‘And where’s that, Jerry?’
‘In London, of course – where there are countless places to take refuge. Ours will just be two faces among millions. Don’t you think it’s a wonderful idea?’ he said, smirking. ‘It will simply never occur to Colbeck that the two people he’s after are staying not far away in the same city.’
Tallis was motionless as he listened to Colbeck’s report. In the light from the oil lamp on his desk, his features took on a sinister aspect. Even though it was late, he showed no hint of fatigue. His eyes were as bright and his brain as alert as ever. Colbeck was lucid and, as usual, succinct. The one thing he did not mention was his brief call on Madeleine Andrews after his arrival at Euston station. It would not only have goaded the superintendent into a rant, it would have left Colbeck open to accusations of putting his private life before his commitments as a detective. Recounting the details of his visit to Manchester, he felt sure that he had identified the name of Oxley’s accomplice. Tallis was not entirely convinced. He stroked his neat moustache meditatively.
‘I expected more of you,’ he said at length.
‘We cannot conjure instant progress out of the air, sir.’
‘There must have been dozens of clues to pick up.’
‘I’ve listed the majority of them for you,’ said Colbeck. ‘The one important discovery was that a policeman had been bribed to give information about the time of the train. Constable Marner is now enduring the wrath of his colleagues.’
‘He should be locked up in perpetuity,’ snapped Tallis. ‘If there’s one thing I abhor, it’s a corrupt policeman. But let’s turn our attention to this accomplice you claim to have uncovered.’
‘Her name is Irene Adnam, sir.’
‘How certain are you of that?’
‘I’m certain enough to divulge her name to the press.’
‘Well, I don’t share that certainty, Inspector. You know my view of journalists – they’re despicable jackals who should be kept in cages and fed on scraps. We’ve suffered so much unjust censure from them. But,’ he continued, hunching his shoulders, ‘they are a necessary evil and – if used correctly – can be extremely helpful to us.’
‘That’s why we must give them Irene Adnam’s name, sir.’
‘We need more confirmation first. What if you’re wrong about her, Inspector? You’ve made grievous errors before. If we name her in the press and she turns out to be innocent of the charge, then we are left with very red faces.’
‘With respect, Superintendent,’ argued Colbeck, ‘the one thing you cannot say of this woman is that she is innocent. She’s committed a number of offences and is being sought by the police in Manchester. Young as she may be, she already has a substantial criminal career behind her.’
‘Yet she’s never been arrested.’
‘That’s true.’
‘Nor has she been questioned by the police.’
‘Miss Adnam knows how to cover her tracks, sir.’
‘The only description you have of her comes from one of her victims. How reliable is that?’
‘I think it’s very reliable, Superintendent. She lived in his house as a governess. Mr Holte saw her every day.’
‘Then he should have kept a closer eye on her. No,’ said Tallis, getting out of his chair, ‘it’s too soon to release the woman’s name to the press. I concede that she does look like a possible suspect. At the same time, however, there’s something about her that makes her an unlikely ally for Jeremy Oxley.’
‘And what might that be, may I ask?’
‘Look at what we know of her, Inspector. By all accounts, she’s a practised thief with a gift for winning the confidence of her prospective victims. More to the point – and this, I submit, is crucial – Miss Adnam chooses to work alone. Now,’ said Tallis, walking around the desk to him, ‘why should she suddenly decide to act as someone’s accomplice, and how did she make an enormous leap from being a thief to becoming a merciless killer?’
‘That’s a pertinent question, Superintendent.’
‘Do you, by any chance, have the answer to it?’
‘Not as yet,’ confessed Colbeck, ‘but I will.’
‘And how do you propose to go about finding it?’
‘I’ve enlisted the help of Inspector Boone, sir. He’s a very able man and has wide resources to call upon. Since she was apparently born in Manchester, Irene Adnam may well have family there. I’ve suggested to the inspector that he might begin with the 1851 census. It will doubtless contain a number of people in the city by that name. We simply have to eliminate them one by one.’
‘That could take time and lead you down a blind alley.’
‘It’s a risk that we have to take, sir.’
‘Supposing that this young woman
‘Believe me, sir,’ asserted Colbeck, ‘there’s no supposition involved. Irene Adnam is the person who shot one policeman and helped to throw another to a grisly death.’
Tallis was tetchy. ‘Let me finish what I was going to say, man.’
‘I beg your pardon, sir.’
‘Assuming that you are right about her …’
‘I am.’
‘How do you know that she and Oxley are still together?’
‘There’s not a scintilla of doubt about it, sir.’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘Put yourself in Oxley’s position,’ suggested Colbeck.
‘That’s a bizarre proposition,’ said Tallis, angrily. ‘You know that I’d never enter into a relationship with any woman, especially one with such a record of criminality.’
‘Humour me, please,’ requested Colbeck. ‘After a long and successful run, you are finally arrested. When you appear in court, you will not only be charged with the crime in Birmingham for which you are being held. Once the police examine your past record, they will find that it contains at least two murders – that of a London jeweller and that of Helen Millington, who witnessed you fleeing from the premises. In short, Superintendent,’ he emphasized, ‘you are taking a train to the gallows.’
‘Yes – and quite rightly so.’
‘Now then, if a daring young woman boards that train and actually rescues you from your fate, how are you going to view her?’
Tallis sniffed. ‘I suppose that I’d be very grateful to her.’
‘Would you be tempted to cast her aside?’
‘Well, when you put it like that …’
‘Oxley and she are both accomplices and lovers,’ said Colbeck, forcefully. ‘The murder of those policemen has bonded them at a deep level. They’ll never part until they’re caught.
Once again, they travelled independently so that nobody would view them as a couple. While Irene had a first-class ticket, Oxley settled for a train journey in second class. When they stopped at Wolverhampton station, Irene looked through the window with grave misgivings. It was a town she would have preferred to avoid at all costs. Oxley, on the other hand, gave the place a token wave. Its police had been efficient enough to catch him but not to hold on to him. He went through the escape once more in his mind, revelling in the detail. As the train pulled out of the station, he felt a pang of regret. Every newspaper had carried a description of him but Oxley had no fear of being recognised. Adept at changing his appearance, he had complete confidence that nobody would identify him.
They met up again at the cab rank outside Euston and shared a vehicle. Irene nestled beside him.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked.
‘We’ll stay with a friend of mine,’ he replied. ‘You’ll like him, Irene. He’s killed more people than the two of us
