ATDTDA (7): Not in this mine, 196-197

[Paul Nightingale]

Webb insists everyone does it ("Who don't walk out of
here ..." etc) and then proclaims his own innocence:
"You know this was planted onto me." Therefore his
location (not among everyone else) remains in doubt.
Similarly in doubt is the location of the action. A
scene in which Webb is confronted by the inspector is
followed by a one-line assault: "The first blow came
out of the dark ..." etc (197). It isn't clear that
Webb is attacked as he is speaking to the inspector.
Indeed, given the way in which Deuce and the rep have
discussed it previously (194, 196), it is odd that
anyone would be present as a witness. Webb is
evidently leaving work at the end of his shift; the
attack comes subsequently, perhaps on his way to see
Deuce (established in the previous section). The edit
juxtaposes one scene to the other; and there are,
perhaps, two separate attempts to 'get rid of' him.