Still in her night attire, Kitty Lavender was propped up in bed as she watched Hamilton Fido putting on his frock coat. She was peevish.
‘Do you have to leave so early?’ she complained.
‘Needs must when the devil drives, my darling.’
‘Let your assistants do all the work.’
‘I like to be at the course first thing to give them instructions,’ said Fido, adjusting his coat in the bedroom mirror. ‘One of the rules of bookmaking is to be constantly visible. It inspires trust.’
‘Come here and inspire me,’ she said, patting the bed.
He blew her a kiss. ‘I’ll have to postpone that delight until this evening, Kitty. I have too many people to see and too many bets to take. I also need to find a moment to go across to the stables to check on Merry Legs. That attempt at poisoning her scared me.’
‘Do you still think that Mr Dowd was responsible?’
‘I’d put money on it.’
‘You’d never do that unless you were very confident.’
‘My motto is simple,’ he said, coming to sit on the bed. ‘I only back certainties – like Kitty Lavender.’ She gave a brittle laugh. ‘How are you feeling this morning?’
‘Pleasantly tired,’ she purred.
‘Then you can go back to sleep. While you slumber away, I’ll be plying my trade at the racecourse and hoping that Inspector Colbeck will be able to find the villain who put that poison in the water.’
‘What are the chances of that happening?’
‘We shall see. Colbeck is an astute man.’
‘Marcus doesn’t think so. He said you’d outwit him every time.’
‘I’d outwit any policeman, Kitty,’ he said cheerily, ‘ which is why I’ve never seen the inside of a courtroom. But this crime is something I can’t solve on my own. I need an able detective.’
‘What sort of person is Inspector Colbeck?’ he asked.
‘You’d like him – he’s a real dandy. He sticks out from every other policeman I’ve met, whereas his sergeant is more typical of the breed. To be honest,’ he went on, ‘I enjoyed crossing swords with Colbeck. He’s a worthy opponent – unlike Lord Hendry.’
She was uneasy. ‘Do you still mean to go ahead with the duel?’
‘I can’t pull out of it now, Kitty.’
‘But you could be putting yourself in jeopardy.’
‘He’d never get the better of me with a pistol.’
‘If he believes that, George will look for a way to ensure that the duel never takes place.’
‘You mean that he’ll go into hiding somewhere?’
‘No,’ she said, stroking his arm. ‘George won’t run away – that would look bad. He’s more likely to hire some ruffians to break a few of your bones so that you’re frightened off.’
Fido laughed. ‘He’ll need a whole army to get close to me,’ he boasted, tapping the bulge at his waist. ‘Apart from the fact that I carry a loaded weapon, I have a bodyguard watching my back. The moment I leave here, I’m under his protection.’
‘That won’t stop me worrying.’
‘Lord Hendry deserves a bullet between his eyes.’
‘I want you to stay alive in order to put it there.’
‘One of us will finish him off,’ he said with conviction. ‘If some mishap should befall me, Marcus will take my place. From what you’ve told me about him, he’s an excellent shot.’
‘He is,’ said Kitty. ‘Gambling is his first love but, when he takes time off from that, it’s to join a shooting party somewhere. Though he’s desperately short of money most of the time, he somehow manages to maintain a very comfortable existence. He trades on his charm and lives off his wealthy friends.’
‘He’s a silver-tongued social parasite and I admire him for that. It takes skill and daring to do what he does. I was also touched by the way he came to your defence.’
‘I just wish that he hadn’t told
‘Somebody must call Lord Hendry to account.’
‘I’d rather it wasn’t you, Hamilton. I know the way that George’s mind works. If the duel did actually take place,’ she warned, ‘he’d be ready to fall back on unfair means.’
Fido grinned. ‘That makes two of us – so will I.’ Holding her by the chin, he gave her a gentle kiss then stood up. ‘When are you going to speak to Inspector Colbeck?’
‘Never – if I can help it.’
‘He won’t give up, Kitty. The longer you keep dodging him, the meaner he’ll be when he finally does catch up with you. It’s only a matter of time before he does that,’ he pointed out. ‘As soon as he sees us together, he’ll know that you’re the lady from the Wyvern Hotel.’
‘There’s no reason why he
‘Oh – and who might that be?’
‘Marcus, of course,’ she said. ‘He told me to avoid the police at all costs or my name might finish up in the newspapers. I don’t want to become a public spectacle, Hamilton.’
‘I rather hoped that you did – on my arm.’
‘When I’ve shaken off Inspector Colbeck, there’s nowhere I’d rather be. Above all else, I want George to see us together. After what he did to me, I want him to writhe in pain.’
‘He’s already been doing that, Kitty,’ he said, reaching for his hat. ‘My guess is that Lord Hendry didn’t get a wink of sleep last night. He’d have been tortured by the thought of fighting a duel against me. He knows how that will end. And if he was kept awake, he’ll have heard the sound of the downpour we had. It rained hard for hours and hours. That means the going will be soft at the racecourse and that won’t suit Odysseus at all.’ He put his hat on at a rakish angle. ‘One way or another,’ he said cheerfully, ‘Lord Hendry must have had the worst night of his life.’
Victor Leeming was making his way through the crowd when he saw the woman. Short, dainty and with a look of sublime innocence on her face, she was accompanied by a small boy. Speaking to an elderly gentleman who was just descending from his carriage, she asked directions from him. He was happy to oblige. He was entranced by her pretty features and beckoning smile. Victor Leeming was more interested in what the boy was doing. When the directions had been received, the woman thanked her guide and led the boy away. The sergeant moved swiftly to intercept them. Fixing the boy with a knowing look, he held out the palm of his hand.
‘Give me the wallet,’ he ordered.
‘What are you talking about?’ demanded the woman haughtily.
‘The wallet that he took from that gentleman while you distracted him. This lad is a pickpocket and you’re his accomplice.’
‘How dare you! I’m David’s mother!’
‘Then you should be ashamed to bring him up in this way.’
‘If you don’t leave us alone,’ she said, putting a maternal arm around her son, ‘I’ll call a policeman.’
‘You’re already talking to one,’ said Leeming, enjoying his moment. ‘I’m Detective Sergeant Leeming from Scotland Yard.’
He waved a hand to a uniformed policeman who stood a dozen yards away. Recognising him, the man came briskly over to him.
‘Good morning, sir,’ he said.
‘Here’s your first arrest of the day, Constable. I caught a pair of pickpockets. The lad has just stolen a wallet from that gentleman standing beside his carriage. Return his property to him,’ said Leeming, ‘then find out what else these two have purloined.’
The woman and her son made a sudden dash for freedom but the policeman restrained them both. Turning on the sergeant, she unleashed a stream of vile abuse and had to be dragged away. Leeming was about to move off when Brian Dowd came over to him.
‘I saw that, Sergeant,’ he said with a complimentary smile. ‘You did very well. I’d never have known what those two were doing.’
