Blood on the Line

bed and got ready to shout out a command. It died in his throat. The bed was empty. There was no sign at all of Oxley and Irene.

Whenever he made a decision, Irene had learnt to obey it without argument. There would be time enough later for explanations. Though she was unhappy to slip out of the house in the middle of the night, she trusted Oxley’s instincts. She was also given cause to admire his daring. They’d noticed the farm on their walk to the station. Oxley took her back there in the dark and, leaving her with their luggage, crept off towards the stables. Left alone in an isolated spot, Irene was prey to all sorts of fears but they proved ill-founded. Oxley eventually came out of the gloom, leading a horse to which he’d harnessed a small cart. It was not the most comfortable mode of transport but it served their purposes and got them to their destination. When the cart was abandoned, the horse cropped the grass outside the station.

When they were on the train, they could at last have a proper conversation. At that time of the morning, they had a compartment to themselves. Glad of the privacy and comfort, Irene nestled against the padded seat in first class.

‘Why did we come all the way to Harrow station?’ she asked. ‘Willesden was much closer.’

‘Yes,’ he explained, ‘but this early train doesn’t stop there. To be sure of catching it, we had to go further up the line.’

‘Couldn’t we have caught a later one?’

‘No, Irene.’

‘Why not?’

‘Call it what you will – I sensed danger.’

‘Gordon and Susanna wouldn’t have hurt us.’

‘Yes, they would,’ he said. ‘You saw the state they were in last night. Our friendship was near breaking point. It was only a matter of time before they unwittingly gave us away. It was a mistake to stay another night. I only did so because I wasn’t going to let him turf us out like that so I dug in my heels. It was a matter of principle.’

‘Yesterday,’ she recalled, ‘you told me that we were completely safe now. What changed your mind?’

‘I told you – I had this feeling.’

‘But the police would never have found us there, especially without Inspector Colbeck to lead the hunt. It’s very upsetting to be roused like that in the middle of the night, Jerry. I like to know what’s going on.’

‘We’re making a precautionary move,’ he told her. ‘Gordon and Susanna won’t report us. They’ll just be relieved that we’ve gone.’

‘They’re bound to wonder.’

‘Let them – I’m never going back there again.’

She clung to his arm. ‘Will we ever be really safe?’

‘We already are, Irene.’

‘Sneaking off in the dark and stealing a horse and cart – that doesn’t feel like safety to me. It scares me.’

He kissed her. ‘You’ve no need to be scared when I’m here.’

‘Where exactly are we going?’

‘Wait and see. Meanwhile, try to get some sleep.’

‘I will,’ she said, eyelids already fluttering.

Fatigue sent her quickly asleep. It was a noisy journey. The uproar of the engine and the rattle of the carriages failed to wake her and so did the opening and slamming of doors when they stopped at stations. What finally opened her eyes was the soft rustle of paper. The train was stationary. Irene blinked in the light then looked at Oxley through narrowed lids. Staring at a newspaper he’d bought from a vendor on the platform, Oxley had turned white. It was the first time that Irene had ever seen him truly afraid.

‘What is it?’ she asked, reaching out to touch him.

‘There’s a report about the shooting in London,’ he said, lower lip trembling. ‘It seems that the man I killed yesterday was Detective Constable Ian Peebles. I knew there was danger – Inspector Colbeck is still alive.’

CHAPTER TWELVE

Gordon and Susanna Younger felt utterly humiliated. Under the searching gaze of Robert Colbeck, they were perched side by side on their sofa like a pair of enormous birds. Their lies had been swiftly exposed. They were known to have offered sanctuary to fugitives from the law. Their only hope lay in pleading ignorance of the crimes committed by Oxley and Irene. If they could portray themselves as innocent victims rather than accomplices, they might yet escape imprisonment. They did have one shred of comfort. When he realised that the suspects had fled, Colbeck had sent the two policemen off in search of them. It spared the Youngers further embarrassment. As their neighbours woke to a new morning, they would not look across and see telltale uniforms outside the home of their friends. How long it would remain the Youngers’ home, of course, was debatable.

Colbeck had searched the whole house before he was ready to question them. The long wait gave time for their fears to intensify. When he finally sat before them, he was in no mood for evasion.

‘Let me make one thing clear before we start,’ he said. ‘You tried to mislead me on your doorstep. If you lie to me again, I’ll arrest you at once and we’ll continue this interview at Scotland Yard. Is that understood?’

‘Yes, Inspector,’ said Younger, guiltily.

‘What about you, Mrs Younger?’

‘We’ll tell the truth,’ promised Susanna.

‘I’m glad to hear it,’ said Colbeck. ‘And bear in mind that I’ll be talking to both of your servants in a while. If you say something that they are unable to confirm, then I’ll know you deceived me.’ He took out a pad and pencil to make notes. ‘How long were they here?’

‘A few days,’ said Younger.

‘Did they come by invitation?’

‘No, Inspector, they turned up out of the blue.’

‘And why did they do that?’

‘Jerry Oxley was an old friend from the days when we lived in Yorkshire. We … kept in touch from time to time.’

‘Were you aware that he had a criminal record?’

‘We were not.’

‘He’s reputed to dress well and live in some style. Where did you imagine that his money came from?’

‘He mentioned an inheritance at one point.’

‘That could be a play on words, I suppose,’ said Colbeck, dryly. ‘If you rob somebody, then – technically – you inherit their money. Had either of you met Irene Adnam before?’ They shook their heads. ‘What did you think when Oxley arrived unexpectedly?’

‘It was typical of his behaviour.’

‘You didn’t mind?’

‘One makes allowances for old friends,’ said Younger.

‘In this case, I fancy, you made incredible allowances. You offered shelter to two dangerous criminals, both of whom were named in the newspapers yesterday, as you must have noticed.’

‘We rarely read newspapers, Inspector.’

‘I certainly couldn’t find any when I looked around.’

‘They’re always full of such dire news.’

‘Today’s editions will be especially dire,’ said Colbeck. ‘They will report the murder of my former colleague.’

‘I swear that we knew nothing about that, Inspector.’

‘We never wanted to know what Jerry did,’ Susanna blurted out. ‘It was none of