The Stationmaster's farewell

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

When they arrived in Exeter, the first thing they did was to carry their bags into the refreshment room. The long journey had left them tired and hungry. Caleb Andrews and Madeleine sat at a table and ordered a pot of tea and some cakes. Dorcas Hope soon brought everything across on her tray.

‘Are you staying in Exeter long?’ she asked, unloading the items carefully on to the table.

‘We don’t know,’ said Andrews. ‘It all depends on my daughter’s fiance.’

‘He came here to lead a murder investigation,’ added Madeleine.

‘Oh, you must mean Inspector Colbeck,’ said Dorcas, brightly. ‘He’s such a handsome gentleman, isn’t he? We’ve seen a lot of the inspector here.’

‘Do you happen to know where he’s staying?’

‘Yes, he and the sergeant are at the Acland Tavern in Sidwell Street.’

‘Then that’s where we ought to go, Maddy,’ suggested Andrews.

‘There’s no need,’ said Dorcas. ‘I can save you the journey.’

‘How can you do that, miss?’

‘Inspector Colbeck will soon be here. I sent word to him that I’ve at last remembered, you see. And since I can’t leave here for several hours, the inspector will have to come to me.’

‘This is all very mystifying,’ said Madeleine.

‘It’s connected to the investigation.’

‘Go on.’

‘Well,’ said Dorcas, ‘it’s all to do with a diary that Mr Heygate — he’s the stationmaster who was murdered — left behind. They searched the house but couldn’t find it anywhere. Then Peter came to our rescue.’

‘Who is Peter?’

‘He’s Mr Heygate’s canary. I’m looking after him.’

‘You’re not making much sense, young lady,’ said Andrews.

‘I’m coming to the interesting bit,’ said Dorcas, hands on hips. ‘When I cleaned Peter’s cage, I found the diary hidden inside it under a false base. And what do you think? I also found over two hundred pounds in banknotes.’

Andrews laughed. ‘Is this some kind of joke?’

‘No, sir — it’s as true as I’m standing here.’

‘It is,’ confirmed Vesey from behind the counter.

‘Do you see why I said that Peter came to our rescue?’

‘No, I don’t,’ said Andrews.

‘Neither do I,’ admitted Madeleine. ‘Is this diary going to be of help in the investigation?’

‘It is now that my memory has been jogged. That’s the whole point.’

‘So the case relies on the assistance of a canary?’

‘The owl is far more important.’

‘Saints alive!’ exclaimed Andrews. ‘We’ve stumbled into an aviary.’

‘Let me explain,’ said Dorcas.

‘I think you’ve explained enough,’ suggested Vesey. ‘Why don’t you leave our customers to enjoy their r — r-refreshments and t-t-take further orders?’ He indicated the three people who’d just come into the room. ‘I’m sorry about that,’ he went on as the waitress moved over to the newcomers. ‘Miss Hope gets r-r-rather excited. She was a good friend of Mr Heygate, so she’s very involved in the case.’

Madeleine gave an understanding smile but her father was more interested in sampling one of the cakes. She poured tea for both of them, then added milk and sugar to her cup. Colbeck’s letters had said nothing about a canary and an owl. She looked forward to getting a clearer explanation of their role in the investigation. Meanwhile, she stirred her tea then reached for a cake.

‘I feel better already,’ said Andrews, munching away. ‘I’m completely safe here. Mrs Young can’t come and spread lies about Binnie.’

‘You promised to forget both of them, Father.’

‘I’m trying to do that, Maddy, but they keep popping into my mind.’

She nibbled her cake. ‘Robert is going to have a shock.’

‘And a very pleasant shock it will be.’

‘I do hope so. He must know that I didn’t come here to hamper him in any way. I just wanted to see him.’

‘And I just wanted not to see Ivy Young.’

‘She belongs in your past, Father, and so does Mrs Langton.’

‘You’re right as always, Maddy. I’m happier without either of them.’ He looked around. ‘I’ve never been here before. What do you think there is to see in Exeter? Apart from an owl and a canary, that is.’

‘There’s only one thing I want to see,’ she said, ‘and that’s Robert.’

‘His last letter said that they’d made an arrest. The case is solved.’

‘Then why did he warn me that he’d have to stay here for a while? No, I think there are still a number of things to clear up.’

Eating their cakes and drinking their tea, they were able to relax. They’d already noticed the marked difference to London. Instead of a vast, bustling metropolis that stretched in all directions, they were now in a provincial city with expanses of open countryside visible. It was altogether quieter and less frenetic than life in the capital. Madeleine marvelled at her own boldness in coming to Exeter. She’d acted on the spur of the moment and been able to involve her father. He’d been an irritable travelling companion but had cheered up now that they’d reached their destination. Like him, she felt strangely liberated.

Madeleine was just reflecting how small and uncluttered the station was compared to the London termini when an express train arrived for a short stay before continuing on to Plymouth without any further stop. Passengers poured out, many of them in need of refreshments before they rejoined the train. The room was so full of people that neither Madeleine nor her father realised that they included Colbeck and Leeming who’d walked into the station as the express juddered to a halt. Vesey and Dorcas worked at full stretch to answer the needs of their customers. As most of them chose to sit at tables, very few people were left standing.

Madeleine finally noticed two familiar faces and leapt to her feet.

‘Robert!’ she cried out.

Colbeck was torn between delight and amazement. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I came to see you, of course.’

‘And so did I,’ said Andrews.

Wanting to embrace her, Colbeck had to restrict himself to a kiss on the cheek while in public. He then shook her father’s hand warmly. Leeming also gave them a cordial welcome, asking what the weather was like in London. The refreshment room was too crowded for them to have a proper conversation, so they stepped outside.

‘This is a wonderful surprise,’ said Colbeck, grinning. ‘I can’t tell you how pleased I am to see you. However,’ he went on, ‘I am still heavily involved in the investigation, so you’ll have to excuse me for a while.’

‘Of course,’ said Madeleine. ‘We didn’t come to interfere.’

‘Though you’re welcome to my advice if you need it,’ offered Andrews. ‘What’s all this about an owl and a canary?’

‘I can see that you’ve been talking to Miss Hope,’ said Colbeck. ‘Victor will explain. Where are you going to stay?’

‘The waitress mentioned a tavern in Sidwell Street.’

‘That’s where we’ve taken rooms, Mr Andrews. Victor,’ he went on, ‘why don’t you find a cab and take Madeleine and her father to the Acland Tavern? I know they have spare rooms there. I’ll meet up with you later.’

‘Where are you going, Robert?’ asked Madeleine.

‘First of all, I have to speak to Miss Hope and I can’t do that until the train is ready to leave and the refreshment room clears. It may well be,’ he said, ‘that she has some vital evidence for us relating to the scene of the crime. Once I’ve heard what it is, I have to catch a train to Totnes.’

She was concerned. ‘Is that far away?’

‘It’s about thirty miles from here,’ he replied, ‘and though your father might believe otherwise, the South Devon Railway provides an excellent service.’

‘It can’t compete with the LNWR,’ said Andrews, loyally.

‘It doesn’t try to, Mr Andrews.’

Madeleine was curious. ‘Why are you going to Totnes?’

‘I have to interview an important witness,’ said Colbeck. ‘In fact, I can’t think of anyone more important, because the young lady may well be in a position to save a man from the gallows.’

One of the few advantages of being in his office was that Steel could not be subjected to ecclesiastical meddling there. If the bishop wished to see him, then he summoned the superintendent to his palace. He would never bother Steel at his place of work. That, at least, had been the situation until now. All of a sudden, Steel’s bolt-hole was no longer secure. Bishop Phillpotts demanded to see him and came waddling up the stairs. Admitted to the office, he flopped into the seat opposite the desk and looked around with undisguised disdain.

‘Is this the room from which our city is policed?’ he asked.

‘It’s all that the Watch Committee could provide for me.’

‘It’s pathetically bare and lacking in character.’

‘We can’t all afford the expensive paintings that adorn the walls of your palace, Bishop. Besides, this is an office and not a place where I can sit back at my leisure with a slim volume of verse or an improving novel.’

Phillpotts eyed him shrewdly. ‘Do you dare to poke fun at me, sir?’

‘No,’ said Steel, ‘I just wish to point out that ornate decoration would be wholly out of place in a building that routinely houses criminals.’

‘It’s about one of those criminals that I’ve come to enquire. Is the villainous Mr Browne still under your roof?’

‘He’s been charged and remanded in custody at the prison.’

‘Good — if there’s no possibility of his escaping, I’m not in jeopardy.’

‘You never were, Bishop,’ said Steel, ‘except in your own mind.’

‘I know when I’m under threat, man,’ said the other, tartly, ‘and I’ll brook no criticism from you or from anyone else. Withdraw that slur at once.’

Steel shrugged an apology. ‘I do so willingly.’

‘Tell me about Bernard Browne.’

‘He prefers to be called Bagsy.’

‘I never use nicknames, Superintendent. They smack of juvenility. I want to know what’s happened to this fiend from the time of his arrest until now.’

Schooling himself to be patient, Steel gave him an abbreviated account of the arrest and detention of Browne. He stressed Colbeck’s bravery in tackling the man and was complimentary about the way that the inspector had questioned the prisoner. When the superintendent talked about the parallel arrest of Adeline Goss, the bishop responded with his pulpit voice.

‘Prostitution is a sign of moral turpitude,’ he said, solemnly. ‘Every brothel should be closed and their occupants driven out of the city.’

‘One has to face reality, Bishop. Where there’s a demand, there will always be a supply. It’s not called the oldest profession for nothing.’

‘Are you actually condoning this foul trade?’

‘No,’ said Steel, ‘but I accept that it’s a fact of life. I have great sympathy for the poor women forced to sell their bodies in order to survive. Adeline Goss is a good example. She was corrupted almost from birth. Instead of being condemned, such unfortunates ought to be helped and reformed.’

‘Don’t preach to me, Superintendent,’ said the bishop. ‘Let me come to the reason that brought me here. I was hoping to confront Inspector Colbeck and ask why he still has reservations about the glaringly obvious guilt of Browne.’

‘Only the inspector can tell you that.’

‘You don’t share his doubts, I hope?’

‘I certainly don’t, Bishop. I want to see Bagsy Browne hanged. Justice will be done and this city will be cleansed of one of its most notorious criminals.’

‘Have you any idea why Colbeck thinks the fellow innocent?’

‘He’s relying on his instinct.’

‘Well, I rely on mine and it’s infallible. That man is the personification of evil. Nothing will ever convince me that Browne is not the killer. He deliberately dumped the corpse outside the cathedral as a crude parody of a sacrificial lamb. In short,’ said the bishop, angrily, ‘he mocked both me and the Church that I am appointed to represent. He deserves to die in agony.’

Colbeck arrived at the address he’d been given. It had taken him to a backstreet in Totnes where rows of anonymous terraced houses stretched for a hundred yards. It was an area of blatant deprivation. Many of the properties were in need of repair and there was accumulated filth on the pavements. Ragged children played games, a man sold salt and vinegar from the back of a rickety cart and mangy dogs scoured every corner in search of food. It was the sort of place in which Bagsy Browne would have moved without exciting any interest. Colbeck, on the other hand, aroused curiosity on all sides. Because people of his impeccable appearance were simply never seen there, he collected hostile glances, muttered comments and jeers from the children.

The front door was opened by a slatternly woman in her fifties, with a sagging bosom and unkempt hair. When she’d overcome her surprise, she straightened her shoulders, pushed strands of hair back from her forehead and offered him a calculating smile.

‘Can we be of service to you, sir?’ she asked.

‘I’m looking for a young lady named Christina Goss.’

‘Christina will be happy to oblige you, sir — at a price.’

‘I’m not here to transact any business with her,’ said Colbeck. ‘I’m Inspector Colbeck and I’m a detective involved in a murder investigation. I believe that Miss Goss may be able to give me some valuable evidence.’

The woman was indignant. ‘This is a law-abiding house, sir,’ she said. ‘My girls have nothing to do with a murder. We may be poor but we have our standards.’ She tried to close the door. ‘You’ve come to the wrong place.’

He put his foot in the door. ‘Are you going to let me in,’ he asked, ‘or must I arrest you for running a disorderly house?’ Her ire subsided immediately. ‘Miss Goss is in no way involved in the crime but she may know someone who allegedly is. All I wish to do is to have a brief conversation with her.’

After glaring at him for several seconds, she reluctantly opened the door.

‘You’d better come in.’

Colbeck was admitted and taken up to a room at the back of the house.

Christina Goss was barely twenty, a shapely young woman with a striking prettiness and a clear resemblance to her mother. At the prospect of company, she flashed a smile but it froze on her lips when she was told who her visitor was and why he’d come to see her. She sat down sullenly on the bed. Left alone with her, Colbeck removed his hat and perched on a chair.

‘Do you remember a man named Bagsy Browne?’ he asked.

‘I never ask them their names.’

‘Oh, I think you know this man’s name and I fancy you’ll recall the night that he spent with you. Mr Browne was very generous to you, wasn’t he? How many of your clients give you that amount of money?’

Her manner softened. ‘Why are you asking about Bagsy?’

‘He’s sent you a message from prison.’

Victor Leeming took them to the Acland Tavern and arranged rooms for them. When they’d settled in, Madeleine and her father joined the sergeant for a discussion about the case. Careful not to give too much detail away, he told them enough for them to understand the references to an owl and a canary.

‘That young waitress seemed like a nice girl,’ said Andrews.

‘It’s very hard work in that refreshment room,’ said Leeming. ‘I should know. I took over her job while Miss Hope was being interviewed by the inspector.’

Madeleine grinned. ‘You were a waitress?’

‘It’s not what I expected to do when I became a detective.’

‘It gives you another string to your bow, Sergeant,’ teased Andrews. ‘When you retire from Scotland Yard, you can work in a restaurant. Not that I’d recommend retirement,’ he added. ‘It brings hidden dangers with it.’

‘The sergeant doesn’t want to hear about your private life, Father,’ said Madeleine.

‘Perhaps not,’ agreed Leeming, ‘but I would like your opinion on something else, Mr Andrews. What’s your view of the atmospheric railway?’

Andrews snorted. ‘It was a disaster!’

‘The inspector thinks it was a clever idea.’

‘That’s all it was, Sergeant — an idea. It should never have been put into practice. It cost a lot of money and ended in failure.’

‘Don’t listen to my father,’ said Madeleine, good-humouredly. ‘He doesn’t approve of anything that wasn’t used on the LNWR.’

‘It’s the finest railway company in the world.’

‘Mr Brunel would disagree.’

‘Brunel is an idiot. He lost a small fortune on the experiment of the atmospheric railway. That’s no way to power a train.’

‘All the same,’ said Leeming, ‘I’d love to have seen how it was done.’

‘Then you should have been here when it was tried on the line between Exeter and Newton Abbot. It was abandoned after less than a year.’ He cackled in triumph. ‘It ran out of air!’

‘Let’s come back to the case,’ said Madeleine, anxious to steer her father away from his ritual sneering at Brunel. ‘Miss Hope told us that she was a good friend of the stationmaster.’

‘That’s correct,’ said Leeming. ‘In some ways, she was his best friend. He trusted her far more than anyone else.’

‘Then his death must have been an appalling blow to her.’

‘It was, Miss Andrews. Luckily, she’s been strong enough to cope with it. She’s controlled her grief and got on with her job. The same can’t be said of Mrs Rossiter, I’m afraid.’

‘Who is she?’

‘She was the manageress of the refreshment room,’ said Leeming, ‘but not any more. They had to cart her off to the Devon County Asylum.’

It was only a stroll along the corridors of the institution but it seemed to do Agnes Rossiter some good. Canon Smalley accompanied her, pointing out some of the paintings on the way. When he took her into one of the workrooms, she saw dozens of women seated at tables as they sewed garments. None of them looked up at the visitors. Smalley escorted her back to her room.

‘When will I go home?’ asked Mrs Rossiter.

‘This is your home for the time being.’

‘My sister will pine for me.’

‘I know,’ said Smalley, gently, ‘and we hope you’ll be able to see her before too long. But you’re not ready to leave our care yet. Dr Swift will decide when he can sanction your release.’

Mrs Rossiter gave a nod of acceptance. Sitting on the chair, she was lost in thought. Smalley took his leave. When he came out of the room, it was locked by the nurse waiting outside. After paying a visit to a number of other patients, Smalley then returned to his office to collect a book. With the volume tucked under his arm, he went off to the room occupied by Esther Leete. The door was locked and he had to wait to be let in by the nurse inside. Esther was not being restrained but she was under permanent surveillance. She was very subdued and showed no aggression when he sat on the chair opposite her. After talking to her for a while, he gave her the book so that she could feel it in her hands.

‘It’s full of illustrations,’ he said to the nurse. ‘I find that they often help to stimulate the patients.’

When he opened the book for her, Esther stared dully at a painting of Christ on the cross. As the pages were turned over, she took no notice of the other illustrations either. Then Smalley turned another page and the woman immediately sprang into life. Grabbing the book, she jumped up and hugged it to her chest. When the nurse tried to take the book from her, Esther fought back.

‘Let her be,’ advised Smalley. ‘She can keep the book.’

‘I think you’d better leave her alone,’ said the nurse.

‘I’ll call back this evening. She may have calmed down by then.’

Canon Smalley let himself out and heard the door being locked behind him. Esther Leete puzzled him. Her reaction to an illustration in the book had been so fierce and unexpected. What she’d seen was a painting of the Madonna and Child.

Colbeck was able to spend only a few minutes alone with Madeleine at the Acland Tavern. He was full of apologies for having to leave almost immediately.

‘I understand, Robert,’ she said. ‘It’s my fault for arriving out of the blue without warning.’

‘It was the nicest thing to happen to me since I came to Exeter.’

‘I simply had to see you.’

‘You should have come alone,’ he said. ‘You don’t need a chaperone.’

‘Father had his own reasons for leaving London. I’m beginning to regret that I brought him with me,’ she said, light-heartedly. ‘He keeps arguing with Sergeant Leeming about the merits of the atmospheric railway.’

‘I’ll have to rescue Victor. We have some work to do.’

‘Was your visit to Totnes successful?’

‘I believe so.’

‘Will it make any difference to the case?’

‘It will make a great deal of difference. Our main suspect has been exonerated. We’ll have to look elsewhere for the killer.’

She was dismayed. ‘Does that mean you’ll be here for a lot longer?’

‘I’m not sure, Madeleine,’ he said, guardedly. ‘Much will depend on what Victor and I find this evening.’

‘What are you hoping to find?’

He smiled lovingly. ‘We’re searching for an owl.’

Dorcas Hope had seen little of the stationmaster throughout the day. When she was about to go home, however, he was waiting to waylay her outside the refreshment room. Woodford had reverted to his old authoritarian self.

‘If you want to earn my respect, Miss Hope,’ he said, reprovingly, ‘you can stop giving a false impression of me to Inspector Colbeck.’

‘But I didn’t do that, Mr Woodford.’

‘You told him that I blenched when I heard that the diary had been found.’

‘That’s exactly what you did.’

‘No, it isn’t.’

‘You turned quite pale.’

‘I was delighted by the news,’ he said, forcefully. ‘Try to remember that.’

‘I can only say what I saw,’ she bleated.

‘Leaving that aside, what were you talking to the inspector about earlier? When I walked past the refreshment room, you were poring over a map with him. Why was that?’

‘I recalled what “M.V.” stood for, Mr Woodford.’

‘What are you talking about, girl?’

‘They were the initials in Mr Heygate’s diary,’ she said. ‘He discovered that barn owl near a place called “M.V.” The inspector brought something called an ordnance survey map and I pointed out where it was.’

‘Where what was?’ he asked, impatiently.

‘It’s the cottage that Mr Heygate talked about.’

‘He never said anything to me about a cottage.’

‘It was his wife who really loved it,’ said Dorcas. ‘She’d always wanted to live there. Mr Heygate said that he wished he could have bought it for her but could never have afforded it. He pointed it out to me one day.’

‘What was the name of the cottage?’

‘It’s called Meadow View.’

Leeming was unhappy about trampling through long grass in the half-dark. When he trod in some horse manure, he was even more discontented and stopped to wipe it off his shoe on a fallen log. It was a cold evening but the clear sky gave just enough light for them to pick their way along. Colbeck had memorised the route from the ordnance survey map. As they passed various landmarks, he realised just how detailed and accurate it had been.

‘I walked down this lane before,’ said Leeming, ‘yet I found nothing. And that was in daylight. How can we expect to find anything in the dark?’

‘That’s precisely what Mr Heygate did.’

‘He had the sense to bring a lamp.’

‘We don’t want to attract attention.’

‘What if Miss Hope is mistaken?’

‘She hasn’t let us down so far, Victor. The stationmaster actually showed her the cottage one day. She was able to describe it to me.’

‘The diary only said it was near Meadow View. We don’t know which side of the cottage it is.’

‘Then we search both,’ said Colbeck, affably. ‘Cheer up, Victor. In a sense, we’re on a treasure hunt.’

‘I know, sir. I stepped in some of it.’

They walked on at a moderate pace and checked every building that passed them in silhouette. Eventually, they came to a large ramshackle shed at the bottom of a garden surrounded by a fence. It was only one of a line of sheds in various gardens, each in differing stages of repair. Leeming had inspected almost all of them on his earlier visit and been unable to find any evidence of an owl having been there. He and Colbeck looked along the line of sheds, wondering where to start. A voice came out of the gloom, then a figure approached the fence.

‘You look lost, gentlemen,’ said a man. ‘Can I help you?’

When he got close, they saw that he was a beefy individual in his forties with a craggy face. He gave them a half-smile and spoke with a local accent.

‘We’re looking for Meadow View,’ said Colbeck.

‘That’s a bit further on, sir,’ said the man, appraising them shrewdly. ‘It will take you less than two minutes to walk there. As you might have guessed, it has a nice view of the meadow. Look out for a horse chestnut tree,’ he continued. ‘It might not be so easy to recognise in this light but it’s the biggest tree you’ll come across.’

‘Thank you for your guidance.’

‘Is everything all right, Howie?’ called a female voice.

‘It’s my wife,’ he explained then raised his voice to answer her. ‘Everything is fine, dear. I’m just giving directions to two gentlemen.’

‘Dinner will be ready soon.’

They could only see the woman in dim outline. As she came forward, she was carrying a lamp in her hand. After taking a close look at the two strangers, she turned around and retreated into the house. Her husband glanced after her.

‘May saw you through the bedroom window,’ he told them. ‘She’s got better eyesight than me and spotted your hats. I was sent out to see who you were.’

‘We won’t hold you up from your dinner,’ said Colbeck, one hand on the fence. ‘We’re sorry to disturb you. Come on, Victor,’ he went on. ‘We must find Meadow View. Look out for the horse chestnut.’

‘I’d rather look out for horse manure,’ said Leeming, grumpily.

The man laughed and waved them off. When the detectives walked away, he watched them until they vanished into the darkness, then he went back into the house. Colbeck and Leeming, meanwhile, went as far as the designated tree and paused beneath it. The meadow was off to their right. The sergeant was perplexed.

‘Why did you say that we were looking for Meadow View?’

‘I didn’t want to arouse his suspicions.’

‘Do you think it was in that shed that the stationmaster saw the owl?’

‘No,’ said Colbeck, ‘not unless he climbed over the fence and trespassed on their garden, and I don’t think he did that. I ran my hand over the fence. It’s built with relatively new timber and reinforced with stout posts.’

‘He wants to protect his property. I’d do the same.’

‘There’s more to it than that, Victor. It was the wife who interested me.’

‘She was just a blob in the dark, sir.’

‘Didn’t you notice her lamp? It was unusually large and heavy. That’s why she never lifted it up to her face. I’d have expected her to come out with an oil lamp or even a large candle.’

Leeming showed real interest at last. ‘Do you think it might have been the missing railway lamp?’

‘It’s a possibility worth exploring,’ said Colbeck. ‘Add up what we know. There are two people excessively sensitive about anyone near their property. Both of them immediately came out to confront us so that they could weigh us up. There’s a tall fence that’s been recently constructed, yet the shed is falling to pieces and they’ve made no attempt to repair it. I find that significant. Finally, there’s a lady carrying what may turn out to be a stolen lamp. On the basis of that evidence, I’d say we have cause to investigate.’

‘What are we going to do, Inspector?’

‘Give them plenty of time to start their meal.’

They waited a quarter of an hour under the boughs of the tree. Then they walked slowly back to the place where they’d encountered the man. Colbeck took a closer look at the fence and saw that it had cost money and effort. When he indicated to Leeming that they were going to climb the fence, the sergeant was at first alarmed. Chest high, it was a daunting obstacle. In spite of the cold, Colbeck shed his hat, coat and waistcoat before hauling himself to the top of the fence and hooking a leg over it. Rolling out of sight, he reappeared and crooked a finger for Leeming to follow. The sergeant took off his coat and hat and tried to do exactly what the inspector had done but he was neither as lithe nor as fit as Colbeck. It took him three attempts before he finally got a leg over the fence. Colbeck was waiting to steady him as he lowered himself down. They moved across to the shed and peered in.

‘I don’t see any owl,’ whispered Leeming.

‘Neither do I, Victor, but then I never expected to. This is not the shed to which Heygate referred. The one with the owl is closer to Meadow View.’ He peered into the gloom. ‘But I do see something else.’

It was an old handcart with sacking on it. Colbeck felt his way around it to make sure that it was serviceable. Then he led the sergeant back into the garden. As they walked furtively towards the house, Leeming tripped over something and had to stifle a curse as he fell. His knees were covered in fresh earth. What he hadn’t seen was a small mound. It was next to another mound, overgrown with moss. Colbeck bent down to investigate the parallel mounds. He and Leeming were still crouched down when two figures were conjured out of the darkness. The woman was holding a lamp and the man was pointing a shotgun at them. There was menace in his voice now.

‘I had a feeling you might come back,’ said the man, standing over them. ‘Hold the light up, May. Let’s see who these nosy devils are.’

‘Put that gun down, sir,’ suggested Colbeck.

‘Shut up!’

‘You’re right, sir,’ said Leeming as the lamp was held near his face. ‘I think it was stolen from Mr Heygate.’

‘Heygate was too inquisitive,’ said the man. ‘If he’d minded his own business, he’d still be alive now. You made the same mistake that he did.’

Ready to pull the trigger, he aimed the gun at Leeming. Colbeck immediately snatched up a handful of earth and threw it into the man’s face, distracting him completely. The gun went off but it discharged its shot harmlessly into the air. Leeming was galvanised into action. He dived for the man’s ankles and brought him crashing to the ground before hurling himself on top of him. The woman was no mere bystander. She raised the heavy lamp with the intention of smashing it down on Leeming’s skull. Colbeck stopped her just in time, seizing her wrist and twisting it until she was forced to let go of the lamp. It fell to the ground but she was not finished yet. Surprisingly strong, she grappled with him for minutes, kicking, screaming, biting and spitting at him. Evidently, she was very accustomed to a brawl and gave no quarter. Colbeck eventually slammed her against the side of the shed to take the fight out of her, then held her from behind with one hand around her neck and the other applying an arm lock.

Leeming was engaged in an even more desperate struggle against a man determined to kill him. Having failed to shoot the sergeant, he rolled on top of him and managed to hold him down long enough to get the shotgun across his neck. Pressing down hard on Leeming’s windpipe, he tried to choke him to death. As the pain became more intense, Leeming put every ounce of his remaining energy into an upward shove, dislodging his adversary and making him fall backwards. It was the sergeant’s turn to be on top now and the first thing he did was to wrest the shotgun away and fling it out of reach. The two of them traded punches and the advantage swung first one way, then the other. With the woman safely pinioned, Colbeck watched as the man finally shrugged Leeming away and tried to escape.

He got no further than the fence. Before he could scramble over it, he felt his legs being held securely. Leeming dragged him to the ground and pulled him over each of the two mounds in turn. Every time the man attempted to get up, he was knocked back down again by a well-aimed punch. In the end, drained of energy, he simply collapsed in a heap. Leeming reclaimed the shotgun.

An owl hooted nearby.

Dr Morton Swift worked long hours at the asylum. Though he owned a house only a mile away, there were times when he decided to stay at the institution instead of going home. He reserved a large room with an adjoining bathroom for his own use. It was far more comfortable and well appointed than the accommodation used by any of the patients. Much of the space was taken up by a double bed. When he finished work that evening, he adjourned to his private quarters. He was surprised when there was a knock on his door. Anticipating company for the night, he didn’t expect his visitor to come so soon. When he opened the door, he saw that there was no compliant young woman outside. The trio of men comprised Colbeck, Leeming and Steel. The superintendent was holding handcuffs.

‘May we come in, sir?’ asked Colbeck, pushing him back into the room and following him in. Leeming and Steel came behind him. ‘We must apologise for this intrusion but we’ve come to place you under arrest.’

‘What the devil are you talking about?’ demanded Swift, shaking with rage.

‘I thought I was quite explicit.’

‘Please leave at once. You have no right to barge in here.’

‘We have every right, Dr Swift. Our duty is to enforce the law.’

‘We’ve already made two arrests,’ said Leeming, pointedly. ‘Howard and May Gurney are both in custody. They’re friends of yours, I believe. As you can see, they were stupid enough to resist us in the garden.’

He gestured to his filthy trousers and showed his dirty hands. Mention of the two names was a like a hammer blow to Swift. He was reeling. Trying to control his rising panic, he fell back on bluff.

‘Don’t listen to anything that Gurney and his wife tell you,’ warned Swift. ‘Both of them worked under me as nurses and I dismissed them for incompetence. They’ll make up all sorts of weird tales to get back at me.’

‘Two tiny bodies have been uncovered in their garden,’ said Colbeck, regarding him with contempt. ‘The most recent of them was buried there on the night that Joel Heygate was killed. In fact, it was the reason that he was murdered. He saw something that he shouldn’t have seen and was battered to death as a result.’

‘This has got nothing whatsoever to do with me, Inspector.’

‘I think that it has, Dr Swift. The baby that the stationmaster saw was the murdered child of a young woman named Esther Leete, a patient at the deaf and dumb asylum. You were the father and you paid Gurney and his wife to dispose of the baby in the way that they’d disposed of the other child you fathered on a patient. Infanticide is a sickening crime,’ said Colbeck, sharply. ‘You incited it.’

Steel moved forward. ‘I need to put these handcuffs on you, sir.’

‘You can’t touch me,’ cried Swift in horror. ‘I’m essential to this place. I cure people with disordered minds. I’m a noted person in my profession.’

‘You’ll be noted for other reasons in the future.’

‘There’s obviously been a gigantic mistake.’

‘You’re the one who made it, Doctor Swift.’

‘Gurney and his wife have told us everything,’ said Colbeck, icily. ‘You suborned them and bought them that house in return for their services in getting rid of your unwanted progeny. When you heard that they’d killed the stationmaster, you helped Gurney to transport the body to the cathedral precinct on a handcart. But it’s not just his word and that of his wife on which we rely,’ he went on. ‘There’s the evidence of the two women you seduced and impregnated. One of them, I gather, was deaf and dumb. Could anything be more nauseating than the way you preyed on two vulnerable young women in your care?’

‘Hold out your hands,’ insisted Steel. ‘Your career here is finished.’

‘Come on,’ said Colbeck. ‘You shouldn’t have been allowed anywhere near the patients in this institution. Gurney and his wife were nurses here until you realised they could perform a more useful function. You corrupted them.’

‘They were corrupt enough already, if you ask me,’ said Leeming.

Steel stepped forward and snapped the handcuffs on to Swift’s wrists.

The prisoner hung his head in shame. The people he’d employed and trusted had clearly made a full confession. The game was up. He was destined to join them on the gallows.

Canon Smalley was so shocked by the latest developments that he hurried to the bishop’s palace so that he could deliver his report. Plucked away from the dinner table, Phillpotts was in an irascible mood but it soon changed. When he heard that Dr Swift had been arrested and charged with murder, he refused to believe it at first and said that he had every confidence in the man. Smalley described the evidence amassed against the doctor and the bishop was stunned into silence for minutes. Finding his voice again, he pressed for detail.

‘Two young women were involved?’

‘Two gave birth to children,’ said Smalley, ‘but others fell victim to Dr Swift’s charms. According to his accomplices, there were several females and, since they were patients kept in detention, there was nobody to whom the unfortunate women could complain. Dr Swift had complete control over their lives.’

‘And over their bodies,’ said the bishop with a shudder. ‘The man has the cunning and instincts of an animal. The litany of his crimes is vile. He and his two accomplices deserve more than hanging.’

‘I inadvertently saw something of his power over a female patient.’

‘Did you?’

‘When I first introduced myself to Esther Leete, the deaf and dumb girl, she was held in a straitjacket and unwilling even to let me talk to her. The next time I saw her, she was walking quietly by Dr Swift’s side. In his presence, she was subdued. At the time, of course,’ said Smalley, ‘I was unaware of the full facts. Now that I am, Miss Leete’s wild reaction to a painting of the Madonna and Child is explained. Like any mother, she wanted her baby back.’

‘Dr Swift is guilty of inhuman cruelty.’

‘He and his accomplices will pay for it, Bishop.’

‘What about Bernard Browne?’

‘He was in no way involved in the murder,’ said Smalley. ‘Other crimes will send him to prison for a long time but he’s been cleared of the charge of killing the stationmaster.’

Phillpotts was disappointed. ‘So Inspector Colbeck was right all along,’ he said, sourly. ‘In the teeth of the evidence, he championed Browne’s innocence with regard to the murder. I hope he doesn’t come to me for an apology because he won’t get one. Browne should not avoid execution,’ he said, vengefully. ‘It would be a travesty of justice if he did so. Use your imagination, Canon Smalley. Isn’t there some other reason we can find to hang the man?’

With Swift, Howard Gurney and May Gurney under lock and key, the detectives went up to Steel’s office to toast their success with a glass of whisky apiece. Leeming was glad that he’d been able to overpower the man who’d actually battered Joel Heygate’s head with the butt of his shotgun, Colbeck was pleased that he’d been able to save Bagsy Browne from an unjust death, and Steel was gratified that he’d been involved in the confrontation at the asylum. The superintendent was gracious in defeat.

‘I should have listened to you, Inspector,’ he said with admiration. ‘You had doubts about Bagsy’s guilt all long.’

‘He was guilty of just about everything else,’ Colbeck reminded him, ‘and will have a very long sentence to serve. Your job, I fancy, will be a lot easier with him off the streets of Exeter.’

‘How did you know that he had an alibi?’

‘I didn’t, Superintendent. But when a criminal facing the hangman requests an urgent meeting, I’m always prepared to hear him out. As a result, I checked that he wasn’t even in the area on the night of the murder and was satisfied that he was therefore in the clear. The very best way to exonerate one suspect, however, is to arrest and charge another — or three of them, in this case. Browne was in no way party to the crime.’

‘What exactly was his alibi, sir?’ asked Leeming.

‘It doesn’t matter any more, Victor,’ said Colbeck, smoothly. ‘He won’t stand trial for murder, so that particular witness need never be called. We can draw a veil over that aspect of the case.’

Colbeck was relieved to be able to keep the name of Christina Goss out of the case, not least because it might have caused severe embarrassment to her mother. The story told by the prisoner had been confirmed almost word for word by the girl. She and her mother had parted acrimoniously years before. Not daring to mention it to Adeline, Bagsy had taken pity on Christina because she was left to struggle alone. Whenever he was in South Devon, he called on her in Totnes to give her money, asking for nothing in return but her thanks and her discretion. Browne claimed that she’d always looked upon him as a kind uncle in the past. On his last visit, however, he wasn’t able to simply hand over the money and leave. Christina had admitted that she’d thrown herself at him and — like the red-blooded man he was — Browne had been unable to resist, even though she was Adeline’s daughter.

In Colbeck’s opinion, there was no virtue in recounting the details to the others, especially to Leeming. As a devoted family man, he would have been scandalised at the idea of someone having sexual relations outside marriage with both a mother and daughter. It was knowledge he could live more happily without.

Colbeck finished his whisky. ‘It’s time for us to leave,’ he said. ‘The case is closed. We’re keen to return to London and you, Superintendent, will be thrilled to see the back of us.’

‘I can’t thank you enough,’ said Steel, exchanging a handshake with each of them in turn. ‘Without you, we’d have hanged the wrong man and Dr Swift would have been able to carry on seducing defenceless women at the asylum.’

‘Before I go,’ said Colbeck, ‘may I remind you of a wager we made?’

‘You may indeed, Inspector. I’m more than willing to pay you the five pounds I owe you,’ said Steel, opening a drawer and taking out money. ‘I’m also returning the sovereign I won unfairly from you earlier. It’s quite obvious that Bagsy was at the funeral, as you said.’ He handed the money over. ‘Forgive me for doubting you.’ He drained his glass. ‘Well, the murder might be solved and Exeter may soon be ridding itself of some despicable people but I do still have a serious regret.’

‘What’s that, sir?’ asked Leeming.

‘It’s related to that information you discovered, Sergeant,’ said Steel. ‘I often used to go to the Crown Inn for a drink but you won’t get me across the threshold if it’s owned by Michael and Lavinia Heygate.’

‘Oh, there’s no possibility of that happening,’ said Colbeck, confidently.

‘How do you know?’

‘I spoke to Joel Heygate’s solicitor. He wasn’t prepared to divulge details of the man’s will, of course, but he did give me a broad hint. Very little of the estate has been bequeathed to Heygate’s brother.’

‘Then who is the main beneficiary?’

‘She’s the person who really deserves the money — Miss Dorcas Hope.’

Dorcas laughed as Peter flew around the parlour before landing playfully on top of her head. The canary then flew down to Maud Hope’s knee. In the short time he’d been there, Peter had made a difference to their lives. He needed very little care, yet rewarded them with endless amusement. Peter had accepted that he would be a permanent guest in his new home and was happy with the arrangement. Hopping on to the table, he jumped back into his cage and stood on his perch, singing at the top of his voice. Dorcas was pleased.

‘It’s almost as if he knows that they caught Mr Heygate’s killers,’ she said. ‘That’s a song of celebration.’

Colbeck and Madeleine had really been able to talk properly for the first when they had breakfast together at the Acland Tavern. Thanks to Leeming and Andrews, who sat at a separate table, they shared precious moments alone. It was different on the train journey back to London. Though they sat side by side, they had their travelling companions directly opposite them in the compartment. It was only when Leeming and Andrews became embroiled in a long argument about the atmospheric railway that Colbeck felt able to speak more freely to Madeleine.

‘Are you glad that you came?’ he asked, squeezing her hand.

‘Oh, yes,’ she replied, ‘and so is Father. He claims that the only reason you solved the crime is that we arrived in Exeter.’

Colbeck grinned. ‘There may be some truth in that, Madeleine. When I caught sight of you in the refreshment room at the station, I had a real stimulus to press on with the investigation.’

‘Why didn’t you take me to Totnes? I’ve helped you in earlier cases.’

‘I needed to speak to that witness alone,’ he explained, careful to say nothing more about Christina Goss. ‘In the event, her testimony was not needed.’

‘It seems to have been a very difficult investigation.’

‘I’m trying to put it at the back of my mind for a while, Madeleine, so that I can concentrate on the more appealing prospect of the wedding.’

‘There’s not long to go now, Robert,’ she said, excitedly.

‘I’ve been counting the days.’

‘When you get involved in future cases, I won’t have to mope at home with Father any longer. I’ll be able to discuss an investigation with you.’

‘I’m hoping that you’ll do rather more than that.’

‘So do I — it will be wonderful to work together.’

‘It will have to be covert assistance,’ he told her. ‘Superintendent Tallis would never sanction the employment of a woman in the process of detection. It’s in defiance of everything that he believes. I take a more practical view. Women are more than capable of committing crime — look at May Gurney, for instance — so why shouldn’t they be able to solve it?’

‘Is the superintendent still unhappy about your getting married?’

‘It’s not so much unhappiness as disapproval. That’s why I won’t be giving him a full report of our activities in Exeter.’ He glanced across at Leeming, still quarrelling with Andrews. ‘Victor can have that dubious privilege.’

Edward Tallis didn’t believe in staying away from his desk simply because his arm had been wounded. He could still bark commands at his underlings and supervise the never-ending stream of investigations that were referred to the Detective Department. Pleased that the case in Exeter had finally been brought to a satisfactory conclusion, he was sorry that he hadn’t been there in person to take charge and to grab some of the glory. Local newspapers would no doubt lavish their praise on the Railway Detective without even mentioning the person who assigned the case to him. Because of its sensational nature, details of the stationmaster’s murder would be carried in national newspapers, so Tallis would be compelled to watch his detectives being feted while he was ignored. It made the wound in his arm smart.

All that he knew so far was what had been contained in a telegraph from Colbeck. The prime suspect, Bernard Browne, had been absolved of the murder and three further arrests had been made. Tallis longed to hear a fuller explanation. When he heard someone tapping on his door that afternoon, he hoped that it would be Colbeck, coming to give him a detailed account. Instead, it was Victor Leeming who opened the door with his usual feeling of dread.

‘Good afternoon, sir,’ he said. ‘We’ve just returned from Exeter.’

‘I’ve been waiting for you. Where’s Inspector Colbeck?’

‘He has an appointment with his tailor.’

‘His tailor!’ roared Tallis. ‘I want him here so that I can question him. What on earth is he doing at his tailor’s?’

‘He’ll be wearing a new suit at the wedding, sir.’

‘I’m not interested in his private life, Sergeant.’

‘The inspector sent me to deliver the report, sir,’ said Leeming, taking a pad from his pocket. ‘He was kind enough to make some notes for me.’

‘I’m sorry that his kindness didn’t extend to me,’ said Tallis, mordantly. ‘I want to hear from the man who was in charge, not from his assistant.’

The sergeant was sufficiently hurt to forget his fear of the superintendent.

‘I played my part, sir,’ he said, stoutly. ‘I was the one who overpowered Howard Gurney after he tried to choke me to death and I was involved in the arrest of Dr Swift as well. Inspector Colbeck was instrumental in solving the crime but it’s unfair to dismiss me as if I just stood on the sidelines and watched. The inspector is always ready to pay tribute to what I’m able to do and I think it’s time that you followed his example.’

Startled by Leeming’s spirited retort, Tallis was chastened. He pointed to a seat and his visitor sat down, pad in hand. Tallis spoke kindly to him for once.

‘You’ve earned your share of praise, Sergeant,’ he said, benevolently, ‘and I’ll be the first to acknowledge it. Now tell me what really happened in Exeter.’

Involving only family and a small number of friends, the wedding was far too small an affair for such a large church. Those clustered at the front of the nave took up only a tiny proportion of the seats available. Colbeck and Madeleine were untroubled by that. They didn’t notice anyone apart from the vicar who married them. They were both so elated that the only things they would later remember of the service were the exchange of vows and the pronouncement that they were man and wife. Madeleine was radiant in her wedding dress and Colbeck was at his most elegant. They were a striking couple. The two of them floated happily through the whole event, forgetting horrors in the recent past and thinking only of their future together. As they came down the aisle arm in arm, they distributed smiles among the congregation.

Some uninvited guests had watched the ceremony from the back of the church. Madeleine picked out two middl-eaged women, seated together and ignoring the bride and bridegroom. Their gaze was fixed firmly on Caleb Andrews. When the couple came out through the main door, they were greeted by the cheers of well-wishers and curious passers-by. Running a thankful eye over them, Colbeck was met by a surprise. The sturdy, well-dressed man quietly withdrawing from the crowd was Edward Tallis. He’d come to give his tacit blessing, after all.

Colbeck was touched. It was a sign of progress.