Superintendent Battle was rather a big man. He worked almost entirely on cases of a delicate political nature. On such a case he had come to Chimneys four years ago, and Bundle was frankly trading on his remembering this fact.

After a short delay, she was taken along several corridors and into the Superintendent’s private room. Battle was a stolid-looking man with a wooden face. He looked supremely unintelligent and more like a commissionaire than a detective.

He was standing by the window when she entered, gazing in an expressionless manner at some sparrows.

“Good afternoon, Lady Eileen,” he said. “Sit down, won’t you?”

“Thank you,” said Bundle. “I was afraid you mightn’t remember me.”

“Always remember people,” said Battle. He added: “Got to in my job.”