‘Her Majesty -?’ Faro began.
Reece shook his head. 'No. Her Majesty is in no danger.'
'May I ask then where you are taking me?' Faro looked out of the window. The carriage had turned into a minor road familiar from landmarks on the route he had travelled earlier.
'We are going to Glenatholl College, Inspector.'
'Glenatholl, for heaven's sake!'
'No!' was the solemn reply. 'For Her Majesty's sake.'
Such flippancy further angered Faro. 'Indeed. Could I not have been informed of what was the trouble on my recent visit? It would have helped considerably with my arrangements.'
'Helped, sir.' Reece laughed shortly. 'You couldn't have helped even yesterday. It hadn't happened yesterday.'
'What hadn't happened?'
'Since you left there has been a kidnapping. One of the pupils was kidnapped last night.'
The stationary railway carriage in the siding at Perth suddenly slotted into place. 'A royal pupil?'
'Yes indeed, sir. We were here in readiness to escort him to Balmoral when it happened.'
'And who, may I ask, is this lad?'
'The heir to the Grand Duchy of Luxoria. His life is in the greatest possible danger.'
Faro felt as if he had been struck in the chest by a sledgehammer. He could not breathe for a moment, as Reece continued, 'Perhaps you have not seen the newspapers? There has been an attempt on the life of the boy's mother who is Her Majesty's goddaughter.'
He shook his head. 'This is not the work of some political fanatic, the whole future of a kingdom is at stake and secret plans were ready to have him returned immediately to Luxoria if - ' Reece sighed. 'If his mother should die. You understand, Inspector.'
Faro was speechless, shocked into silence.
'The Headmaster will tell you everything. When he mentioned that you were still in the area, a very fortunate coincidence, we knew we could rely on your help.'
Faro was no longer listening. Numbness was receding, his mind raced ahead, his suspicions confirmed regarding that accidental fall from an open window.
‘A matter of life and death.’ The words came back to haunt him. Dear God, why hadn't he listened?
The bodyguard's accident had been deliberate murder. Desperate to warn someone, he thought a detective would be the proper person. And his attempt to save Prince George had cost him his life.
Perhaps even now... No! kidnappers did not kill immediately. First, they demanded ransoms for their hostages.
But that thought did not console him. He could see a door opening before him, moving away from local crimes into the world of international politics where he was a stranger - where lives were cheap when kingdoms were the prize.
Faro shut his eyes against the terror of what lay ahead.
Chapter 8
Despite Reece's sombre warning, Faro told himself again and again that if the kidnappers had wanted the boy dead they would have killed him in Glenatholl. A ransom, that was it. It had to be a ransom. But the thought did little to console him as the cab swept down the college drive and emerged through the gloomy rhododendrons in front of the house.
In the Headmaster's study anxious faces turned towards him, the other bodyguard and Anton introduced as George’s companion. And Faro remembered that the boy reciting Mark Antony's tribute to Caesar had been informally referred to as George. No title, no identification.
That the Grand Duchess Amelie had chosen to send her son to Britain - no, to Scotland and only forty miles from Edinburgh - to be educated was an appalling coincidence. Doubtless she had her own reasons. Had these included the hope, a mere whisper, that fate would provide a chance meeting? Other than four words added to the newspaper announcement of George's birth, she had never communicated the dangerous secret that linked their lives.
Faro tried to suppress the turmoil of emotions that seized him. He must concentrate on the fact that there had been a royal kidnapping and obviously, his sinking heart told him, George was in mortal danger.
'If you please, Anton, tell Inspector Faro exactly what happened,' said Headmaster Banes gently. The boy looked scared and moved nearer to the bodyguard, addressed as Dieter, as if for support.
'George received a note that a friend wished to meet him at the walled garden, near the gazebo.'
The Headmaster said sternly: 'These are forbidden areas unless the boys are escorted.'
'The gazebo near the statues of the Roman senators?' queried Faro.
All heads swivelled towards him. 'You know the area, Inspector?'
Indeed, yes, Headmaster. I found myself there on my way through the grounds when I arrived.’
The Headmaster looked disapproving and faintly suspicious. 'You were unable to procure a hiring cab at the railway station? We did offer,' he added reproachfully.
'I did take a cab but I decided to walk from the gates as I had time in hand,' said Faro, anxiety making him sound more irritable than usual. 'And I met the missing boy there. He was alone. Please continue,' he said to Anton, annoyed that he was suddenly the one being interrogated.
Anton shook his head. 'I told him he must not go, especially - especially since the accident to Tomas, his servant.'
'The unfortunate young man who fell out of the window?' asked Faro.
Anton nodded. 'George was fond of him. He was very loyal.' The pieces were fitting together perfectly for Faro even before Anton went on. 'I was against it but George thought this meeting might have something to do with what happened. He - he-'
Turning, he gazed at the Headmaster. 'He believed that Tomas might not have had an accident.'
'Explain, if you please,' demanded the Headmaster stiffly.
Anton took a deep breath. 'George believed that Tomas had - had been pushed out of the window.'
'Outrageous!' was the roar of disapproval. 'Of course it was an accident.' And to Faro, 'the boys read too many adventure stories, I'm afraid. We try to keep such drivel from them, but the books are smuggled in by the servants.'
Anton gave
