Free The Loss of the Jane Vosper by Freeman Wills Crofts

satisfied. Armitage turned to Trafford and said that with his permission he would not take this part of the witness’ evidence at the moment, but would recall him later, finishing first with what took place on the voyage.
    The magistrate agreed that this would be a desirable proceeding, and said that in that case he would adjourn for lunch, ending up with the exhortation, ‘Two o’clock, please, gentlemen.’
    Everyone filed out as quickly as they could, Jeffrey, Alexander and Sutton among the others.

-4-
SEA JUSTICE
    ‘Well,’ said Jeffrey as they turned towards the Holborn Restaurant, ‘what do you think of all that?’
    ‘I don’t like it,’ Alexander answered; ‘I don’t like it at all. A very mysterious affair.’
    ‘And the further the enquiry goes, the more mysterious it gets.’
    ‘Quite. Explosions in ship’s holds are not uncommon. But it’s extremely uncommon not to be able to explain them.’
    ‘If the captain’s telling the truth, and it certainly seemed to me that he was, it was something in the cargo.’
    ‘It was something in No. 2 hold,’ Alexander replied. ‘I don’t think we’ve had evidence that it was in the cargo.’
    ‘But there was nothing in the hold but cargo.’
    ‘So far as we know.’
    ‘Perhaps so.’ Jeffrey turned to Sutton. ‘What’s your view?’
    ‘It doesn’t look any too good to me either, sir,’ the detective answered. ‘There’s been some hanky-panky going on, and we haven’t got to the bottom of it.’
    Jeffrey looked from one to the other. ‘It seems to me that both of you think the ship was deliberately sunk. Am I right?’
    Alexander shook his head. ‘We’ve no evidence for that. We’ve no evidence for any conclusion. And more than likely there won’t be any.’
    Jeffrey made a gesture of disagreement. ‘If there was no natural or ordinary cause for the explosions, it could surely only mean they were deliberately brought about?’
    ‘Quite. The difficulty is that not being able to find a natural or ordinary cause, is no proof that there wasn’t one.’
    ‘The lawyer’s mind, Alexander. I agree in theory, of course, but in actual life things are different. The obvious explanation is the true one ninety-nine times in a hundred.’
    Alexander smiled. ‘There are two things we’ll be interested to hear at all events,’ he declared. ‘The first is: What was the nature of the cargo in that No. 2 hold? and the second: What was the relation of the insurance cover of the ship and cargo to their value?’
    ‘Ah yes, I agree with you there.’ Jeffrey paused, then went on. ‘Look here, they haven’t given us any too much time to get this blessed lunch. Let’s get on with it.’
    ‘I want something light,’ Alexander declared. ‘These afternoon sessions are sleepy affairs at the best.’
    They compromised on omelettes followed by coffee, to the secret regret of Sutton, whose ideas of lunch ran more towards Porterhouse steak and onions, washed down by draught stout. By five minutes before two they were again in their places.
    The proceedings reopened by the calling of Second Officer Blair. Here again there ensued a good deal of rather wearisome repetition of questions which had already been answered by the previous witnesses. Blair indeed had very little to say which added to the general knowledge. His opinion as to the position of the explosions agreed with Hassell’s and Arlow’s, but he had no suggestions to make as to their cause.
    The only fresh information he gave was about the fire. When sent to investigate the first detonation he had at once made for No. 2 hold, believing that Arlow was already searching the forepeak and No. 1. There he had found that the door by which the hold was reached from amidships had been blown open and that smoke was pouring out. This smoke smelt of explosives and of burning wood. He had at once closed the door to cut off the supply of air, immediately informing the captain that there was fire in the hold.