‘Do you have any more of that medicine, doctor?’ William asked. ‘As I don’t suppose I’ll be getting much sleep tonight.’
‘Of course,’ replied Lockhart, who opened his leather bag, took out a half-empty medicine bottle and handed it to William. As he did so, William spotted something else in the bottom of the bag that answered a question he would no longer need to ask.
‘I’ll leave you now, doctor,’ he said. ‘I’m sure Mrs Buchanan will be grateful for your company. But before I go, can you tell me which is Hamish Buchanan’s cabin?’
‘Number three. It’s the first door on the left as you go out.’
‘Thank you, doctor.’ William opened the cabin door, stepped back into the corridor and walked slowly across to number three. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
‘Enter,’ said a voice that sounded wide awake.
William walked into the cabin to find Hamish Buchanan seated in a large, comfortable chair, a goblet of brandy in his hand, a half-smoked cigar in the other. There was no sign of his wife.
‘I’m sorry to disturb you at such a late hour,’ said William, ‘but I need to ask you a couple of questions before you go to bed.’
‘No need to waste your time, Chief Inspector,’ said Hamish, not bothering to offer him a seat. ‘I’ve already spoken to my lawyer in New York and he’s advised me not to answer any of your questions until he can be present. He felt sure I wouldn’t have to remind you that this vessel is registered under an American flag. A country in which you have no jurisdiction.’
‘Nevertheless, I do have the commodore’s authority to carry out an investigation into your father’s death,’ responded William. ‘I can’t imagine my questions would worry someone who has nothing to hide.’
‘You won’t get me to rise quite that easily, Chief Inspector, so please leave me to mourn in peace.’ Hamish flicked a piece of ash into an ashtray by his side before adding, ‘My lawyer also advised me that once we enter American territorial waters you will no longer have any authority on board this ship, whatever the commodore says. Therefore, may I suggest you go to bed and try and get a good night’s sleep.’
‘I will,’ said William, producing the bottle Dr Lockhart had given him, which at least produced a flicker of concern on Hamish’s face. ‘Meanwhile, I would ask you to remain in your cabin while I continue with my enquiries.’
‘And if I don’t, Chief Inspector, what will you do? Have me clapped in irons before walking the plank? I don’t think so. Why don’t you run along.’ He raised his glass in a mock toast.
William left, convinced that, like the doctor, Hamish Buchanan had something to hide. But both of them in their own way had made him aware of just how little time he had to find out what that something was. ‘During the first forty-eight hours of a murder inquiry, you only go to sleep if you fall asleep’ was one of The Hawk’s favourite mantras. And then only after you’ve made an arrest.
William quickly made his way back to deck three, where he was pleased to find Franco posted centurion-like outside the entrance to the dining room.
‘Any ideas yet about who the guilty party is?’ whispered Franco as he opened the door.
‘It may just have been a heart attack,’ said William, without conviction.
‘Fraser Buchanan had the constitution of an ox. He’s never had a heart attack in the past that I’m aware of, despite what the doctor claimed. So whatever was in that flask killed him.’
William suspected Franco might be right, but intuition wasn’t proof. When he entered the dining room he found James, head down, writing furiously. William sat next to him and studied the seating plan he’d drawn. He then turned over several other menus one by one and began to read the conversations from earlier in the evening that James had meticulously chronicled. Words had been crossed out, replaced, but the tenor of the conversation was clear for him to see.
He’d reached the back of the third menu when he stopped and reread a paragraph, not twice, but three times.
‘Are you sure about this?’ he asked, pointing to half a dozen lines James had underlined.
‘Certain,’ said James, not looking up. ‘I have no evidence of course, so I can’t prove it. But I’m sure I know where you’ll find the other flask.’
‘I’ve already seen it,’ said William.
? ? ?
They lay back exhausted. It was some time before she spoke.