Inspector Colbeck's Casebook

SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN

Ben Grosvenor was a lugubrious man with such a jaundiced view of the human condition that his colleagues either mocked him or avoided his mournful diatribes. At the end of the week, however, Grosvenor acquired an instant popularity because he was one of the pay clerks for the London and North Western Railway. As he went on his rounds, doling out money from his leather bag, he was always welcomed with a cheer. That morning was no exception. When he approached a group of cleaners in the carriage shed, he set off a chorus of approval. They stopped working at once and rubbed their hands. Grosvenor was a skinny beanpole of a man in his fifties with a beaky nose on which a pair of wire-framed spectacles was perched. A stickler for the rule book, he kept a pencil behind his ear and used it to record every penny that was handed over. He put his bag down on the ground.

‘Is it true that we have double wages this week, Ben?’ joked someone.

‘That’ll be the day!’ moaned Grosvenor.

‘Can’t you slip us a bit extra out of the kindness of your heart?’

‘What heart?’ asked another man. Everyone laughed.

‘If you’re going to poke fun,’ warned Grosvenor, ‘I can leave you all to the end of my round so you’ll have to wait a couple of hours before you see your money.’

‘We want it now,’ said a big man with bulging forearms, ‘and we’re not poking fun at you, Ben. We love you, really. Isn’t that so?’

Everyone agreed wholeheartedly. One man even embraced the pay clerk.

Opening his bag and checking everything against his ledger, he paid them one by one before snapping his bag shut. The men had to listen to his doom-laden prophecies about the dire future of mankind for a few minutes but, with money in their pockets, they were happy to do so. When he picked up his bag and walked away, they gave him a rousing cheer.

Grosvenor’s next stop was some distance away. He had to pay men at work repairing the track. They, too, gave him a cordial welcome and lined up eagerly to get their wages. Grosvenor kept them waiting so that he could unload some of his sour opinions of life on them. He then opened his bag and reached in it for his ledger.

To his horror, it was not there and neither was the money. He was staring at a small pile of ballast. Lifting up the bag, he examined it more closely. Though similar in every way, it was not his. He clutched at his throat.

‘Come on, Ben,’ urged someone. ‘Give us our wages.’

‘I can’t,’ said Grosvenor in despair. ‘I’ve been robbed.’

Since their husbands worked so closely together, Madeleine Colbeck had become friendly with Estelle Leeming. They saw each other infrequently but, when they did get together, it was always a pleasurable occasion. It was Caleb Andrews who suggested a possible outing and Madeleine was at once grateful for the offer yet wary of accepting it.

‘I’m in two minds,’ she admitted.

‘But you love going to the engine shed, Maddy. When you first took up painting, you badgered me to take you there whenever I could.’

‘I know, Father. It’s an inspiration to me. I’ve had some of my best ideas in that shed. It’s not me that I’m worried about. It’s the two boys.’

‘They’ll be thrilled. All boys of their age want to be an engine driver.’

‘Don’t exaggerate.’

‘They do,’ he said. ‘If they knew what it was really like, of course, they might not be so keen. They’re too young to realise the dangers involved, not to mention the effort it takes. Long days on the footplate are very tiring and you come home filthy.’

‘You don’t need to tell me that, Father,’ she reminded him. ‘When I was living at home, I saw the state of your clothes. As for the outing, my only concern is that David and Albert can be boisterous. Estelle says they sometimes run her ragged.’

‘They just need a strong hand.’

‘They get that when their father is there but, like Robert, he’s often away for extended periods. Estelle struggles to cope without Victor there.’ She paused to think it over. Reaching a decision, she gave an affirmative nod. ‘We’ll take them. It’s unkind to deprive them of a treat like this and Estelle will have us to help look after them. They’re good boys at heart. They just lack discipline.’

‘Not when I’m around, they won’t,’ said Andrews, tapping his chest. ‘I’ll keep them on a short leash. I’ll have to, Maddy. When I asked for permission to take them there, the manager insisted that the lads behaved themselves.’

‘Let’s hope that they do,’ said Madeleine.

But she had lurking doubts.

When Estelle turned up at the house with her sons, it was clear that they were on their best behaviour. Smartly dressed and with gleaming faces, they spoke respectfully as they thanked Andrews for arranging the outing. David Leeming was the elder of the two brothers, a chunky ten-year old with an unmistakable resemblance to his father. Albert Leeming was small and stringy with a mischievous glint in his eye. Madeleine knew that he was the potential troublemaker. Estelle herself was a pretty woman in her early thirties with a slim body, a freckled face and auburn hair peeping out from beneath her hat. Madeleine was delighted to see her again.

It was a relatively short walk. As soon as the five of them set off from his house in Camden, Andrews started his lecture.

‘It was built over ten years ago,’ he began. ‘What made it so unusual was that it was round. Other companies have copied the design. Some people call it the Great Circular Engine House but there’s a much simpler name.’

‘What is it, Mr Andrews?’ David piped up.

‘It’s the Roundhouse, son.’

When the building came in sight, Andrews called them to a halt so that they could appreciate its size and distinctive shape. Constructed of yellow brick, it had a conical roof with a central smoke louvre.

‘It looks enormous,’ said Estelle, gazing up at it.

‘Its diameter is well over fifty yards,’ said Andrews, before explaining to the boys what a diameter was. ‘The problem is that it’s not really big enough.’

‘Why not?’ asked David.

‘I know the answer to that,’ said Albert, nudging him aside.

‘Trust you!’

‘Shut up, David.’

‘You’re just stupid.’

‘Now, now,’ cautioned Estelle. ‘We’ll have no arguments.’

‘So what is the reason, Albert?’ asked Madeleine.

‘Engines are getting longer,’ the boy replied. ‘Everyone knows that — except my brother, that is.’ He collected a sharp dig in the ribs from David. ‘Aouw!’

‘Behave yourselves, both of you,’ said Estelle, sternly.

‘Albert is quite right,’ Andrews went on. ‘The earliest locomotives were very short but they slowly got bigger and longer. The shed can house fewer and fewer of them so it will probably be closed before too long. It’s a great pity,’ he sighed. ‘I have fond memories of it. Come on — let’s look inside, shall we?’

As the five of them strolled towards the building, Madeleine could feel the boys’ excitement. It was a visit about which they could boast to their friends. She took great pleasure from their obvious enjoyment. Madeleine was also pleased to liberate their mother from the task of managing them on her own. Estelle was deeply grateful. Andrews was in his element, taking charge and basking in reminiscences of his years as a railwayman.

‘What do you want to be when you grow up, David?’ he asked.

‘An engine driver,’ replied the boy.

‘There you are, Maddy. That’s exactly what I told you.’ He put a hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder. ‘What about you, Albert?’

Albert grinned. ‘I’m going to be a better engine driver than my brother.’

Superintendent Tallis picked the letter up from his desk and handed it to Colbeck.

‘That will tell you all you need to know, Inspector.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

‘They should have called us in earlier. A theft of this magnitude is a serious crime. They were foolish to imagine they could solve it themselves.’

‘How much was taken?’ asked Colbeck, scanning the letter.

‘A substantial amount,’ replied Tallis. ‘They were too embarrassed to tell me the exact figure. The pay clerk had just begun his rounds so the bag was filled with money.’

‘That means we’re looking for an employee of the company who is aware of the routine on payday. In fact, we may be after two of them.’

‘Why do you say that?’

‘It would be much easier to steal and replace that bag if the pay clerk is momentarily distracted. What’s his story?’

‘That’s for you to find out — he’s been suspended.’

Colbeck was surprised. ‘He’s not a suspect, surely.’

‘It seems that he is.’

‘Men rarely get to become pay clerks unless they’re extremely trustworthy. According to the letter, this fellow — Ben Grosvenor — has been with the LNWR since it came into being over ten years ago. If he had any inclination to steal from it,’ said Colbeck, ‘I don’t think he’d have waited a whole decade.’

‘Take the sergeant and speak to Grosvenor.’

‘I will, sir, and then we’ll visit the exact spot where the switch occurred.’

‘You’ll find the place crawling with railway policemen.’

Colbeck rolled his eyes. ‘Where were they when the crime was actually committed?’

‘A good question,’ said Tallis, who shared Colbeck’s reservations about the railway police. ‘A pay clerk should have been given some sort of protection.’

‘He was doubtless relying on his long experience, sir. Thefts of this kind are highly unusual. I’m sure that the clerk never believed he was in any danger.’

‘Well, he was. You’re after a cunning devil, Inspector — smoke him out.’

Colbeck put the letter in his pocket. ‘Even the most cunning criminals have a habit of making a mistake, Superintendent,’ he said, confidently. ‘All that we have to do is to find out what it was in this case.’

When they stepped into the engine shed, the boys were overawed. It was like the interior of a cathedral with twenty-four Doric columns made of steel supporting a metal fretwork that held up the roof. At the centre of the shed was the turntable. Tracks ran into bays between the columns. There were locomotives galore. Some were in service, others were waiting until they were needed and others again were being examined to see what repairs were necessary. Noise was amplified in the huge cavern. Madeleine and Estelle took a few moments to adjust to it but Andrews and the two boys were instantly at ease. With Andrews as their guide, David and Albert went from one locomotive to another, having the salient points of each pointed out to them then climbing up onto the footplate. Both boys were enthralled.

The women watched from a safe position. Estelle was mesmerised.

‘Is this where you come to paint, Madeleine?’

‘It’s where I come for ideas,’ replied the other. ‘I make sketches of a particular engine here but the real work takes place back in the studio.’

‘I wish that I could do something like that,’ said Estelle. ‘Victor is always telling me to take up an interest but my hands are full at the moment. Running the house keeps me busy and you know what a problem the boys can be.’

‘They’re no trouble at all this morning, Estelle.’

‘That’s because they’re interested in something. It’s when they get bored that they start arguing and fighting. Because he’s the youngest, I usually have to take Albert’s side but he’s very often the person who causes the upset.’

‘Bringing up children is never easy.’

‘No,’ said Estelle with a mirthless laugh. ‘You’ll find that out one day.’

It was a casual remark but it struck home with Madeleine. Though the two boys could be a nuisance, there was no real harm in them. As she watched them, she experienced a sudden envy. Andrews was both educating and entertaining them. It occurred to Madeleine that he would make a wonderful grandfather.

Andrews lifted the boys onto the footplate of another locomotive.

‘They’re having the time of their lives,’ said Estelle.

‘That’s Menai,’ observed Madeleine. ‘It was designed by Alexander Allan. The LNWR had almost three hundred engines with an Allan design built at Crewe. Only my father could tell you why they were so popular. He drove some of Allan’s goods and passenger engines.’

Estelle was impressed. ‘You really love railways, don’t you?’

‘I have to — I’m married to Robert.’

Ben Grosvenor was a sorry sight. His misery was for once justified. Having been a faithful servant of the LNWR, he was the victim of a crime yet had been made to feel like its perpetrator. Being suspended from his post was a profound shock. At a stroke, his reputation and his confidence had been shattered. He sat in a chair in his living room and shuddered as he contemplated the future. Grosvenor was a bachelor so there was no comforting wife to help him through the crisis. He was alone and adrift.

‘Tell us, in your own words, what happened,’ said Colbeck, gently.

‘I didn’t do it, Inspector,’ croaked Grosvenor. ‘I couldn’t do it.’

‘We know that, sir. Your record of service is exemplary.’

‘Why did they kick me out, then?’

‘You haven’t been dismissed,’ said Leeming, ‘only suspended.’

‘It amounts to the same thing, Sergeant. They won’t want me back after this.’

‘You never know, sir.’

‘I’ll never get another job as a pay clerk.’

‘Let’s worry about the job that — technically — you still have,’ said Colbeck.

The detectives had arrived at the little house to find him anguished. Although he lived alone, the place was spotless and they both noticed the full bookshelf in the alcove. Grosvenor was an avid reader. There was a crucifix on the mantelpiece and a sense of order in the room.

‘We can’t help until we know all the facts,’ Colbeck pointed out.

‘I understand, Inspector.’

Leeming had his notebook ready. ‘Go on, sir.’

It was days since the incident but the details remained uncomfortably fresh in Grosvenor’s mind. He began slowly, describing his routine and the way that he always kept rigidly to it. Devastated by the loss of the money, what hurt him even more was the theft of his ledger.

‘That book tells the story of my life,’ he bleated, ‘and it’s been a good, honest life with the LNWR. Being a pay clerk puts you in a very responsible position. I was always keenly aware of that.’

As they listened to his sad tale, Colbeck and Leeming were very sympathetic. Grosvenor made no excuses. A lapse on his part had led to the disappearance of a large amount of money. Angry scenes had occurred among men expecting him to pay them their weekly wage. The pay clerk had endured abuse and threats of violence. When the full account had been given, Colbeck had a first question.

‘Do you have any idea who might have taken your bag, sir?’

‘No, Inspector, I don’t. They were all my friends — at least, I thought so.’

‘What happened when you reported the theft?’

Grosvenor shuddered again. ‘They looked at me as if it was my doing.’

‘I’m asking what immediate steps the management took.’

‘They got hold of every railway policeman they could and stationed them at all the exits. Nobody could have left the area with that bag of mine. As for the men I’d just paid before I was tricked,’ said Grosvenor, ‘they were all searched to make sure they didn’t have more money on them than they were supposed to.’

Leeming studied his notebook. ‘You say you were in the carriage shed.’

‘That’s right.’

‘So it would have been easy for someone to sneak up behind the carriages.’

Grosvenor shrugged. ‘I suppose so.’

‘Tell us about the men you paid at that point,’ said Colbeck. ‘What did they do when they had their money?’

‘They counted it. One of them accused me of short-changing him but I took no notice. Someone always does that. They like to have a laugh at me.’

‘In other words, that group of men would have been distracted.’

‘Once they had money in their hands,’ said Grosvenor, ‘they began talking about how they were going to spend it. Some of them owed money to others and there was one man who takes bets. I tried talking to them but nobody listened.’ He snapped his fingers. ‘That’s when it must have happened.’

‘Thank you, sir. You’ve been very helpful. I must now ask you to take us to the place where the crime was committed.’

Grosvenor was aghast. ‘But I’ve been suspended. They won’t let me in.’

‘They’ll do what I tell them,’ said Colbeck, firmly. ‘If they want their money found, they’ll have to.’

‘Do you really think you’ll ever get it back?’ asked Grosvenor, a faint glimmer of hope making him stand to his feet. ‘Do you?’

‘Yes, I do. From what you’ve told us, nobody could have left the premises with a distinctive leather bag. What criminals usually do in such situations is to hide their booty somewhere, wait until the coast is clear then slip back to reclaim it. In short, sir,’ Colbeck told him, ‘the money and the ledger are still there. Our task is to find it before the thief or thieves come back to reclaim it.’

The best moment of their visit to the engine shed was when David and Albert were allowed to stand on the turntable when it was in action. It was a wonderful thrill for them. They could not believe that it only took two men to push a large, heavy, solid lump of metal in a complete circle. Having seen the locomotive drive headfirst onto the turntable, they watched it drive headfirst off. Andrews had been given a lot of help from old friends, who let the boys onto the footplates of their respective engines, but he was conscious that the manager was now looking askance at him. He therefore led his two young charges towards the exit. Madeleine and Estelle joined them.

‘I can’t thank you enough, Mr Andrews,’ said Estelle.

‘Yes,’ chirped the boys in unison. ‘Thank you, Mr Andrews.’

‘Now you know what being an engine driver is like,’ said Madeleine.

‘We haven’t finished yet,’ said Andrews. ‘There’s the carriage shed to see next. We got a whole range of carriages in there, including some that are used by the royal family.’

‘Father’s had the privilege of driving the royal train,’ recalled Madeleine. ‘It was a real feather in his cap.’

‘Do you still have the feather, Mr Andrews?’ asked David, innocently.

She smiled. ‘It wasn’t a real feather, David. It’s just an expression.’

‘I knew that,’ said Albert, scornfully.

The carriage shed was a large rectangular building with chutes — long ventilators — in the roof to carry smoke out of the shed from locomotives in steam. Carriages of all kinds abounded. Those reserved for the royal family commanded most interest and Estelle was as eager to see them as her sons. Andrews lifted the boys up one by one so that they could peer through the windows and see the luxurious interiors. The contrast with standard carriages — even those with the words First Class emblazoned on their doors — was stark.

After a while, however, the boys started to lose interest as they walked up and down the long parallel lines of rolling stock, all of it painted in the distinctive colours of the LNWR and bearing its insignia. Albert decided that it was time to have some fun. Pushing his brother in the back, he tore off in the opposite direction.

‘Catch me!’ he shouted.

David accepted the challenge and hared after him, ignoring his mother’s plea to come back to her at once. The boys were completely out of control now, racing around what was a kind of enormous, gloomy labyrinth. High spirits suppressed until now suddenly had free rein. Albert ducked under couplings, climbed in and out of open carriages and somehow managed to keep ahead of his brother. Eventually, he ran out of breath and crawled under a carriage to hide. David walked up and down the avenues of rolling stock until he heard the telltale giggle of his younger brother.

Estelle was apologising profusely to the others for her children’s naughty behaviour. Madeleine waved the apologies away but Andrews was annoyed, blaming himself for not having exerted enough authority over them. His voice reverberated around the building.

‘Come back here this minute!’ he bellowed.

There was a long pause then a contrite David finally appeared.

‘We’re sorry, Mr Andrews,’ he said, penitently, ‘but you have to come and see Albert right now. He’s found something.’

When he heard what had happened, Victor Leeming was torn between anger and delight, feeling the need to admonish his sons for their bad behaviour while at the same time filled with paternal pride. Quite by accident, they had found the bag stolen from the pay clerk and hidden beneath a carriage. Restored to the manager, its contents were found to be intact. When he and Colbeck reported to the superintendent, Leeming was congratulated.

‘Your sons are to be commended,’ said Tallis. ‘They did what a whole bevy of railway policemen failed to do.’

‘Thank you, sir,’ said Leeming with a grin.

‘However, we can’t rely on a pair of obstreperous lads to solve all our crimes for us. Coincidences like this rarely occur.’

‘My sons are not really obstreperous, sir.’

‘Boys will be boys,’ said Colbeck, tolerantly.

‘That’s a matter of opinion,’ said Tallis. ‘There are times when boys should be prevented from being boys, if you take my meaning. Valuable as their contribution was, of course, all that they did was to find the stolen bag. The thief is still at liberty.’

‘He won’t be for long, sir.’

‘What makes you say that, Inspector?’

‘We hope to make an arrest tonight.’

‘How can you be so specific? It may be days or even weeks before the thief returns to reclaim the bag from its hiding place.’

‘That would have been the case, sir,’ said Colbeck, ‘had it been undiscovered. I suggested to the manager that the thief needed an incentive to come immediately.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘They’re going to offer a reward,’ explained Leeming.

‘It’s a very tempting reward,’ added Colbeck, ‘but, then, it will never have to be paid. What it will do is to convince the thief that he needs to change his plan. Instead of making off with all the money in the pay clerk’s bag, he can get a large proportion of it by way of a reward and appear completely innocent of the crime. That will have an irresistible appeal to him.’

‘What a clever idea, Colbeck!’ said Tallis.

‘I do have one from time to time, sir.’

Top hats and frock coats would have been an encumbrance in the carriage shed. The detectives had therefore chosen rough garb that allowed freedom of movement. There was poor light during the day. At night the shed was plunged into total darkness. They used a lantern to find their way to the right place then took up their positions nearby. It was several hours before anyone came and they were beginning to think that their vigil had been futile. Then they heard footsteps approaching stealthily and a lantern flashed in the darkness. Someone approached the hiding place and bent down to crawl under the carriage. Retrieving the leather bag, he came out again and stood up with a quiet chuckle. Colbeck spoilt his moment of triumph.

‘Hello,’ he said, letting his lantern spill out its light. ‘We had a feeling that we might see you here tonight. It’s my duty to place you under arrest, sir.’

Shocked for a moment, the man quickly recovered and tried to dart off but he ran straight into Leeming’s shoulder and bounced backward. The sergeant grabbed him and held him tight. Colbeck held the light up to the man’s face.

‘The game is up, sir.’

‘No, no,’ gabbled the other, ‘you don’t understand. I didn’t steal the bag. I stumbled on it earlier today and wanted to claim the reward.’

Colbeck took the bag from him and opened it wide. It was full of ballast.

‘I doubt if you’ll get much in the way of reward for this,’ he said.

It was not until he came back from Scotland Yard the following day that Madeleine learnt the full story. Colbeck explained that the thief was an employee of the company who had stalked the pay clerk for weeks until his opportunity finally came. Ben Grosvenor had now been completely vindicated and restored to his post.

‘When he saw that his ledger was unharmed,’ said Colbeck, ‘he was like a child on Christmas Day. He won’t be robbed again. On my advice, he’s going to fit a chain to the bag and attach it to his belt. The next time someone tries to steal his money, they’ll have to take the pay clerk with it.’

‘I’m so glad that it all worked out well in the end,’ said Madeleine. ‘Estelle was so upset when the boys went running off like that.’

‘Victor has been very strict with them. They won’t do it again, I fancy. But you’ll be interested to know that their little adventure has had an unexpected result.’

‘What’s that, Robert?’

‘They’ve changed their minds,’ replied Colbeck. ‘When they went into that carriage shed, they both wanted to be engine drivers. When they came out, David and Albert were determined to become detectives.’

‘How does Victor feel about that?’

‘He doesn’t know whether to encourage their ambition or do his best to thwart it. I suggested that there was one simple way to test the strength of their resolve.’

‘What’s that?’

Colbeck’s smile blossomed into a grin. ‘Victor could introduce the boys to Superintendent Tallis.’