All The Nice Girls (27 page)

‘He must be a lunatic.’

‘No, that’s what I thought at first, but he’s got an Admiralty letter addressed to the Admiralty Overseer, H.M. Dockyard, Oozemouth! It’s all about that nuclear contract.’

‘Tell him he’s got his knickers twisted in a knot.’

‘I have, but he insists. The letter looks genuine enough.’ ‘Wait a minute, Frank! H.M. Dockyard . . . H.M.D . . . Frank, have you ever thought what Harvey McNichol and Drummond’s initials are?’

There was silence while Mr Tybalt chewed over the awful possibilities of The Bodger’s suggestion ‘It can’t be!’ he whispered, at last.

‘Bet you it is! You remember we were all so staggered when
Seahorse
first came up here straight out of the blue? I bet I know what happened. Someone in the front office saw initials H.M.D. somewhere, thought there was a Royal Yard here and packed
Seahorse
off.’

‘You mean that
Seahorse
coming here in the first place was all a mistake?’

‘I shouldn’t be surprised.’

‘But that’s
fantastic
, Bodger! That can’t be right! ‘

‘I don’t know why you should act so surprised, Frank. You ought to know by now that this is exactly the way things
do
happen in this man’s Navy! ‘