“Quite so,” said Battle gravely.
“My idea was to come over here and see what was going on. I left the car in the road and climbed through the hedge and came up to the terrace. I was just looking about me when—plop—something fell right at my feet. I picked it up and then looked to see where it could have come from. And then I saw the man climbing down the ivy and I ran.”
“Just so,” said Battle. “Now, Miss Wade, can you describe that man at all?”
The girl shook her head.
“It was too dark to see much. I think he was a big man—but that’s about all.”
“And now you, Mr. Thesiger.” Battle turned to him. “You struggled with the man—can you tell me anything about him?”
“He was a pretty hefty individual—that’s all I can say. He gave a few hoarse whispers—that’s when I had him by the throat. He said ‘Lemme go, guvnor,’ something like that.”
“An uneducated man, then?”
“Yes, I suppose he was. He spoke like one.”
“I still don’t quite understand about the packet,” said Loraine. “Why should he throw it down as he did? Was it because it hampered him climbing?”
“No,” said Battle. “I’ve got an entirely different theory about that. That packet, Miss Wade, was deliberately thrown down to you—or so I believe.”
“To me ?”