‘Most certainly.’
‘Why not leave it at the railway station?’
‘Because the man who lost the hatbox might well try to retrieve it,’ Colbeck pointed out. ‘We can’t allow that, can we? Imagine what Superintendent Tallis would say if something as important as this was stolen from under our noses.’
‘Do you really think that someone will come back for it?’
‘It’s highly likely.’
‘Then shouldn’t a watch be kept on the stationmaster’s office?’
‘Of course. I took the precaution of speaking to Constable Hubbleday on the matter and he agreed to patrol the area throughout the night. There’s no point in our losing sleep when we have a uniformed policeman at our disposal, is there? He leant over to give the hatbox a companionable pat. ‘This chap is perfectly safe with us,’ he went on before reaching up to turn off the gaslight. ‘Good night, Victor – and sweet dreams.’
Sergeant Leeming gurgled into his pillow.
It was well past midnight before Constable Royston Hubbleday began to tire. Eager to impress a detective from Scotland Yard, he had been delighted when Colbeck asked him to keep a close eye on the railway station that night. Hubbleday was a hefty young man with a fondness for action and a desire to move to a large city where he might find plenty of it. Nothing appealed to him more than the notion of joining the Metropolitan Police Force and, if he could make a significant arrest while assisting two members of it, he felt that it would help him to fulfil his ambition.
The night was humid, the sky dark and Crewe passenger station was no more than a shadowy outline. Having circled it time and again, he paused to remove his top hat so that he could wipe the back of his hand across his sweaty brow. It was a grave mistake. Before he could replace his hat, something struck him hard on the back of his head and sent him sprawling forward into oblivion. After checking that the policeman was unconscious, his attacker stepped over the body and trotted off in the direction of the stationmaster’s office.
When he reached the door, he used a powerful shoulder to smash it open then stepped inside. Having studied the office earlier through the window, he knew where to find the oil lamp and lit it at once, moving it so that it illuminated the large cupboard in the corner. Pulling a knife from inside his jacket, he inserted it in the gap beside the lock and jiggled it violently until the door suddenly flipped open. It took him a split-second to realise that the item he was after was no longer there. He thrust the knife angrily back into its sheath.
‘Damnation!’ he swore.
Then he ran off swiftly into the darkness.
CHAPTER THREE
Ever since the death of her mother, Madeleine Andrews had looked after her father and willingly taken on the roles of housekeeper, cook, nurse, maidservant and companion. She was an intelligent woman in her twenties, vigorous, decisive and self-possessed, with attractive features framed by auburn hair parted in the middle. In spite of her domestic commitments, Madeleine had taken the trouble to educate herself way beyond what might be expected of an engine driver’s daughter and to develop her artistic talent. In a busy life, she had somehow managed to strike a good balance between her household duties and her leisure pursuits.
Working the late shift, Caleb Andrews had not returned home to the modest house in Camden until after his daughter had gone to bed the previous night. Unable to pass on his news, therefore, he was keen to do so when a new day dawned. As he came downstairs, there was a jauntiness in his gait and a twinkle in his eye. He went into the back room to find Madeleine ladling porridge into two bowls.
‘Breakfast is ready,’ she said.
‘Thank you, Maddy – you spoil me, you know.’
‘That’s what I’m here for, Father.’
‘I don’t think I could manage without you,’ he said, taking a seat at the table. ‘Though I suppose that I’ll have to sooner or later.’
‘Now, don’t play that little game,’ she warned.
He feigned innocence. ‘What game?’
‘You know quite well. Robert and I are close friends but I won’t be teased on that account. Eat your breakfast.’
‘I’m not teasing anybody. It’s a father’s duty to safeguard his daughter and to make sure that nobody takes advantage of her. I have your best interests at heart, Maddy.’ He gave a sly grin. ‘I also have a surprise for you.’
She sat opposite him. ‘I don’t like surprises this early in the morning,’ she said briskly. ‘Save it until later.’
‘You’d never forgive me if I did.’
‘Why not?’
‘It concerns Inspector Colbeck.’
‘Robert?’ Her face ignited with pleasure. ‘What about him?’
He shrugged. ‘I’ll tell you after breakfast.’
‘Tell me
‘You said that you’d rather wait.’
‘Father!’
‘And it’s not that important,’ he said dismissively.
‘You’re teasing me again,’ she told him, ‘and I don’t like it. Remember who got up early this morning in order to make your breakfast. You ought to show some gratitude.’
‘I always do, Maddy.’
‘Then stop annoying me.’
He gave another shrug. ‘Is that what I’m doing?’
‘What do you want to tell me about Robert?’
‘Only that I drove the train that took him to his latest case,’ said Andrews, thrusting out his chest. ‘I helped in the investigation.’
‘Investigation?’
‘It will be in all the newspapers.’
‘What will?’
‘A hatbox was unloaded at Crewe Station yesterday afternoon.’
‘Nothing unusual in that.’
‘Yes, there was – it had a man’s head inside it.’
‘Goodness!’ she exclaimed, bringing both hands up to her face. ‘You mean that someone had been… beheaded? That’s grotesque.’
Andrews told her all that he knew about the incident, omitting some of the more lurid details he had picked up but giving the impression that he was an essential part of the investigative team. What Madeleine really wanted to hear about was Robert Colbeck and she pressed for more information.
‘Did he find any clues to the crime?’ she asked.
‘I don’t know, Maddy. There was no time to speak to him after we reached Crewe. I had to drive a train back to London. But I daresay he’ll call here at some point to ask my advice,’ he added airily. ‘After so many years with the LNWR, I can tell him all he needs to know about the transport of luggage.’
‘There’s nothing you can teach Robert about railways. He has a real passion for them.’
He chuckled. ‘It’s not the only thing he has a passion for.’
‘Being able to travel around the country by train,’ she said, ignoring her father’s innuendo, ‘has made his job so much easier. That’s why he relishes any crime that’s connected to the railways.’
‘There’s far too much of it, Maddy.’
‘There’s too much crime everywhere.’
‘If railways aren’t safe, people won’t travel on them.’
‘People like Robert
