Now I'm not usually one to vacillate but I'm
thinking I might have been a bit hasty. I'm having doubts. Could I
have nailed the wrong man? In the long dark hours of the night-watch two
inconsistencies kept nagging at my brain: a) Michael is on a diet,
because thinks he's getting fat - we tend to agree with him on that
point, but that's not the point. b) He doesn't like chocolate.
So why go to
so much trouble for a few snaffled squares of Cadbury's Fruit and
Nut putting at risk his reputation as an honest
hard-working lawyer and upstanding pillar of the
community? People are so gullible! On the other hand, I have it on the best
possible authority that the young whipper-snapper is more than capable of
filching chocolate without help or encouragement from any body. There again
Richie was found with a Cadbury's Fruit and Nut packet in his bunk.
This
was evidenced in a photo taken by Michael but could that evidence have
been planted by the young whipper-snapper to divert suspicion from
himself? He's clever but is he devious enough to think
up such a scheme ? Probably. Richard is saying nothing and this makes
me think that he too may have something to hide. And, while we're
at it what about the other two? Ian looks a bit too thin to be a
chocolate addict. Carole? Well that's another matter - better
not go there eh !!!. Suffice it to say those two are off the
hook. But Louis? Richie? I'm not so sure. So, what to do? I could
pardon Michael and offer him a public apology. But I'm thinking it's better
to let a (possibly innocent) man suffer rather than lose face and thereby
undermine the great respect in which I am obviously held by my crew; let
alone their belief in my absolute infallibility. Best remain shtum. And, in any
case, a limitless supply of chocolate on the next leg of the voyage
courtesy of Michael would come in very handy. So that's the decision -
definitively!
Oh! I almost forgot - we will be tying up in Horta
in about two hours time after a 1800 uninterrupted sea miles.
Phew!
Log authored by
Peter.