspector Lasher and myself were assigned to the task and we have pursued every opening and lead with the not inconsiderable resources at our command. We have had some success. We have arrested and deported or imprisoned a round half-dozen of agents. But we have never been able to locate the centre, the headquarters of the organization — there are never any lines back to it. The men we arrested wouldn’t talk, and the impression I received after personal interrogation was that they didn’t know anyway.

‘Of course, we’ve had theories about it. We decided early on that it was probably on the east coast. Here there’s some little traffic with the other side — cargo-boats trade in and out of the ports, fishing-boats operate off-shore, liners like the Ortory touch in on some pretext or another. It seemed logical to give the east coast preference. And knowing the sort of people we were up against, we didn’t necessarily expect to find it in an obvious centre such as Newcastle or Hull. We felt it was much more likely to turn up in a smaller place, an innocent-seeming place… a holiday resort like Starmouth, gentlemen, with its perpetual comings and goings, its absorption with visitors, its easy-going port and fleet of fishing vessels…’

Chief Superintendent Gish dwelt fondly on his theory, as though he enjoyed its sweet reasonableness. But he had got the opposition in a raw spot. There were underground growlings from Colonel Shotover Grout, an aggressive cough from Superintendent Symms and finally the home team found its voice in an exclamation by its illustrious leader:

‘But good God, man, there’s nothing like that in Starmouth!’

‘Indeed, Sir Daynes?’ Chief Superintendent Gish looked bored.

‘No, sir. Quite impossible! The Borough Police Force is one of the most efficient in the country, including the Metropolitan, and the crime figures for this town, sir, bear comparison with those of any similar town anywhere. We harbour no criminal organizations in Starmouth, political or otherwise. Starmouth is by way of being a model of a respectable popular resort.’

‘Here, here!’ grumbled Colonel Shotover Grout chestily. ‘You are mistaken, sir, gravely mistaken.’

‘I’m not prepared to say,’ added Sir Daynes generously, ‘that Starmouth is completely free from undesirable activity. There are features — ahem! — moral features which we would gladly see removed. But that is an evil common to this sort of town, sir, and under the present limitations forced upon the police of this country we have not the power to stamp it out, though we keep it rigidly in check. Apart from this I may safely say that Starmouth is an unusually orderly and well-policed town. I assure you that nothing of the sort you describe could establish itself here without our knowledge.’

‘Quite impossible, sir!’ rumbled the colonel, ‘you don’t know Starmouth.’

Chief Superintendent Gish let play his hypnotic blue eyes from Sir Daynes to the colonel, and back again to Sir Daynes. ‘And yet you wake up one morning to find a TSK agent and saboteur lying stabbed on your beach,’ he commented steelily.

‘It was hardly in our province to have prevented it!’ came back Sir Daynes. ‘If agents and saboteurs are permitted such easy entry into this country, then responsibility for their misdeeds must lie elsewhere than with the Starmouth Borough Police.’

‘I agree, Sir Daynes. My point is that the Starmouth Borough Police knew nothing of their presence until a dead body turned up.’

‘And the Special Branch, sir, knew nothing of their presence until informed by the Starmouth Borough Police.’

‘With some Central Office assistance.’

‘Invoked in the common round of our duty.’

There was a silence-at-arms, each mighty antagonist feeling he had struck an equal blow. Chief Superintendent Gish appeared to be putting the super’s desk calendar into a trance. Sir Daynes Broke was giving his best performance of an affronted nobleman. Gently, after waiting politely for the launching of some fresh assault, improved the situation by relighting his pipe and involving Detective Sergeant Nickman in a humanizing haze of Navy Cut.

‘You’ll have to admit,’ continued Chief Superintendent Gish at length, ‘that Streifer received assistance in killing Stratilesceul.’

‘I admit nothing of the sort,’ countered Sir Daynes warily.

‘What other interpretation can be put on the facts? Is there any doubt that his hands were tied?’

‘One man can tie another’s hands, Superintendent.’

‘He can if the other will submit to it.’

‘Streifer had a gun when he was arrested. Why should he not have threatened Stratilesceul into submission?’

‘Have you ever tried tying the hands of a man you are threatening with a gun, Sir Daynes?’

‘He could have bludgeoned him.’

‘There were no head injuries.’

‘Or drugs, perhaps.’

‘Where would he obtain such drugs at short notice, supposing he could have induced Stratilesceul to take them? No, Sir Daynes, it won’t do. Streifer wasn’t on his own. He found help here, in this town, and help for the like of Streifer can only come from one source.’

‘That source, sir, need not be in Starmouth. You have offered no certain grounds for your assumption that it is in Starmouth. Since TSK agents proliferate to such an amazing extent in this country I see no reason why Streifer, having followed Stratilesceul to Starmouth, should not have summoned one of them to his assistance. He had time enough. The murder was not committed till almost a week after Stratilesceul arrived.’

‘It is possible, Sir Daynes, but that is all one can say for it.’

‘As possible as your own hypothesis, and a good deal more probable.’

‘I beg to differ. If I thought otherwise I should not be here.’

‘Then, sir, there is little doubt that you have made a fruitless journey.’

‘We will defer judgment until we see the results, Sir Daynes. I do not propose to be deflected from my object.’

At this point an interruption became a diplomatic necessity and it was fortunate that Colonel Shotover Grout, who had been preparing himself with a great deal of throat work, chose the slight pause which ensued for his cue.

‘I suppose we can have the fella in — question him — see what he has to say himself about the business?’

They both turned to regard the colonel with unanimous unamiability.

‘I mean he’s the one who knows — can’t get away from that.’

Chief Superintendent Gish gestured. ‘Of course he has been questioned. The results were as anticipated. You’ll get nothing out of Streifer.’

‘But simply as a formality, y’know-’

‘This type of man never talks.’

A light of battle gleamed in Sir Daynes’s eye. ‘Symms!’ he exclaimed, ‘be good enough to have our prisoner brought in, will you?’

Superintendent Symms hesitated a moment, catching the Special Branch chief’s petrifying glance.