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complete solution. He told Littlejohn so.
    To Littlejohn it seemed that Hoppy was confusing the High Court procedure about which he had learned in his law examinations, with the field-work of the detective. All the same, there was no harm in encouraging his eagerness.
    â€˜We’ve already interviewed Kenneth Todd and his mother. You’d better not go over the ground with them again for the present. There are, however, two other interesting fellows who might be able to help us. They’re Todd & Co.’s representatives who travel on circuit among Todds’ customers taking orders for wines. . . .’
    Hopkinson’s face fell. He wondered what a couple of commercial travellers had to do with the murder.
    â€˜These two seem to be peddlers of gossip and KennethTodd and his mother have actually used them as what might be called private eyes to report as much as they could about Heck Todd and his doings. They will probably be able to tell us quite a lot. We’d better lay them by the heels somewhere and question them. There’s a yacht club dinner here tonight, as you’ll have observed. . . .’
    He indicated the large dining-room in which waitresses were already laying the covers for what might be, at a rough guess, over a hundred guests.
    â€˜ . . . I wouldn’t be surprised if our two travellers were among those present. Go and ask the manager if he has the place-lists for the tables, and if J. J. Dawson and J. W. Lever are included in them. By the way, you and I are invited as guests of the mayor.’
    Hopkinson almost ran to the manager’s office in his eagerness. He was quickly back again.
    â€˜Both of them will be there, sir. Kenneth Todd was invited, but has declined in view of the recent death of his brother. The mayor of Portwich will be there, too, and the Chief Constable should have been, but has declined through pressure of business.’
    â€˜Probably the Chief Constable’s cried off because, in view of the condition of his two chief assistants, he can’t bear the thought of exotic meals at present. Especially if he’s seen the menu. There’s one on display in the hall, I see. Scallops, chicken vol-au-vent, tournedos Rossini and
omelette surprise.
No wonder it’s turned him up!’
    Hopkinson nodded gravely. He hadn’t much sense of humour nor was he anything of a gourmet.
    â€˜The manager was in a bad temper when we met him this morning. If he’s improved, you might see him and contrive, if possible, to have Dawson sitting beside you and Lever beside me at the dinner.’
    â€˜Suppose the mayor’s made all the arrangements?’
    â€˜That’s easy. Tell the manager to explain to His Worship that the moves have been made at my request as we don’t wish to be conspicuous on the top table in the circumstances.’
    Hopkinson hurried off again to cajole the manager.
    Meanwhile, Littlejohn sat in the hall and watched the red carpet being laid and then a cavalcade of employees of the town’s parks and gardens committee carrying and arranging under the eye of the parks superintendent large pots of palms and flowering exotic plants. By the time Hopkinson returned Littlejohn was sitting in a jungle of foliage and extravagant flowers.
    â€˜That’s all arranged, sir. There’s some doubt about the mayor being present now. It seems he’s very prone to seasickness and was watching the races from the mayoral barge when the storm struck the place. By the time they got him to land he was in a state of collapse. If he comes, I wonder how he’ll face up to the scallops and the surprise omelettes. . . . By the way, it’s as well we’ve arranged not to be on the top table. Dinner jackets optional everywhere, except on the top table, where they’re compulsory. I haven’t got mine with me.’
    â€˜Neither have I. I could do with a drink and a bath after all that. We’ll meet down here at 7.15,