Denis Rawson, who is a civilian employee of the Royal Navy is a loner, and according to Drake's superiors, a chronic drinker. It is suspected that Rawson is dealing top secret Roual Navy information to foreign agents. He is being followed but with limited results. Drake is brought in to find out how he is selling the secrets and to whom. Drake befriends him by playing a bumbling, lonely, introverted teacher, and proceeds to keep a close eye on him. Drake's dogged following finally pays off, where it eventually tracks him to an incunabula bookshop owner.
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