‘Nor me – an honest bookmaker is a contradiction in terms. But we won’t be deterred by that fact,’ said Tallis. ‘We’ll demand answers.’
‘What about Inspector Colbeck, sir?’
‘The inspector has another quarry in sight. He left a note on my desk to that effect because he knew that I would call in at my office before I set out this morning. He claims to have made a significant advance,’ he went on. ‘I look forward to hearing what it is.’
Special trains were intended to relieve the congestion on the road and get large numbers of people from London to Epsom much faster than any horse-drawn transport. Accordingly, thousands flocked to the railway station and boarded the succession of trains. Robert Colbeck and Madeleine Andrews were on one of the earliest to depart. Squashed together in a first-class carriage, both of them enjoyed the close proximity and thought how privileged they were compared to the masses in third class who were crammed into open-topped carriages.
Not that anyone complained about the crush. A festive spirit informed the whole journey. As well as singing, storytelling and jollity, there was feverish speculation about the result of the Derby. The train sped through the morning sunshine with a cargo of happiness and high expectation. Colbeck and Madeleine were caught up in the general exhilaration, their pleasure heightened by the fact that they were seated deliciously close to each other. It was easy to forget that they were in pursuit of a callous murderer.
When they reached Epsom Station, a human wave burst out of the train and swept across the platform. Borne along by the surge, Colbeck and Madeleine gradually eased their way to the back. It was almost possible to talk at last without having to shout above the continuous hullabaloo.
‘Are you sorry that you came?’ asked Colbeck.
‘No,’ she replied. ‘It’s wonderful!’
‘So you didn’t mind having to get up so early?’
‘I’m used to that, Robert.’
‘When we get to the racecourse,’ he warned, ‘I’ll have to leave you for a while. As you know, this is not only a social event for me.’
‘I can look after myself,’ she said.
‘You deserve to enjoy the fun of the fair, Madeleine. What you did has been of immense value to me.’
‘Talking to Bonny Rimmer was no effort.’
‘By winning her confidence, you gained information that would always have been beyond me. I now have a truer picture of the relationship between John Feeny and his former employer. You helped the girl cope in her bereavement as well,’ he said, ‘and that was important. You provided succour.’
‘I wish I could have done more, Robert. When she came to the house yesterday, she looked so lonely and pitiful. The effort of getting to London had really taxed her.’
‘It was kind of you to take her back to the station.’
‘I’m glad she didn’t have to catch a special train like the one we just travelled on,’ said Madeleine with a smile. ‘Bonny would never have survived that. She was too fragile.’
‘Her journey was not in vain. That may give her consolation.’
‘Do you really think you can make an arrest today?’
‘I’m certain of it,’ he said confidently. ‘In fact, I intend to make more than one arrest. I just hope that I can do it before the Derby is run. Having been so close to the race and to some of the people involved in it, I’d hate to miss seeing it.’
‘I did warn you that Inspector Colbeck would never give up,’ said Hamilton Fido. ‘You saw what happened yesterday.’
‘We were not seen together,’ said Kitty Lavender.
‘We might have been. If I had not had a bodyguard in the right place, we could have been followed all the way back here.’
‘But we weren’t, Hamilton.’
‘Only because my man knew what to do,’ he said. ‘Assaulting a policeman is a dangerous game, Kitty. It’s like poking a stick in a beehive – there’ll be a whole swarm of them buzzing around Epsom today as a result. Why don’t you stop hiding?’
Dressed to leave, they were in the bedroom that they were sharing during Derby Week. Kitty was wearing more jewellery than she had done on previous visits to the course and she stopped to examine her diamond necklace in the mirror. Fido grinned.
‘That’s the difference between Lord Hendry and me,’ he said, kissing the nape of the neck. ‘He buys you a hat and a hatbox – I give you jewellery.’
‘In fairness to George, he did promise to buy me a diamond brooch when his horse won the Derby.’
‘When or if?’
‘There was no doubt in his mind.’
‘How much money has he laid out on the race?’
‘A lot, Hamilton,’ she said. ‘He’s risking everything on it.’
‘Then he’s a bigger fool than I thought.’
‘His wife has money but she won’t lend him any to fritter away on what she considers to be a pointless sport. It always maddened George that she would make large donations to worthy causes while ignoring him. He’s had to raise funds from elsewhere.’
‘Loans from friends?’
‘He’s been forced to mortgage some of his property.’
‘What happens if Odysseus loses?’
‘George will be finished,’ she said with satisfaction.
‘In that case, I’ll be doing him a favour by killing him in a duel. It will put him out of his misery.’
‘Must you go ahead with it, Hamilton?’
‘I can’t pull out of it now,’ he said. ‘That would be cowardice.’
‘I still feel that George may resort to a trick of some kind.’
‘I’ll be ready for him, Kitty.’
‘I don’t want you harmed in any way,’ she said, stroking his cheek. ‘I couldn’t bear to lose you.’
‘Lord Hendry poses no danger to me,’ he said smugly. ‘I’m a bookmaker, remember, and I create enemies without even trying. Over the years, disaffected customers have threatened me with all manner of gruesome deaths. Yet I’m still here,’ he boasted. ‘Doesn’t that tell you something?’
‘Yes – you take wise precautions.’
‘I also have a sixth sense. I knew that Sergeant Leeming was going to trail me. He came into the betting room once too often and kept glancing in my direction. That’s why I gave the signal to one of my bodyguards. Of course,’ he went on, ‘none of this would have been necessary if you had spoken to Inspector Colbeck. Because of you, his sergeant ended up with a throbbing headache.’
‘I don’t like getting involved with the police, Hamilton.’
‘You have no choice.’
‘Marcus warned me against it.’
‘It’s your decision, Kitty – not his.’
‘I know.’
‘How much longer do you want to hold back?’
She turned away and walked to the window, gazing sightlessly through the glass. Deep in thought, she stood there for minutes and wrestled with the competing arguments. Fido waited patiently. At length, she turned back to him with a resigned smile.
‘I’ll speak to Inspector Colbeck today,’ she said.
‘Thank goodness for that!’
‘But only
Although he knew how capable and independent she was, Robert Colbeck did not want Madeleine Andrews to wander about the Downs on her own. There were too many thieves, confidence tricksters and drunken men about, ready to pounce on an unaccompanied female. Since she was keen to see the acrobats performing, Colbeck
