we require now is a long, quiet, restful, law-abiding passage of time.’
Drizzle had turned into driving rain. It was so persistent that the dogs were locked in their kennels instead of being let out to roam around the house. In the middle of the wet, blustery night, everyone was fast asleep in bed. Nobody heard the shutters being forced nor the tinkle of glass as a panel was smashed to allow a hand to reach through. When the catch was released, the sash window was lifted right up and the thief clambered over the sill. Glad to be out of the rain at last, he looked around in the gloom.
‘Now, then, Odysseus,’ he said to himself, ‘where
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lord George Hendry was absolutely distraught. Stunned, wounded and hollow-eyed, he sat in his library and stared up at the gilt frame that had once surrounded the portrait of Odysseus. The horse had now bolted. The frame still hung over the marble fireplace but the oil painting had been cut out and removed. He was inconsolable. Lord Hendry was not simply mourning the loss of his colt and of the large amount of money it had cost to immortalise the animal on canvas. To him, the theft was a dreadful omen. Odysseus might not, after all, win the Derby. Its owner was facing ruin.
It was still early morning when Inspector Robert Colbeck arrived at the house in response to the urgent summons. A servant showed him into the library but Lord Hendry did not even notice him at first. Colbeck had to clear his throat to gain his attention.
‘Good morning, my lord,’ he said.
The other looked up. ‘Ah, you’re here,’ he said dully.
‘When I heard the news, I came as quickly as I could.’ Colbeck glanced at the empty frame. ‘I can see why you’re so distressed.’
‘Distressed?’ Lord Hendry gave a mirthless laugh.
‘When was the theft discovered?’
‘Not long after dawn – one of the servants heard the shutters banging and got up to investigate. He found that someone had broken into the house through the dining-room window.’
‘I’ll need to see the exact spot.’
‘The alarm was raised and I came downstairs to face this catastrophe,’ said Lord Hendry, rising from his chair to point at the gilt frame. ‘Odysseus has been stolen.’
‘Was anything else taken?’
‘Isn’t this bad enough, man!’
‘Yes, yes,’ said Colbeck, ‘of course, it is, Lord Hendry. But I want to establish if the thief came for the sole purpose of stealing the painting or if it was only one of many items that went missing.’
‘Nothing else was taken, Inspector. He was after my horse.’
‘You have my sympathy – it was a magnificent painting.’
‘Odysseus is a magnificent colt,’ asserted Lord Hendry. ‘That’s something my wife has never been able to appreciate, I fear. When she saw what had happened, she was more concerned about the muddy footprints left on the carpets than about the theft.’
‘They could help us,’ said Colbeck, noting the clear footprints that led to and from the fireplace. ‘From the size of his boots and the length of his stride, I can see that we’re looking for a tall man with large feet. There’ll be more footprints in the mud outside to show from which direction he approached the house and where he left it.’
‘What use is that? It won’t bring my painting back.’
‘Oh, I think it will be returned eventually.’
‘Balderdash! It’s already been destroyed.’
‘I disagree, Lord Henry. If the thief were intent on destruction, then he’d simply have slashed the canvas to shreds. Instead of that, judging by the way it’s been cut out, he’s removed it with great care.’
‘What does that tell you?’
‘That you may well be offered the portrait back,’ said Colbeck. ‘At a high price, naturally.’
Lord Hendry shuddered. ‘I can’t afford to pay for it
‘You can if Odysseus wins the Derby.’
‘Yes,’ said the other, rallying slightly. ‘I can, Inspector. I can pay for anything then. The horse will get that painting back for me.’
‘God willing!’
‘I don’t have to call on the Almighty. I rely entirely on form. Odysseus has been consistently faster than his nearest rivals. Over the same distance, he was even fleeter of foot than last year’s Derby winner, West Australian.’
‘But not in race conditions,’ said Colbeck. ‘In the heat of a Derby, form is not the only telling factor.’
‘It will be tomorrow,’ said Lord Hendry in a conscious effort to raise his own spirits. ‘My trainer has never been so positive about a result before and he’s handled dozens of three-year-olds.’
‘I wish you luck.’
‘Thank you.’
‘Incidentally,’ said Colbeck, ‘when I heard about this theft, my immediate concern was for Odysseus himself. I thought that he might be in danger as well. I know that you have him under armed guard, but I dispatched Sergeant Leeming to your stables to verify that there have been no problems during the night.’
‘That was considerate.’
‘Has your trainer been made aware of what happened here?’
‘Not yet,’ said Lord Hendry, ‘and my instinct is to keep the news from him and from my jockey. They’re both very superstitious. They’ll interpret the theft in the way I’ve been doing – as an evil portent.’ He was worried. ‘I hope your sergeant will not tell them about what occurred here last night.’
‘I told him not to, Lord Hendry. His job is simply to check on the safety of Odysseus. When all is said and done, the horse is far more important than the portrait of him.’
‘Quite so.’
‘Do you have any clue as to the thief’s identity?’
‘I could hazard a guess at his paymaster.’
‘Brian Dowd?’
‘Not in this instance, Inspector,’ said Lord Hendry thoughtfully. ‘He wouldn’t even know that I had the painting. Besides, he’s never been anywhere near this house. Because Odysseus stands between him and a Derby win, Dowd is much more likely to try to injure the horse himself than steal his portrait. No,’ he continued, ‘I spy the grasping hand of Hamilton Fido behind this.’
‘How would
‘Someone could have told him,’ replied the other, thinking of Kitty Lavender. ‘Someone in whom I unwisely confided at one time.’
‘Are we talking about the young lady at the Wyvern Hotel?’
Lord Hendry glanced anxiously towards the door. ‘Keep your voice down, man!’ he ordered. ‘This is my home.’
‘I’m sorry, sir,’ said Colbeck, speaking in a whisper. ‘But the question cannot be avoided. Is it the lady we’ve discussed before?’
‘Yes, Inspector.’
‘You seem to have discovered that she’s formed a liaison with Mr Fido. Am I right in thinking that?’ Lord Hendry nodded sullenly. ‘Could there be an element of spite in this? Given the circumstances, could this person have urged Mr Fido to arrange the theft of the painting out of pure malice?’
‘She could and she did, Inspector,’ said Lord Hendry, deciding that Kitty wanted her revenge for the blow he had given her. ‘That must be what happened. She instigated the whole thing.’
‘Then she committed a criminal act,’ said Colbeck. ‘That being the case, it’s even more crucial that I know her name so that I can speak to her as soon as possible. If your supposition about her is correct, it may be a way to retrieve the painting sooner than I thought. Well, Lord Hendry?’ he pressed. ‘Are you going to tell me who she is?’
