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climbed inside, pulled back the covering blanket, and studied the face of his friend. He saw the incisions on the neck that had pierced the carotid artery. It might well prove that Neil had bled to death. He would soon know.
    â€œTake him to the morgue in Salisbury,” he ordered. “Mr. Gampson is on his way from London to do the autopsy.”
    â€œVery good, sir.”
    Palfrey left the ambulance, fully aware that everyone was watching him. Probably Cooper and the other policeman, a taller, younger man, were disappointed, for his reputation was greater than his apparent vagueness and indecision seemed to warrant. In a way, it was so. There was so much to do, in so short a time, and he alone was aware of the growing danger. One false, or ill-considered, move and the situation would be out of hand. His fear was that some vital thing would be overlooked.
    Baretta was standing with the two policemen when Palfrey joined them.
    â€œTwo or three things,” he said, much more briskly than before. “I’m going to the scene of the attack with Mrs. Fordham, I’d like two men within a very short distance, covering us. Sergeant, don’t forget we want to play the rabbit story down. Your way’s the best – let it out that you think Mrs. Fordham was overwrought. We’ll have an Army detail here soon. Send it to the field by the big oak tree. Have the field surrounded, and the men at the ready. Keep in touch with our helicopters for news of the smoke – we think we saw a smokescreen, and we want to find out what movement it was intended to conceal.” He turned to Cooper, with a smile. “It all sounds crazy, and that’s what it may prove to be, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
    His cliché fell on fruitful ground.
    â€œYou can rely on us, sir.”
    â€œI’m sure I can,” Palfrey said.
    â€œThere’s just one thing, sir.” Cooper was earnest.
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œIs there anything we can say which might explain what’s on, and what all the mystery is about?” asked Cooper.
    He was most astute, the kind of man Z5 could put to good use. Palfrey knew that he should have thought of this already, it should have been obvious to him, although not obvious to Cooper, who waited as if for an oracle to speak. The other people, staring, hardly seemed to move as the ambulance slid by to the noise of approaching lorries, bringing the first contingent of troops.
    â€œYes,” Palfrey said suddenly. “Good thought – thanks. Say we’re worried about a new breed of rat, which has done a lot of damage to food supplies, and might carry disease. Say it’s been known in other countries and we want to make sure it doesn’t spread here.”
    Cooper gave an appreciative smile.
    â€œThat will scare them off, sir!”
    â€œI hope so. Jim – you deal with the military side.” Baretta nodded, and Palfrey turned to Mrs. Fordham, who was sitting solidly at the wheel of her station wagon. Palfrey got in beside her, and twisted round to see the brownish message on the window written in blood. As she drove off Mrs. Fordham said abruptly: “Do you think I’m callous?”
    â€œFarming folk are used to blood and life and death.”
    â€œThank you, Dr. Palfrey,” she said, her voice carefully held in control.
    â€œTell me exactly what happened, please.”
    She told him in surprisingly vivid detail, and Palfrey could almost see the lane and Anderson walking so warily. He was aware that Mrs. Fordham was keeping a sharp look-out; and so indeed was he, fully alive to the fact that the next yard of hedge, the next hillock, the next crop of nettles or wild parsley, could hide a watching rabbit. Every nerve was strung to breaking-point, although he tried to tell himself that such excess was ridiculous.
    They turned a bend in the lane and found the oak tree