Blood on the Line

‘Then she might have found you a more comfortable place to live, Mr Adnam. She could certainly afford it.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Irene has a lot of money.’

‘No, she doesn’t,’ insisted Adnam. ‘She’s a governess at a big house in London. Part of her wage comes in board and lodging. It takes her some time to save up money for her father.’

‘Why did she come here yesterday?’

‘She wanted to see me, of course.’

‘Yes,’ said Colbeck, ‘but why then of all days?’

Adnam shrugged. ‘Does it matter?’

‘As a matter of fact, it does. How long did she stay?’

‘That’s none of your business, Inspector.’

‘It’s important for me to know.’

‘There’s no law against seeing my daughter, is there?’

‘None at all, sir,’ agreed Colbeck.

‘What happened between us is our affair.’

‘Under any other circumstances, it might be. As it is, the timing and duration of her visit are of considerable interest to me. So – I ask you again – how long was Irene here?’

Adnam refused to answer. In a show of obstinacy, he flopped down onto his stool, folded his arms and turned away. It gave Colbeck the chance to look around the small, fetid room and to assess the value of the man’s few belongings. Adnam had clearly had a far better standard of living at one time. His voice was educated and he bore himself like someone who had once held responsibility. What had caused his fall Colbeck could only guess but it had been a very long and painful one. The man’s agony was etched deep into his face. Had the situation been different, Colbeck would have felt sorry for him. As it was, Adnam was obstructing a murder enquiry. He deserved no mercy.

‘It’s time for us to go, sir,’ ordered Colbeck.

Adnam was flustered. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’

‘If you won’t answer my questions, then I’ll hand you over to Inspector Boone at the police station. He has harsher methods than me and I’m told they always achieve the desired result.’ He took Adnam by the elbow. ‘Come with me, sir.’

‘But I’ve done nothing wrong!’ wailed Adnam.

‘You are impeding the operation of justice, sir.’

‘How am I doing that?’

‘Inspector Boone will explain that to you.’

He lifted Adnam from his stool but the old man shook him off and limped to the corner of the room. Evidently, Boone’s name was known to him and it did not induce confidence. Adnam was like a cornered animal, searching for escape. Colbeck slipped a hand into his pocket and took out some handcuffs.

‘Do I have to take you by force, Mr Adnam?’ he threatened.

‘No, no – please don’t do that!’

‘Then tell me what I want to know.’

‘Irene came here, gave me some money, then she left. That’s all that happened, I swear it.’

‘And how long was she here – an hour, two hours?’

Adnam looked both hunted and humiliated. The kind and caring daughter about whom he’d bragged in the pub the previous night had to be revealed in her true light. He cleared his throat.

‘Irene was here for five or ten minutes,’ he admitted.

‘Thank you, sir,’ said Colbeck. ‘Now we’re getting somewhere.’ He pointed to the stool. ‘Why don’t you sit down again so that you can continue this discussion in comfort?’

The visit to the home of Kingsley Adnam was unrewarding. Leeming and Peebles learnt that the man had six sons but no daughters. Nor was there anyone in his wider family answering to the name of Irene. Since the other address they sought was in an adjoining district, they decided to spurn a cab and walk there. After taking directions from a passer-by, the two detectives set off. Unlike Colbeck, they were not in disguise. Leeming was still nursing resentment against Peebles but he tried not to let it show. The Scotsman was inquisitive.

‘Is it true that you’re married, Sergeant?’

‘Yes, I have a wife and two children.’

‘Catherine and I have yet to talk about a family,’ said Peebles. ‘All that we can think about at the moment is the wedding itself. She saved my life, you know.’

‘Did she?’

‘Not that either of us realised it at the time, mark you. It was Catherine who persuaded me to leave the army. Until she and I met, I’d planned to spend my entire career serving my country.’

‘That was very patriotic of you,’ said Leeming, softening towards him. ‘But how was your life saved?’

‘Had I stayed in the army, I’d have joined my regiment in the Crimea and might well have been one of the many casualties we sustained. Sometimes, I feel rather guilty that I escaped death when several of my comrades did not but I’d given my word to Catherine.’

‘Yet you’ve only jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.’

‘I don’t follow.’

‘We, too, have our share of deaths,’ said Leeming. ‘They may not be on the same scale as in the army but they are there. You only have to think of those two policemen from Wolverhampton.’

‘It was an appalling crime. I feel for their families.’

‘It could happen to any us.’

‘I dispute that,’ said Peebles, beaming at him. ‘It could certainly never happen to you or Inspector Colbeck. You have an uncanny insight into people’s characters. It’s the basis of your success. Had that woman in Wolverhampton stepped into a compartment in which you were guarding a prisoner, you and the inspector would have known at once that she was there to aid him.’

Leeming put out his chest. ‘I like to think that we would.’

‘Instinct and experience will always protect you.’

‘They’ve done so this far, Constable.’

‘I’ve convinced Catherine of it. That’s why she was able to accept my decision to join the police.’ Peebles heaved a sigh. ‘I’m counting the days until we get married.’

‘I wish you both joy,’ said Leeming.

He spoke with sincerity. The glimpse into Peebles’ private life had moderated Leeming’s criticism of him. He could not bring himself to like the Scotsman but he was more tolerant of him now. Moreover, the fact that Peebles was about to get married somehow put them on an even footing. Leeming no longer felt old enough to be his father.

They were strolling side by side along a narrow thoroughfare that twisted and turned with serpentine unpredictability. Leeming kept a wary eye on everything and everybody they encountered, anticipating danger whenever they came to a dark alley or saw a gang of youths loitering on a corner. Peebles, meanwhile, was distracted by thoughts of his beloved, imagining how impressed Catherine would be when he told her about his sojourn in Manchester with Inspector Colbeck. Animated by inner excitement, he was completely off guard. When the attack came, therefore, Peebles was unprepared for it.

Ironically, the incident occurred under a railway bridge. Four men who’d been lounging against the wall sprang to life and hurtled out of the shadows to confront them. Their leader had a cudgel and, to show his readiness to use it, knocked off Leeming’s top hat.

‘Hand over your money!’ he demanded. ‘Otherwise—’

He got no further. Leeming’s well-aimed kick hit him in the crotch and made him double up in pain. With one of their attackers disabled, Leeming turned to a second, a burly man with a mane of red hair merging with a tufted red beard. The sergeant landed two heavy punches before the man fought back. Peebles had to deal with the other two men. One tried to grab him from behind so that the other could pummel away at him but the constable quickly frustrated their plan. As the attacker behind him took hold of his arms, Peebles stamped hard on the man’s toe and