"Walking off with a portion of my fence, eh ?" Tallente asked.
The inspector made no direct reply.

He turned his torch on to the broken end.
"A clue ?" Tallente asked him lightly.

The other turned away.

"It is not my place, sir," he announced, "to share any discovery I might make with a person who has deliberately refused to assist the law." "No one has convinced me yet," Tallente replied, "that Palliser's disappearance is a matter in which the law need concern itself." The inspector coughed.

"I wish you good night, sir." He disappeared along the narrow path.