apology because he won’t get one. Browne should not avoid execution,’ he said, vengefully. ‘It would be a travesty of justice if he did so. Use your imagination, Canon Smalley. Isn’t there some other reason we can find to hang the man?’
With Swift, Howard Gurney and May Gurney under lock and key, the detectives went up to Steel’s office to toast their success with a glass of whisky apiece. Leeming was glad that he’d been able to overpower the man who’d actually battered Joel Heygate’s head with the butt of his shotgun, Colbeck was pleased that he’d been able to save Bagsy Browne from an unjust death, and Steel was gratified that he’d been involved in the confrontation at the asylum. The superintendent was gracious in defeat.
‘I should have listened to you, Inspector,’ he said with admiration. ‘You had doubts about Bagsy’s guilt all long.’
‘He was guilty of just about everything else,’ Colbeck reminded him, ‘and will have a very long sentence to serve. Your job, I fancy, will be a lot easier with him off the streets of Exeter.’
‘How did you know that he had an alibi?’
‘I didn’t, Superintendent. But when a criminal facing the hangman requests an urgent meeting, I’m always prepared to hear him out. As a result, I checked that he wasn’t even in the area on the night of the murder and was satisfied that he was therefore in the clear. The very best way to exonerate one suspect, however, is to arrest and charge another — or three of them, in this case. Browne was in no way party to the crime.’
‘What exactly was his alibi, sir?’ asked Leeming.
‘It doesn’t matter any more, Victor,’ said Colbeck, smoothly. ‘He won’t stand trial for murder, so that particular witness need never be called. We can draw a veil over that aspect of the case.’
Colbeck was relieved to be able to keep the name of Christina Goss out of the case, not least because it might have caused severe embarrassment to her mother. The story told by the prisoner had been confirmed almost word for word by the girl. She and her mother had parted acrimoniously years before. Not daring to mention it to Adeline, Bagsy had taken pity on Christina because she was left to struggle alone. Whenever he was in South Devon, he called on her in Totnes to give her money, asking for nothing in return but her thanks and her discretion. Browne claimed that she’d always looked upon him as a kind uncle in the past. On his last visit, however, he wasn’t able to simply hand over the money and leave. Christina had admitted that she’d thrown herself at him and — like the red-blooded man he was — Browne had been unable to resist, even though she was Adeline’s daughter.
In Colbeck’s opinion, there was no virtue in recounting the details to the others, especially to Leeming. As a devoted family man, he would have been scandalised at the idea of someone having sexual relations outside marriage with both a mother and daughter. It was knowledge he could live more happily without.
Colbeck finished his whisky. ‘It’s time for us to leave,’ he said. ‘The case is closed. We’re keen to return to London and you, Superintendent, will be thrilled to see the back of us.’
‘I can’t thank you enough,’ said Steel, exchanging a handshake with each of them in turn. ‘Without you, we’d have hanged the wrong man and Dr Swift would have been able to carry on seducing defenceless women at the asylum.’
‘Before I go,’ said Colbeck, ‘may I remind you of a wager we made?’
‘You may indeed, Inspector. I’m more than willing to pay you the five pounds I owe you,’ said Steel, opening a drawer and taking out money. ‘I’m also returning the sovereign I won unfairly from you earlier. It’s quite obvious that Bagsy
‘What’s that, sir?’ asked Leeming.
‘It’s related to that information you discovered, Sergeant,’ said Steel. ‘I often used to go to the Crown Inn for a drink but you won’t get me across the threshold if it’s owned by Michael and Lavinia Heygate.’
‘Oh, there’s no possibility of that happening,’ said Colbeck, confidently.
‘How do you know?’
‘I spoke to Joel Heygate’s solicitor. He wasn’t prepared to divulge details of the man’s will, of course, but he did give me a broad hint. Very little of the estate has been bequeathed to Heygate’s brother.’
‘Then who is the main beneficiary?’
‘She’s the person who really deserves the money — Miss Dorcas Hope.’
Dorcas laughed as Peter flew around the parlour before landing playfully on top of her head. The canary then flew down to Maud Hope’s knee. In the short time he’d been there, Peter had made a difference to their lives. He needed very little care, yet rewarded them with endless amusement. Peter had accepted that he would be a permanent guest in his new home and was happy with the arrangement. Hopping on to the table, he jumped back into his cage and stood on his perch, singing at the top of his voice. Dorcas was pleased.
‘It’s almost as if he
Colbeck and Madeleine had really been able to talk properly for the first when they had breakfast together at the Acland Tavern. Thanks to Leeming and Andrews, who sat at a separate table, they shared precious moments alone. It was different on the train journey back to London. Though they sat side by side, they had their travelling companions directly opposite them in the compartment. It was only when Leeming and Andrews became embroiled in a long argument about the atmospheric railway that Colbeck felt able to speak more freely to Madeleine.
‘Are you glad that you came?’ he asked, squeezing her hand.
‘Oh, yes,’ she replied, ‘and so is Father. He claims that the only reason you solved the crime is that we arrived in Exeter.’
Colbeck grinned. ‘There may be some truth in that, Madeleine. When I caught sight of you in the refreshment room at the station, I had a real stimulus to press on with the investigation.’
‘Why didn’t you take me to Totnes? I’ve helped you in earlier cases.’
‘I needed to speak to that witness alone,’ he explained, careful to say nothing more about Christina Goss. ‘In the event, her testimony was not needed.’
‘It seems to have been a very difficult investigation.’
‘I’m trying to put it at the back of my mind for a while, Madeleine, so that I can concentrate on the more appealing prospect of the wedding.’
‘There’s not long to go now, Robert,’ she said, excitedly.
‘I’ve been counting the days.’
‘When you get involved in future cases, I won’t have to mope at home with Father any longer. I’ll be able to discuss an investigation with you.’
‘I’m hoping that you’ll do rather more than that.’
‘So do I — it will be wonderful to work together.’
‘It will have to be covert assistance,’ he told her. ‘Superintendent Tallis would never sanction the employment of a woman in the process of detection. It’s in defiance of everything that he believes. I take a more practical view. Women are more than capable of committing crime — look at May Gurney, for instance — so why shouldn’t they be able to solve it?’
‘Is the superintendent still unhappy about your getting married?’
‘It’s not so much unhappiness as disapproval. That’s why I won’t be giving him a full report of our activities in Exeter.’ He glanced across at Leeming, still quarrelling with Andrews. ‘Victor can have that dubious privilege.’
Edward Tallis didn’t believe in staying away from his desk simply because his arm had been wounded. He could still bark commands at his underlings and supervise the never-ending stream of investigations that were referred to the Detective Department. Pleased that the case in Exeter had finally been brought to a satisfactory conclusion, he was sorry that he hadn’t been there in person to take charge and to grab some of the glory. Local newspapers would no doubt lavish their praise on the Railway Detective without even mentioning the person who assigned the case to him. Because of its sensational nature, details of the stationmaster’s murder would be carried in national newspapers, so Tallis would be compelled to watch his detectives being feted while he was ignored. It made the wound in his arm smart.
All that he knew so far was what had been contained in a telegraph from Colbeck. The prime suspect, Bernard Browne, had been absolved of the murder and three further arrests had been made. Tallis longed to hear a fuller explanation. When he heard someone tapping on his door that afternoon, he hoped that it would be Colbeck,
