Death in the Middle Watch

by Bruce, Leo

  “Why Tangier, I wonder?” said Carolus.

  “There’s no extradition agreement with Morocco,” John Moore told him.

  “A lot that would help!” said Carolus. “You know the procedure perfectly well. There’s no extradition agreement— it’s much simpler than that. If the British police want a man back the Moroccans simply arrest him, tell him he’s not wanted and put him on the Gibraltar ferry. When it comes to Gibraltar, which is still English, he’s arrested and put on a plane for London. No need for an extradition agreement!”

  “There’s one weak point in your reasoning though, Carolus. If Darwin flew out to Tunis on the night before the Summer Queen came into port there, his name would be on the list of flight passengers and unless he had a duplicate passport under another name it will be too easy.”

  “He had,” said Carolus, smiling. “Quite another name. He must have got it years before when he could afford to be funny. I checked with the airline this morning.”

  “Why? What other name?”

  Carolus grinned,

  “Thomas Huxley,” he said and left John Moore to realize what had amused him.