‘What was Mrs Young doing here?’ she asked.
‘That’s the trouble, Maddy. I don’t really know.’
‘When did she arrive?’
‘It was the moment you left the house. I have a horrible feeling that she was waiting outside for the chance to catch me alone. That gave me a shiver.’
‘Sit down and tell me all about it.’
They sat beside each other and Andrews gave her a garbled account of what had happened. It was clear that he still hadn’t understood the full import of what had occurred. Madeleine, by contrast, seized on the salient point.
‘She’s after you, Father,’ she said.
‘How can that be? I’m Binnie’s friend, not hers.’
‘She’s trying to prise you away from her sister. Why else should she give you her address? Mrs Young wants you to enter into a conspiracy with her.’
He was appalled. ‘I’d never do that. I like Binnie too much.’
‘From what I can gather,’ she said, ‘Mrs Young likes
‘She pretended that she was doing me a favour.’
‘Did you believe everything she told you?’
‘I did and I didn’t, Maddy,’ he replied. ‘I did at first because she was so convincing. After she’d gone, however, I got to thinking about all the things she claimed. She said that Binnie chased after men, then cast them aside when she lost interest in them. That doesn’t sound like the Binnie Langton I know. She’s a respectable woman, Maddy. I wouldn’t have looked at her twice if she hadn’t been.’
‘What about the tea you had at her house?’
‘Binnie baked everything. I’m certain of it.’
‘Then why did her sister lie to you?’
‘I don’t know. I suppose she wanted me to think well of her.’
‘And do you?’
‘No,’ he said. ‘As soon as she left, I barricaded myself in.’ Madeleine burst out laughing. He was hurt. ‘What’s so funny?’
‘I can’t leave you alone for a minute, Father,’ she teased. ‘Most men in your position would be flattered if one woman took an interest in them. You’ve got two sisters fighting tooth and nail over you.’
‘There’s nothing to laugh about, Maddy. It was very unpleasant.’
‘I’m sure it was,’ she said with a consoling arm around him, ‘and I didn’t mean to poke fun. How has it left you feeling about Mrs Langton?’
‘To be honest, I’m not very keen to see her again.’
‘What about her sister?’
‘I’d run a mile if she turned up here again.’
‘Then the solution is obvious,’ said Madeleine. ‘You must write Mrs Langton a letter to thank her for the invitation to tea and tell her that you’re going away for some time.’
‘But I’m not, Maddy. I’m staying here.’
‘No, you’re not. We both deserve a short holiday.’
‘Where would we go?’
‘I know just the place,’ she said with growing conviction. ‘You heard what Robert said in the letter I had this morning. They’ve made an arrest but he still has doubts about the man’s guilt and expects the case to drag on a little longer. That means I’ll continue to fret about him if I stay here and your knees will continue to knock at the thought of a second visit from Mrs Young.’
‘Heaven forbid!’
‘We can take the train to Exeter and solve both of our problems.’
‘But that would mean travelling on the Great Western Railway,’ he said with disgust. ‘Do you really expect me to do that, Maddy?’
‘Would you rather be caught in your slippers again by Mrs Young?’
It took him only a few seconds to weigh up the alternatives.
‘I’ll write that letter to Binnie at once,’ he said, ‘then we can pack our bags and catch the next train to Exeter.’
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Colbeck’s visit to the solicitor had been enlightening. Having handed over the money found in the birdcage, he went off to the station with a quiet smile playing around his lips. The first person he saw was Lawrence Woodford but the man studiously avoided him. Since the refreshment room was quite busy, he had to wait until it was emptied by the arrival of the next train. He was then able to take Dorcas Hope aside. She was anxious to know what he’d discovered. He told her that the diary was largely devoted to the listing of birds and said nothing to her about the references to Woodford and Michael Heygate. She made a confession.
‘I was very tempted to read it myself,’ she said, ‘but Mother told me that the diary was private property and I had no right to look into it. That’s why I called on you, Inspector.’
‘You did the right thing.’
‘Has it been of any help?’
‘Oh yes, it’s given us a fascinating insight into the running of this station. As I foresaw,’ said Colbeck, ‘Mr Heygate thought very highly of you.’ She blushed. ‘Your name was mentioned a number of times.’
‘That’s nice to know.’
‘I can’t tell you how grateful I am to you for finding the diary.’
‘It was pure chance,’ she admitted. ‘As soon as I saw it, I thought it might be useful to you. That’s why I couldn’t understand Mr Woodford’s reaction.’
Colbeck was alert. ‘Has he been threatening you again?’
‘Not at all — he’s been very pleasant to me. He even said that I might be the manageress here one day. But when I told him that the diary had been found, he looked quite ill. I don’t know why.’
‘I’ll talk to him about it,’ said Colbeck, thoughtfully. ‘First, however, I need your help. Mr Heygate wrote that he discovered that barn owl “near M.V.” Have you any idea what those initials represent, Miss Hope?’
‘No, I don’t,’ she said after consideration.
‘Is it a place he visited or a person he knew?’
‘I can’t say, Inspector.’
‘Well, will you please think about it?’
‘Yes, yes, I will. “M.V.” could stand for Mr Vesey, who’s taken over as manager here, but I really don’t believe those initials have anything to do with him. He lives in Newton Abbot and the owl certainly wouldn’t be there.’
‘Let it lie at the back of your mind,’ he suggested. ‘Something may trigger a memory. If it does, then you must make contact with us at once.’
‘I understand. While you’re here,’ she said, ‘is there anything you can tell me about Mrs Rossiter? I worry so much about her and Miss Impey.’
‘As far as I know, she’s being well looked after.’
‘Is there any chance of visiting her?’
‘I’ll try to find out for you.’
‘I’m free on Sundays,’ she said. ‘Do you think I should offer to take her sister with me? In some ways, Miss Impey is rather frail. I wouldn’t want her to get upset.’
‘That’s very considerate of you,’ said Colbeck. ‘It’s perhaps better to wait until Miss Impey is ready to go there of her own volition. You’ve already offered to help her. If she feels she needs your support when she goes to the asylum, I’m sure that she’ll ask for it.’
