midnight
His diction was rapid and terse -- so rapid as to create the impression that he bit off the ends of the longer words . He turned his fierce blue eyes upon the uniformed officer who stood at the end of the slab . `` They are very few , Chief Inspector , '' was the reply . `` He was hauled out by the river police shortly after midnight , at the lower end of Limehouse Reach . He was alive then -- they heard his cry -- but he died while they were hauling him into the boat . '' `` Any statement ? '' rapped Kerry .