The Iron Horse

‘Good fortune comes in waves. I’m riding one at the moment.’

‘So am I, Marcus – thanks to you.’

‘Hamilton Fido seemed the obvious choice for you, Kitty,’ he said, ‘and you were in need of some adventure after wasting your favours on Lord Hendry.’

‘I regret ever meeting George now though there were some good times at the start. And like you, I do have a weakness for hobnobbing with the nobility. For that reason,’ she said, ‘I was prepared to endure some of George’s obvious defects.’

‘Too old, too ugly, too mean-spirited.’

‘And far too married.’

‘Why does his wife put up with the old rake?’

‘The wonder is that I endured him for so long,’ said Kitty with rancour. ‘My prospects have improved in every way since I met Hamilton. He’s ten times the man that George ever was.’

They left the house and climbed into the waiting cab. As it set off, Kitty adjusted her dress and tried to ignore the dull ache in her temple. Days after she had received it, the bruise caused by the slash of a cane reminded her that it had not yet healed.

‘Hamilton keeps on at me about Inspector Colbeck,’ she said.

‘Why?’

‘Because the inspector is determined to speak to me.’

‘You know my advice, Kitty,’ he said. ‘It was bad enough having your hatbox turn up in the middle of a murder investigation. Do you want to make it worse by facing the press? That’s what will happen if you cooperate with the police.’

‘Hamilton said that Inspector Colbeck is very discreet.’

‘He has reporters watching his every move. The moment you talk to him, someone will release your name to the newspapers and that could well bring some adverse publicity. You and I are twilight creatures, Kitty. We operate best in the half-dark of anonymity. If names and descriptions of us appear in newspapers, they could be read by people we are anxious to avoid.’

‘There are several of those in my life,’ she said, rolling her eyes, ‘and I daresay you’ve left a trail of disappointed ladies in your wake.’

‘I have,’ he said. ‘All the way from Paris to Perth.’

‘What were you doing in Perth?’

‘I had a brief dalliance with a countess.’

Kitty laughed. ‘You are incorrigible, Marcus!’

‘That makes two of us. We both have a ruthless streak. But you can rid your mind of Inspector Colbeck,’ he went on. ‘He won’t be able to find you in a month of Sundays. When the murder is eventually solved, your unfortunate connection to it will be soon forgotten.’

When she returned from the market, Madeleine Andrews did her household chores then spent the rest of the time working at her easel. It was late afternoon before she had a visitor. Having given up all hope of seeing Bonny Rimmer again, her spirits soared when she heard a tentative knock on the front door. She opened it at once and saw the girl standing there, nervous, frightened and overawed.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Bonny. ‘I was lost.’

‘You got here and that’s the main thing. Come on in.’

The barmaid stepped into the house and looked around. The living room was small but it was larger and more comfortable than the bare room that Bonny occupied at the Shepherd and Shepherdess. The place was neat and tidy. Everything had been recently polished. She stared at the painting of a locomotive on the wall.

‘It’s the Lord of the Isles,’ explained Madeleine.

‘Oh, I see.’

‘It was on display at the Great Exhibition and a friend kindly bought this for me.’ She was about to mention that the friend was actually Robert Colbeck but she thought better of it. ‘I have a keen interest in railways. My father’s an engine driver and I like to draw locomotives.’

She indicated the easel near the window. Bonny went across to inspect the drawing and stood back in amazement. She shook her head in disbelief.

‘You did this, Miss Andrews?’ she said.

‘Yes.’

‘It’s so clever. I could never do anything like that.’

‘I didn’t know that I could until I tried.’

Seeing how anxious her visitor was, Madeleine took her into the kitchen and made a pot of tea. When she had taken a few sips from her cup, Bonny Rimmer slowly began to relax. Coming to London for the first time was an unsettling experience for a country girl. The size and speed of everything was terrifying to her, and she felt as if she had stumbled into a foreign country. Madeleine tried to reassure her.

‘I’ll walk you to the station afterwards,’ she said.

‘Thank you, Miss Andrews – getting here was a real trial.’

‘London can be overpowering for all of us sometimes.’

‘It scares me.

‘Did you bring anything with you?’

‘Oh, yes,’ said Bonny, putting down her cup to open her handbag. ‘There’s not much, I’m afraid.’ She took out a handful of items and put them on the table. ‘John asked me to look after these letters from his friend because he couldn’t read.’ A forlorn smile brushed her lips. ‘I was going to teach him.’

Madeleine looked at the meagre legacy of John Feeny. Apart from the letters, a few trinkets bought for Bonny and a rabbit’s foot he had given her for luck, the only thing there was a short note, written by Brian Dowd, confirming that Feeny had been taken on his payroll.

‘He was so proud to get that job,’ said Bonny. ‘Dozens of lads wanted to work at Mr Dowd’s stables but John was the one he chose. It was hard work but he liked it there – at first. He had dreams of riding in Mr Dowd’s colours and winning big races.’

‘It was not to be.’

‘No, Miss Andrews.’

‘But he lasted a couple of years,’ said Madeleine, seeing the date at the top of the paper. ‘Since he fell out with Mr Dowd, I’m surprised he kept this record of working there.’

‘He needed the address so that he could write to Jerry Doyle.’ Bonny gave a shy smile. ‘Or get someone else to write for him.’

‘I’m surprised the note was not damaged when he swam ashore.’

‘John was not stupid. He knew he might get wet on the voyage so he wrapped everything he had in a piece of oilskin. That includes this,’ she said, holding up a misshapen gold ring. ‘It belonged to John’s mother. He wanted me to take care of it until the day I could wear it as Mrs Feeny.’ Bonny slipped it on the appropriate finger. ‘You see, Miss Andrews? It fits.’

Madeleine was disappointed. She could see nothing there that would be of any use to Colbeck but she decided to hold on to some of it nevertheless. Bonny was quite happy to leave the letters and the note behind as long as she could take the wedding ring and the trinkets with her. They were her only mementoes of the young man she had loved. Madeleine thanked her.

‘When Inspector Colbeck has looked at these other items,’ she said, ‘I’ll make sure that you get them back.’

‘Will they be any use?’

‘That’s for the inspector to decide.’

‘You like him, don’t you?’ said Bonny.

‘Well, yes,’ replied Madeleine, caught unawares by the bluntness of the question. ‘I suppose that I do.’

‘I can hear it in your voice when you say his name.’

‘He’s been very kind to us.’

Madeleine gave her a brief account of how Robert Colbeck had come into her life and how he had solved the series of crimes that started with a train robbery in which Caleb Andrews was badly injured. Bonny listened with fascination.