Blood on the Line

on the third day in Liverpool. She spent the intervening time buying a cabin trunk and filling it with all the items she felt that she’d need to begin a new life in America. Without Oxley beside her to offer support, she began to lose heart. Far too many things could go wrong. What if her father made contact with the police, after all? What if Colbeck caught them before they sailed? What if Oxley made another serious mistake? Even if they did get safely away, what if the ship sank in a violent storm? What if they were refused entry to America? What if they were forced to return to England? Worst of all, she kept asking herself, what if Oxley failed to turn up? Supposing that he’d already fled the country on his own?

By the time that the third day dawned, she was convinced that their escape would somehow founder. Having spent the last night in a hotel in Liverpool, she had her trunk sent down to the harbour, more in hope than in certainty. A cab took her to the designated place. It was a windy day and, as she alighted from the vehicle, she had to put a hand to her hat to keep it on. She looked around for Oxley and was horrified to see that he was not there. He’d been very specific about the time and place of their reunion yet he had not turned up. That raised the question of whether he’d ever intended to. Had he waved the possibility of emigration in front of Irene solely to get rid of her? She would not be the first discarded mistress. She was keenly aware of that. Had the others also been tricked into thinking they were starting a new life abroad with him?

The longer she waited, the more she fretted. Standing on a corner near the harbour gates, she was also bothered by a succession of men who offered to carry her valise in order to ingratiate themselves with her. One drunken sailor even tried to steal a kiss. Irene pushed him away but the man lunged at her again. He did not even touch her this time. Oxley grabbed him from behind, spun him round then felled him with a punch to the jaw. As the sailor sagged to the ground, Oxley stepped over him and took Irene in his arms.

‘I’m sorry I’m late,’ he said, holding her close.

She was tearful. ‘I thought you weren’t coming.’

‘Have I ever deserted you before?’

‘No, Jerry, you haven’t.’

‘Then stop having such silly thoughts. I’m here now.’

‘When do we go aboard?’ she asked.

‘Fairly soon – they give us a medical examination.’

‘I sent my luggage on ahead, as you told me.’

‘I did the same.’ Arm around her, he led Irene through the harbour gates. ‘What have you been doing since I last saw you?’

‘I’ve been pining for you most of the time.’

‘That’s very flattering. Did you see your father?’

‘Yes, Jerry.’ She winced at the memory. ‘He knew.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘He knew what you and I had been doing. Inspector Colbeck told him so in person.’

Oxley stopped. ‘Colbeck spoke to your father? How on earth did he find out where he lived?’

‘I don’t know,’ she said, ‘but, then, I don’t know how he tracked us to Gordon and Susanna’s house. The one thing I do know is that he’s shadowing us wherever we go. We must get away from England for good, Jerry.’

‘We will,’ he promised, hustling her along again. ‘We’ll have three thousand miles between us and Inspector Colbeck. Even he would never try to follow us to America.’

Leeming was dismayed at having to spend two nights in Manchester while the search for Silas Adnam continued. He doubted whether they’d ever find the man in such a populous city. Colbeck insisted that they had to stay, arguing that Irene Adnam’s father might well hold a vital clue as to her whereabouts. Thinking about his wife and children, the sergeant was desperate to get back to London. Colbeck made a telling comment.

‘Do you want to go back empty-handed, Victor?’

‘I just want to go home.’

‘Would you like to admit that we failed? Imagine what the superintendent will say. Would you like to be the one to tell him?’

Leeming shuddered. ‘No, I wouldn’t, sir.’

‘Then we stay until we get a result.’

‘But that could take ages.’

‘Adnam is bound to turn up sooner or later.’

‘I think he’ll be found in a dark corner with his throat cut,’ said Leeming with a vivid gesture. ‘If his daughter gave him money, he’ll start waving it around. It won’t be long before someone seizes his chance. According to you, Adnam wouldn’t be able to defend himself.’

‘He’s too old and weak.’

‘And no use to us when he’s dead.’

‘Don’t be so pessimistic, Victor.’

‘I hate all this waiting, Inspector.’

The sergeant’s gloom was soon dispelled. He and Colbeck were sharing a room above an inn. They were on the point of leaving when a policeman came looking for them with an urgent summons from Inspector Boone. They hailed a cab and set off. When they reached the police station, they were shown straight into the inspector’s office. Hoping to find Silas Adnam there, Colbeck was disappointed.

‘Where is he, Zachary?’

‘Sleeping off his stupor,’ said Boone.

‘You found him, then?’

‘Yes, Robert. That was a good guess of yours. His daughter gave him a substantial amount of money and he decided to enjoy it while he still had the strength. Adnam cleaned himself up, went off to a better part of the city, bought some decent clothes for a change, then moved into a hotel and drank his way through bottle after bottle.’ Boone grinned. ‘I wish I had enough money to do that. Anyway,’ he went on, ‘Adnam caused so much disruption this morning that the hotel manager called in the police.’

‘Where is he now?’ asked Leeming.

‘He’s snoring to high heaven in one of our cells.’

‘We must speak to him,’ said Colbeck.

‘There’s no need, Robert,’ said Boone. ‘I discovered what you wanted to know. I caught Adnam in a lucid moment and shook the truth out of him. Oxley and his daughter are fleeing the country.’

‘From which port are they embarking?’

‘Liverpool.’

‘On which day are they sailing?’

‘He didn’t know that.’

‘Thank you, Zachary,’ said Colbeck, shaking his hand in gratitude. ‘You’ll have to excuse us. We need to get to Liverpool and hope that they haven’t left yet.’

After days of inertia, there was a burst of activity. The detectives made a frantic dash to the station, bought two tickets to Liverpool and spent the journey speculating on which country the fugitives had chosen as their new home. Jerked out of his pessimism, Leeming was exhilarated at the thought of finally catching up with Oxley and his accomplice. It was the tragic death of Ian Peebles that he was eager to avenge. Colbeck, too, nursed sad thoughts of the fallen detective but it was Helen Millington who remained uppermost in his mind. He was desperate to meet Irene Adnam to see just how closely she resembled the young woman to whom he’d once grown so close.

Arriving at the station, they ran to the cab rank and ordered a driver to take them to the harbour. Crowds of people were drifting away, suggesting that a ship had not long sailed and that friends and well-wishers were now dispersing. It was a bad omen. When they got to the pier, they saw a vessel gliding off down the Mersey. They were told that it was the Arethusa and that it was bound for New York. They both prayed that the fugitives were not aboard. While Colbeck went off to check on other recent sailings, Leeming stood on the pier with the wind plucking at his clothing and trying to dislodge his hat. He felt cheated. Something told him that Oxley and Irene Adnam were on the ship, sailing away from justice across the Atlantic Ocean. It was unfair. Leeming kicked a stone into the water out of frustration. After all the time and energy they’d put into the investigation, it was galling to see it collapse around them.

Colbeck eventually returned with a look of grim resignation.