Colbeck had to be extremely patient with her. Having escorted her to a private room, he waited until the immediate shock had passed. It was followed by a wide-eyed bewilderment.
‘Why did George do it?’ she wailed. ‘Why?’
‘I think he was pushed to the brink of despair,’ said Colbeck.
‘He didn’t have to
‘He felt that he did, Miss Lavender.’
‘It was madness – George has ruined everything.’
‘This crime is rooted firmly in another one,’ said Colbeck quietly, ‘and you are the only person who can help me to solve it. A hatbox bought for you by Lord Hendry was stolen from the Wyvern Hotel. Do you remember that?’
‘How could I ever forget, Inspector?’
‘You were staying there with Mr Fido at the time.’
‘Yes, I was.’
‘My belief is that the theft was deliberate. There were items of far greater value left in your hotel room but the thief only took the hatbox. Can you follow what I’m saying, Miss Lavender?’
‘No,’ she said, tears running freely.
‘Someone came to that hotel with the express purpose of stealing your property. No other guest was robbed – only you. The thief must therefore have known where you were and that you would have your hatbox with you.’
‘A casual word to a female friend, perhaps?’
‘No.’
‘A hint to someone close to you?’
‘I talked to nobody.’
‘Then we must be looking for a mind-reader,’ concluded Colbeck. ‘Someone who knew you well enough to guess where you would stay with Mr Hamilton because the Wyvern Hotel might have a particular significance for you.’
Kitty Lavender almost choked and Colbeck had to support her while she coughed violently. When she had recovered, her face was ashen and she was trembling all over.
‘Marcus,’ she said in a hoarse whisper.
‘Who?’
‘Marcus Johnson, my half-brother. I believe you met him.’
‘Did you tell him where you’d be staying?’
‘Not exactly,’ she recalled, ‘but he knew that Hamilton and I were going to spend the night together. He’d introduced us. Without him, I’d never have got to know Hamilton.’
‘Was he aware of your relationship with Lord Hendry?’
‘Yes – Marcus helped me to escape from it.’
‘So he might know where that hatbox came from.’
‘Of course, Inspector.’
‘And might even have
A tremor passed through her. ‘I’ve just remembered something else,’ she said, eyes filling with dread. ‘Hamilton and George both urged me to speak to you but my step-brother stopped me from doing so. Marcus said that I should avoid the police at all costs.’
‘Why do you think he told you that?’
‘I’m beginning to wonder.’
‘It was because he was afraid, Miss Lavender,’ said Colbeck. ‘He was afraid that his name would be mentioned and a new line of inquiry would be opened up. He was not thinking of you – he was protecting himself.’
‘If Marcus stole the hatbox…’ her voice trailed away.
‘Then he also murdered the lad whose head was put in it.’
‘He’d never do anything like that!’ she protested.
‘An hour ago you’d have sworn that Lord Hendry would never shoot someone in cold blood then commit suicide. Yet that’s exactly what happened, Miss Lavender. In extreme situations, people will do anything. You say that your half-brother introduced you to Mr Fido?’
‘That’s right.’
‘Did it ever cross your mind that he did so on purpose?’
‘Not until now,’ she said, reeling from the thought. ‘Marcus said that he had my best interests at heart but, all the time, he was just
‘I need to speak to Mr Johnson immediately.’
‘Yes, yes, you must.’
‘Then where is he?’
‘Marcus went off to see a friend. He didn’t give me his name.’
‘Not to worry,’ said Colbeck. ‘I believe that I know it.’
The argument took place in an empty stall. Aware that they might be overheard by someone in the yard outside, both men kept their voices down but there was no diminution in their intensity of feeling. Marcus Johnson gesticulated with both hands while Brian Dowd kept his fists bunched as if ready to throw a punch at any moment.
‘Give me my money!’ demanded Johnson.
‘You’ll not get a penny from me,’ said the other.
‘We had an agreement, Brian.’
‘The agreement was for you to make sure that Odysseus and Merry Legs didn’t run. I wanted Lord Hendry and Hamilton Fido out of the race but not at the cost of killing their horses.’
‘I tried to disable them and failed.’
‘That didn’t mean you had to cripple one horse and poison another. You went too far, Marcus, and that meant the police were alerted. I don’t hold with harming racehorses. There were easier ways of taking them out of the race. I told you what to do.’
‘Your methods didn’t work,’ said Johnson.
‘Neither did yours – and that’s why I’m not paying you.’
‘I was
‘Then you should have done as you were told.’
‘I used my own initiative. The irony is that you didn’t need to get your rivals out of the race. Limerick Lad beat both of them, as it was. Unfortunately, Aleppo sneaked a win at the post.’
‘Years of hard work came to nothing,’ said Dowd sourly. ‘It was the best chance I had to win the Derby and cock a snook at both Fido and Lord Hendry. Instead of which, I get nothing.’
‘Limerick Lad was an honourable second.’
‘I only settle for first place. I’ve lost thousands on this race.’
‘You’re not the only one,’ said Johnson. ‘After listening to your boasts about how Tim Maguire would ride your horse to victory, I put every penny I had on Limerick Lad winning. In return, I got nothing.’ He took a menacing step forward. ‘So I need the money that was promised to me at the start.’
‘I don’t have it,’ said Dowd, ‘and even if I did I wouldn’t give it to you. Get out of here and never let me see your face again.’
‘I won’t take orders from you.’
‘You’re asking for trouble, aren’t you?’
‘I’m asking you to remember that we’re in this together,’ said Johnson, voice rising out of control. ‘On your orders, I killed John Feeny. On your orders, I tried to bring his head to you in Ireland. On your orders, I caused mayhem at the stables belonging to Lord Hendry and Hamilton Fido. You can’t get rid of me that easily. We’re partners in crime, Brian. We’re accomplices.’
