create an image of him.
‘He’ll be back before long, Maddy,’ he said, kissing her on the temple.
‘His letter said that the murder wouldn’t be easy to solve. What if the investigation carries on for a few weeks?’
‘Then I’ll go down to Exeter and drag him back for the wedding.’
‘Robert hates to abandon a case before he’s brought the culprit to justice.’
‘Marrying my daughter comes before anything else.’
‘It doesn’t stop me from fretting,’ she confessed. ‘I’ve waited for years to become Mrs Colbeck. I’m terrified that something will happen at the last minute to ruin the arrangements.’
‘Take heart, Maddy. It’s not like you to be down.’
‘Robert takes his work so seriously.’
‘And so he should do,’ said Andrews. ‘I was the same. There’s no point in doing a job if you don’t put all your energy into it. Anyway,’ he added, ‘I’m on my way out. Why not come with me for a walk?’
‘I’d much rather stay here, Father.’
‘Brooding will get you nowhere.’
‘I’ll be fine — off you go.’
‘Goodbye,’ he said, cheerfully. ‘And there’s no need to worry about the arrangements being ruined. Since the church has been booked for a wedding, we simply replace the pair of you with another happy couple.’
She was baffled. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘I’ll give you one guess.’
Opening the door, he let himself out with a cackle of amusement. When Madeleine realised that he’d been talking about himself and Mrs Langton, she was shaken. Her father hardly knew the woman yet he was already thinking of marriage. Madeleine had a sneaking suspicion that Mrs Langton’s mind was also inclined in that direction. It gave her something else to worry about. Returning to her easel, she looked at her portrait and sighed with disappointment. She reached for a damp cloth and wiped Colbeck decisively off the canvas.
They were in the tiny kitchen for a long time. Colbeck could think of many better companions with whom to be cooped up than Frances Impey but he had no choice. She was tense, lacklustre and a poor conversationalist. All that she did was to bleat about her sister’s condition. Colbeck kept his ears open to pick up the sounds that came from the parlour. Incredibly, Dr Swift had somehow got Mrs Rossiter talking. What she was saying Colbeck was unable to make out but he could hear her getting increasingly expressive. Desperate to listen at the door, Frances felt unable to do so. She was positively writhing with anxiety.
‘What are they saying, Inspector?’ she asked.
‘I’m not sure, Miss Impey.’
‘How ever did the doctor get Agnes to talk?’
‘It’s a secret I’d like to learn.’
‘We’ve been in here for ages. How much longer must we wait?’
Dr Swift answered the question by opening the door and inviting them in. Frances immediately went to embrace her sister who was now on her feet. While she still looked far from well, Mrs Rossiter had more colour in her cheeks and some animation in her eyes. Frances led her sister into the kitchen to question her in private. Colbeck was quick to exploit their absence.
‘What’s your diagnosis, Doctor?’ he asked.
‘Mrs Rossiter has had a profound shock,’ replied the other, solemnly. ‘It’s destroyed some of the certainties in her life.’
‘You achieved a miracle in getting her to talk.’
‘Once she got started, the problem was to stop her.’
‘Did you ask her about the incident at the cathedral?’
‘Yes,’ said Swift, ‘and she wasn’t in the least repentant. In fact, she said she’d do exactly the same if she were given the chance. That was worrying. Her mind has been unbalanced by the loss of a dear friend. I’ve seen it happen before many times. She’s exhibiting far more than natural grief at the death of a loved one.’
‘Yet she and the stationmaster were not close,’ said Colbeck. ‘They merely worked together. They were never bosom friends.’
‘Mrs Rossiter
‘Is it possible to break that obsession?’
‘I can prescribe medication that might help to calm her down but there’s no cure for a mania. That’s what we have here. Though I began my career as a general practitioner,’ he went on, ‘my main interest is in psychiatry and I spend much of my time at the County Asylum. That’s the work that really interests me. I’ve treated several manic patients. Some have recovered enough to warrant release while others remain in the custody of the medical staff indefinitely.’
Colbeck glanced towards the kitchen and lowered his voice so that he wouldn’t be overheard by the two women. He could imagine how shattering a blow it would be for Frances Impey if her sister were taken away from her. Colbeck was not at all sure that she could cope with the stigma of having her sister confined because of a mental disorder. For both their sakes, he hoped that this last resort would somehow be avoidable. Yet he had to accept the doctor’s expert opinion.
‘Does Mrs Rossiter belong in a lunatic asylum?’ he asked.
‘Let me put it this way,’ said Swift, adjusting his cravat. ‘That extraordinary outburst in the cathedral was prompted by her obsession. It has left her with a hatred of religion and what she perceives as its specious benefits. She feels utterly betrayed by God, hence her act of defiance. If the lady has another hysterical episode of that order,’ he stressed, ‘I’d have no hesitation in signing the certificate to commit her to the County Asylum.’
CHAPTER NINE
When he met them over luncheon, Tallis was not impressed with the way that his detectives had spent the morning. Expecting signs of visible progress, he was very disappointed. He did not mince his words.
‘Let me get this straight,’ he said, glaring first at Colbeck then at Leeming, ‘the sum total of your endeavours is as follows. The inspector wasted his time with a mad old lady while you, Sergeant, seem to have gone to Dawlish for the sole purpose of discovering how the atmospheric railway worked.’
‘That’s unfair, sir,’ said Leeming, hotly. ‘I only mentioned that in passing. My interview with Mr and Mrs Heygate did yield a result.’
‘I fail to see it.’
‘The pair of them must definitely be considered as suspects.’
‘You knew that before you went to their home.’
‘I had to confirm our suspicions,’ argued Leeming. ‘They fell out with the stationmaster because he’d refused to advance them money for the second time. There was no sense of gratitude for the loan he’d already given them. Without that, they’d never have been able to set up in business in the first place.’
‘Resentment does not make them killers.’
‘It could do, sir.’
‘I agree,’ said Colbeck, coming to his rescue. ‘What Victor learnt was that they had a strong motive to murder Joel Heygate. They’d not only wreak their revenge, they’d inherit more than enough from him to buy their way out of their financial difficulties. And there are unanswered questions to consider,’ he went on. ‘Why did Mr and Mrs Heygate come to Exeter a day earlier than they need have done? Why did they leave their children at home when the celebrations were aimed at the youth of the city? I’m sure that Victor would never have dreamt of depriving his children of such a treat.’
‘I certainly wouldn’t,’ said Leeming. ‘They love bonfires.’
‘Finally, where did they stay on the fateful night?’
‘They must have lodged with friends,’ said Tallis, dismissively.
‘Then why didn’t they say so?’
