precipitated a marital crisis.
The journey back to London gave Colbeck time to reflect on his visit to the town. Giles Thornhill had presented a strong argument for being the real target of the train crash but Colbeck was reluctant to forget about Horace Bardwell. He felt that Bardwell’s association with the railway company was a telling factor. What pleased him most was his decision to call on Ezra Follis. He had learnt a lot about Thornhill from the outspoken rector and now understood why the politician was so unpopular in certain quarters. He wondered how Follis would have reacted if he had read the fake obituary sent to the Member of Parliament. Though he had disliked the man intensely, Colbeck felt sorry for his plight. Thornhill was definitely being stalked.
Regardless of the fact that it was now evening, he knew that Tallis would be waiting for him to report to Scotland Yard. Instead of going straight there when he reached London, however, he first took a cab to Camden to pay a more enjoyable visit. Madeleine Andrews was thrilled to see him. They embraced warmly on the doorstep and kissed once they were inside the house. Over her shoulder, Colbeck noticed the easel, standing by the window to catch the best of the light.
‘What are you working on?’ he asked, crossing to look. ‘Oh, it’s the turntable at the Round House.’
‘Father took me there last week.’
‘There’s so much drama in the way you’ve drawn it.’
‘I found it a very dramatic place.’
He studied the picture admiringly. ‘You’ve got a wonderful eye for detail, Madeleine.’
‘I know,’ she said, subjecting him to careful scrutiny. ‘I always choose subjects I like.’ They shared a laugh and he hugged her again. The sound of the back door opening made them move guiltily apart. ‘I’d forgotten that Father was here,’ she whispered. ‘He’s been out in the garden.’
Caleb Andrews came in from the kitchen in his shirtsleeves and stopped when he saw Colbeck. ‘Just the man I want to see, Inspector,’ he said. ‘I discovered that there is truth in the rumour.’
‘And what rumour might that be, Mr Andrews?’ asked Colbeck.
‘Someone caused that accident on the Brighton line.’
‘Who told you that?’
‘You did,’ replied Andrews. ‘That’s to say, you told John Heddle and he passed it on to me when I called on him today. It’s a fact, isn’t it? I mean, you won’t deny it, will you?’
‘No,’ admitted Colbeck. ‘It’s a fact.’
‘It beggars belief that anyone could be so evil,’ said Madeleine. ‘What is Rose Pike going to say when she learns the hideous truth?’
‘How is Mrs Pike?’
‘She’s still in a daze, Robert. We both spent time with her today but there was little that we could do. She and Frank were so happy together. All that happiness has suddenly been snatched away from her and it’s been a shattering blow.’
‘Don’t add to her pain by telling her that the crash was not an accident,’ said Colbeck. ‘The time for her to learn the truth is when we’ve caught the man behind the disaster. The same goes for you, Mr Andrews,’ he went on, turning to him. ‘I’d be grateful if you didn’t spread the word about our investigation until it’s been completed.’
Andrews was puzzled. ‘Why not?’
‘Do as Robert advises,’ said his daughter.
‘But I don’t understand why, Maddy.’
‘Apart from anything else,’ said Colbeck, ‘if it becomes common knowledge, it will alert the man we’re after. At the moment, he has no idea that we’re on his tail. I want to keep it that way.’
‘Very well, Inspector – if you say so.’
‘Thank you, Mr Andrews. I’d be very grateful. And I also need to thank you, Madeleine,’ he said, smiling at her. ‘That note you sent me contained a valuable piece of information. Frank Pike actually saw someone carrying out what looked like a reconnaissance of the line.’
‘I can vouch for that,’ said Andrews, seizing his cue. ‘I got all the details from John Heddle. I know you spoke to him, Inspector, but you questioned him as a detective. I talked to him as another railwayman. I wanted to know the speed of the train immediately before the crash, the way the engine was performing and how well Frank was driving it.’
‘Did he remember the man with the telescope?’
‘He remembered more than that. He and Frank were on stopping trains both times so they were going slower than the express. The first time they saw the man,’ recalled Andrews, ‘they didn’t pay much attention. When they saw him a second time, it was different.
‘Why was that?’ asked Colbeck.
‘The man with the telescope wasn’t alone, Inspector.’
‘Is he sure about that?’
‘Heddle was a cheeky lad when he worked for the LNWR as a cleaner but he had a sharp eye. He reckons that the man with the telescope was well-dressed while the other man wore rough clothing.’
‘Does Heddle remember exactly where this was?’
‘More or less,’ said Andrews, relishing the chance to pass on what he believed was significant evidence. ‘He claims it was close to the place where the express came off the track on Friday. The man with the telescope was pointing at the line as if he was giving orders to the other man. Is that any help to you, Inspector?’
‘It is, indeed,’ said Colbeck. ‘Thank you.’
‘There you are – I’ve told you before. When it comes to a crime on the railways, the person to turn to is Caleb Andrews. I’ll help all I can and there’s only one thing I ask in return.’
‘What’s that, Mr Andrews?’
‘When you catch the men who murdered Frank Pike,’ said the other, letting his fury show, ‘hand the pair of them over to me!’
CHAPTER EIGHT
Facing the superintendent on his own when he had little progress to report was something that Victor Leeming chose to evade, preferring to have Robert Colbeck at his side during the ordeal. Instead of going straight to Scotland Yard that evening, therefore, he lurked in the Lamb and Flag, the public house nearby, and enjoyed a pint of beer while standing at the window. He had almost finished his drink when he saw Colbeck arrive by cab. Downing the last mouthful in one gulp, he put the tankard aside and rushed out. Colbeck saw him coming and waited at the door.
‘Good evening, Victor,’ he said, understanding very well where the sergeant had been. ‘I’m glad that we have a chance to compare notes before we see Mr Tallis. Did you have any luck?’
‘None at all,’ replied Leeming. ‘Except that I managed to dodge the urchins in Seven Dials who thought it would be a joke to knock off my top hat.’
‘Let’s go inside.’
In the privacy of Colbeck’s office, they exchanged details of how each had spent the day. Leeming was envious. Colbeck appeared to have gathered useful evidence whereas the sergeant’s efforts had been more or less futile. Apart from being hounded by ragamuffins in the rookeries, he had had to endure an indecent proposal from the daunting Josie Murlow.
‘I went to all four of Chiffney’s favourite taverns,’ he said, morosely, ‘but there was no sign of him.’
‘Was he well-known to the landlords?’
‘Oh, yes – they all had Dick Chiffney stories to tell. Most were about fights he’d started or times when he drank himself into oblivion and had to be carried home. He and Josie Murlow have a reputation.’
‘She sounds like a potent lady,’ said Colbeck.
‘Overwhelming is the word I’d use, sir.’
Having discussed their respective reports, they went down the corridor to the superintendent’s office. From the other side of the door, they heard the raised voice of Edward Tallis as he berated one of his officers for failure to solve a crime. A minute later, the man came out, shooting a baleful glance at Colbeck and Leeming as he did so. Tallis, apparently, was even more hot-tempered than usual. After tapping on the door, Colbeck led the way in.
‘Is this a convenient time to speak, sir?’ he enquired, politely.
