“Not quite ripe enough for that yet, Bill,” dissented the other. “There’s people we’re not sure about in this game. We want to rope them in, and a splurge in the papers would give them warning.”

“What you say goes, guv’nor. Only here’s our big chance to put Larry behind the bars. Whether it’s for the Streetly House burglary or for something else, doesn’t matter.”

Labar clapped a fist into the palm of the other hand. “Take it from me, Bill, if we can get our hooks on that man on any pretext we’ll keep him. But although we’ve got him on the run I don’t want to go off at half-cock. Another day or two and I think we’ll have enough proof against him, so that even the wiliest barrister living won’t be able to wriggle him out of a sentence that will keep him out of the way till we’ve got long white beards and are out of the service. I aim to make the case watertight. Though mind you,” he added, a little wistfully, “if I knew where to find him now I’d give half a year’s pay.”