The Saint and Mr Teal (Once More the Saint)

He joined the detective punctually to a second, dusting some wood shavings from his trousers, and there was nothing whatever in his manner to indicate that he could anticipate any unpleasantness. He found Teal clasping his bowler hat across his stomach and gazing morosely at an unopened package of Wrigley's Three Star which sat up sedately in the middle of the table.

"I just came in," said the detective, "to tell you I liked your alibi."

"That was friendly of you," said the Saint calmly.

"What do you know about Lormer?"

Simon lighted a cigarette.

"Nothing except that he's a receiver of stolen goods, an occasional blackmailer, and a generally septic speci­men of humanity. He's quite a small fish, but he's very nasty. Why?"

Teal ignored the question. He shifted a wad of gum meditatively round his mouth, and then swept the Saint's face with unexpectedly searching eyes. "Your alibi is good enough," he said, "but I'm still hoping to learn some more about your friends. You used work with four of 'em, didn't you? I've often won­dered how they all managed to reform so quickly."

The Saint smiled gently.

"Still the same old gang theory?" he drawled. "If I didn't know your playful ways so well, Claud, I'd be offended. It's not complimentary. You must find it hard to believe that so many remarkable qualities can be concentrated under one birth certificate, but as time goes on you may get used to the idea. I was quite a prodigy as a child. From the day when I stole the corsets off my old nannie --"

"If you're getting another gang together, or raking up the old lot," Teal said decisively, "we'll soon know all about it. What about that girl who used to be with you-Miss Holm, wasn't it ? What's her alibi ?"

"Does she want one? I expect it could be arranged."

"I expect it could. She landed at Croydon the day before we found you at Newhaven. I've only just learned that. Lormer never saw the man who knocked him out and emptied his safe, so just in case it wasn't a man at all --"

"I think you're on the wrong line," said the Saint genially. "After all, even a defective-detective-has got to consider probabilities. In the old days, before all this vulgar publicity, I could put my trade mark on every genuine article; but you must admit that times have changed. Now that every half-wit in the British Isles knows who I am, is it likely that if I contemplated any crimes I'd be such a fool as to draw Saints all over 'em ? D'you think you could make any jury believe it? I've got a reputation, Claud. I may be wicked, but I'm not waffy. It's obvious that some low crook is trying to push his stuff onto me."

Teal hitched himself ponderously out of his chair.

"I had thought of that argument," he said; and then, abruptly: "What's your next job going to be?"

"I haven't decided yet," said the Saint coolly."Whatever it is, it'll be a corker. I feel that I could do with some good headlines."

"Do you think you're playing the game?"

Simon looked at the detective thoughtfully.

"I suppose my exploits don't improve your standing with the commissioner. Isn't that it?"

The detective nodded.

"You make it very difficult for us," he said.

He could have said a lot more. Pride kept it back stubbornly behind his official detachment, but the sober glance which he gave the Saint was as near to a confession as he dared to go. It was not in his nature to ask favours of any man.

"I'll have to see what I can do," said the Saint.

He ushered Teal courteously to the door, and opened it to see a slim, fair-haired vision of a girl walking up the road towards them. Teal watched her approach with narrowed and expressionless eyes.

The girl reached the door and smiled at him sweetly.

"Good-morning," she said.

"Good-morning," said Teal acridly.

He settled his hat and stepped brusquely past her; and Simon Templar closed the front door and caught the girl in his arms.

"Pat, old darling," he said, "I feel that life has begun all over again. With you around, and Claud Eustace dropping in every other day to have words ... If we could only find someone to murder it'd just be perfect!"

Patricia Holm walked into the sitting room and pulled off her hat. She helped herself to a cigarette from his case and surveyed him with a little smile.

"Don't you think there might be a closed season for Teals ? I'll never forget how it was when we left England. I hated you, boy-the way you baited him."

"It's a rough game," said the Saint quietly. "But I haven't baited him this time-not yet. The trouble is that the assistant commissioner holds poor old Claud personally responsible for our brilliance. It was a brain wave of yours to raid Lormer directly you found I was in clink, but that alibi won't work twice. And Teal's just building up a real case. We'll have to be very care­ful. Anyway, we won't murder anyone in public...."