SECRETS CAN'T BE KEPT

Inspector Bobby Owen, of the Wych County CID, is confronted with plenty of gossip but not many facts in the disappearance of one Ned Bloom, whose clubfoot kept him from joining the police force. Ned's mysterious mother, an abortive theft of jewels, the fling of a girl's body, and a cache of petrol lead to further discoveries -- and a confession that cannot be used. Owen however is able to get proof -- only to have his quarry perish. A slow, steady revealing of crime and its aftermath.