Murder on the Brighton Express irc-5

by Edward Marston

  ‘His report seemed convincing enough to me.’

  ‘The real fault lies with the driver, Superintendent.’

  ‘What about the bolts that were found in the bushes?’

  ‘They could easily have sprung clear when the locomotive first left the rails. Think of the force involved – the train demolished the whole track as it careered along.’

  ‘How do you explain the pickaxe found by Sergeant Leeming?’

  ‘That was the surest proof of your officers’ inexperience,’ said Ridgeon. ‘Both of them leapt to the same conclusion. Had they been as acquainted with the laziness of certain railwaymen as I am, they would have known that some of them conceal their tools under the bushes to save them the trouble of having to carry them to and fro.’

  ‘But no work had been done recently on that stretch of line,’ said Tallis, recalling the detail in Colbeck’s report.

  ‘Then the pickaxe was left there at an earlier stage and forgotten by the man who put it there. Or perhaps he’s no longer working for the company. There’s nothing sinister in that pickaxe. It’s not the first implement I’ve found concealed near the line.’

  Tallis was irritated by the mingled authority and complacence in his voice. Unlike the superintendent, Ridgeon was not given to bluster and browbeating. He opted for a calm yet incisive approach. There was no doubting the man’s credentials. Only someone of exceptional talent would have been appointed to head the railway inspectorate. For the first time, Tallis began seriously to wonder if Colbeck had made a mistake in his assessment of the crash. His instinct, however, was to support his officers steadfastly so his expression betrayed no hint of this worrying thought. He stroked his moustache meditatively.

  ‘Well?’ asked Ridgeon after a long pause.

  Tallis gave a shrug. ‘Well what, Captain?’

  ‘I’m waiting for a response.’

  ‘I put my faith in Inspector Colbeck.’

  ‘Does that mean you’re not going to reprimand him?’

  ‘Not without good reason,’ said Tallis.

  ‘But I’ve just given you that good reason,’ said Ridgeon. ‘The inspector has contradicted my findings and reached an alternative conclusion that is both mistaken and dangerous.’

  ‘Dangerous?’

  ‘If the newspapers hear that a crime is suspected, they will seize on the notion and give it wide publicity. Imagine how upsetting that will be for the survivors of the crash, not to mention the LB& SCR itself. Inspector Colbeck will have caused a lot of unwarranted panic.’

  ‘The truth is bound to come out sooner or later.’

  ‘We already know the truth. The driver of the Brighton Express was to blame. It’s the only explanation,’ said Ridgeon. ‘If the inspector had taken the trouble to speak to the fireman on the express, he would have discovered that there was no obstruction on the track.’

  ‘As it happens,’ said Tallis, quick to score a debating point, ‘the Inspector did interview John Heddle. While the fireman confirmed that he saw nothing obstructing the track, he was adamant that the train had not been going at an excessive speed. Driver Pike was apparently known for his caution.’

  ‘Even the best horse stumbles, Superintendent.’

  ‘This was rather more than a stumble.’

  ‘Let’s not mince words here,’ said Ridgeon with a touch of impatience. ‘The situation is this – as long as Inspector Colbeck is looking over my shoulder, I’m unable to do my job properly. I want you to give him a formal reprimand and take him off this case.’

  ‘Then you’ll be disappointed, Captain Ridgeon, because I intend to do neither. Colbeck is a remarkable detective with a habit of knowing exactly which stones to look under.’

  ‘He’s in the way, Superintendent.’

  ‘I believe he takes a similar view of you.’

  ‘Damn it all, man!’ protested Ridgeon, raising his voice at last. ‘I’m the inspector general with a legitimate right to investigate this accident. It’s not a police matter. Inspector Colbeck is trespassing on my territory and I take exception to it.’

  ‘Your complaint is noted,’ said Tallis, brusquely.

  ‘Does that mean you’ll take no action?’

  ‘None is necessary at this stage.’

  ‘Of course it is,’ said Ridgeon, rising to his feet. ‘One of your officers is making it impossible for me to do my job properly. He’s making wrong assumptions on inadequate evidence and must be moved immediately out of my way. I’m not used to being disobeyed, Superintendent,’ he added, pulling himself to his full height. ‘I’ll have you know that I was a captain in the Royal Engineers.’

  ‘I have every respect for an army man,’ said Tallis, getting up behind his desk and straightening his back. ‘I was a major in the 6th Dragoon Guards.’ He bestowed a glacial smile on his visitor. ‘Was there anything else, Captain Ridgeon?’

  Before he left Brighton, Colbeck paid another visit to the county hospital. Another of the survivors of the crash had died from his injuries, reinforcing Colbeck’s determination to solve the crime. Entering one ward, he saw Terence Giddens being interrogated by a woman whose age, dress and manner identified her as his wife. Mixing sympathy with suspicion, she was asking her husband what he had been doing on a train to Brighton in the first place. Ezra Follis’s assessment of Giddens as an adulterer had been correct. A collision between two trains had precipitated a marital crisis.

  The journey back to London gave Colbeck time to reflect on his visit to the town. Giles Thornhill had presented a strong argument for being the real target of the train crash but Colbeck was reluctant to forget about Horace Bardwell. He felt that Bardwell’s association with the railway company was a telling factor. What pleased him most was his decision to call on Ezra Follis. He had learnt a lot about Thornhill from the outspoken rector and now understood why the politician was so unpopular in certain quarters. He wondered how Follis would have reacted if he had read the fake obituary sent to the Member of Parliament. Though he had disliked the man intensely, Colbeck felt sorry for his plight. Thornhill was definitely being stalked.

  Regardless of the fact that it was now evening, he knew that Tallis would be waiting for him to report to Scotland Yard. Instead of going straight there when he reached London, however, he first took a cab to Camden to pay a more enjoyable visit. Madeleine Andrews was thrilled to see him. They embraced warmly on the doorstep and kissed once they were inside the house. Over her shoulder, Colbeck noticed the easel, standing by the window to catch the best of the light.

  ‘What are you working on?’ he asked, crossing to look. ‘Oh, it’s the turntable at the Round House.’

  ‘Father took me there last week.’

  ‘There’s so much drama in the way you’ve drawn it.’

  ‘I found it a very dramatic place.’

  He studied the picture admiringly. ‘You’ve got a wonderful eye for detail, Madeleine.’

  ‘I know,’ she said, subjecting him to careful scrutiny. ‘I always choose subjects I like.’ They shared a laugh and he hugged her again. The sound of the back door opening made them move guiltily apart. ‘I’d forgotten that Father was here,’ she whispered. ‘He’s been out in the garden.’

  Caleb Andrews came in from the kitchen in his shirtsleeves and stopped when he saw Colbeck. ‘Just the man I want to see, Inspector,’ he said. ‘I discovered that there is truth in the rumour.’

  ‘And what rumour might that be, Mr Andrews?’ asked Colbeck.

  ‘Someone caused that accident on the Brighton line.’

  ‘Who told you that?’

  ‘You did,’ replied Andrews. ‘That’s to say, you told John Heddle and he passed it on to me when I called on him today. It’s a fact, isn’t it? I mean, you won’t deny it, will you?’

  ‘No,’ admitted Colbeck. ‘It’s a fact.’

  ‘It beggars belief that anyone could be so evil,’ said Madeleine. ‘What is Rose Pike going to say when she learns the hideous truth?’

  ‘How is
Mrs Pike?’

  ‘She’s still in a daze, Robert. We both spent time with her today but there was little that we could do. She and Frank were so happy together. All that happiness has suddenly been snatched away from her and it’s been a shattering blow.’

  ‘Don’t add to her pain by telling her that the crash was not an accident,’ said Colbeck. ‘The time for her to learn the truth is when we’ve caught the man behind the disaster. The same goes for you, Mr Andrews,’ he went on, turning to him. ‘I’d be grateful if you didn’t spread the word about our investigation until it’s been completed.’

  Andrews was puzzled. ‘Why not?’

  ‘Do as Robert advises,’ said his daughter.

  ‘But I don’t understand why, Maddy.’

  ‘Apart from anything else,’ said Colbeck, ‘if it becomes common knowledge, it will alert the man we’re after. At the moment, he has no idea that we’re on his tail. I want to keep it that way.’

  ‘Very well, Inspector – if you say so.’

  ‘Thank you, Mr Andrews. I’d be very grateful. And I also need to thank you, Madeleine,’ he said, smiling at her. ‘That note you sent me contained a valuable piece of information. Frank Pike actually saw someone carrying out what looked like a reconnaissance of the line.’

  ‘I can vouch for that,’ said Andrews, seizing his cue. ‘I got all the details from John Heddle. I know you spoke to him, Inspector, but you questioned him as a detective. I talked to him as another railwayman. I wanted to know the speed of the train immediately before the crash, the way the engine was performing and how well Frank was driving it.’

  ‘Did he remember the man with the telescope?’

  ‘He remembered more than that. He and Frank were on stopping trains both times so they were going slower than the express. The first time they saw the man,’ recalled Andrews, ‘they didn’t pay much attention. When they saw him a second time, it was different.

  ‘Why was that?’ asked Colbeck.

  ‘The man with the telescope wasn’t alone, Inspector.’

  ‘Is he sure about that?’

  ‘Heddle was a cheeky lad when he worked for the LNWR as a cleaner but he had a sharp eye. He reckons that the man with the telescope was well-dressed while the other man wore rough clothing.’

  ‘Does Heddle remember exactly where this was?’

  ‘More or less,’ said Andrews, relishing the chance to pass on what he believed was significant evidence. ‘He claims it was close to the place where the express came off the track on Friday. The man with the telescope was pointing at the line as if he was giving orders to the other man. Is that any help to you, Inspector?’

  ‘It is, indeed,’ said Colbeck. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘There you are – I’ve told you before. When it comes to a crime on the railways, the person to turn to is Caleb Andrews. I’ll help all I can and there’s only one thing I ask in return.’

  ‘What’s that, Mr Andrews?’

  ‘When you catch the men who murdered Frank Pike,’ said the other, letting his fury show, ‘hand the pair of them over to me!’

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Facing the superintendent on his own when he had little progress to report was something that Victor Leeming chose to evade, preferring to have Robert Colbeck at his side during the ordeal. Instead of going straight to Scotland Yard that evening, therefore, he lurked in the Lamb and Flag, the public house nearby, and enjoyed a pint of beer while standing at the window. He had almost finished his drink when he saw Colbeck arrive by cab. Downing the last mouthful in one gulp, he put the tankard aside and rushed out. Colbeck saw him coming and waited at the door.

  ‘Good evening, Victor,’ he said, understanding very well where the sergeant had been. ‘I’m glad that we have a chance to compare notes before we see Mr Tallis. Did you have any luck?’

  ‘None at all,’ replied Leeming. ‘Except that I managed to dodge the urchins in Seven Dials who thought it would be a joke to knock off my top hat.’

  ‘Let’s go inside.’

  In the privacy of Colbeck’s office, they exchanged details of how each had spent the day. Leeming was envious. Colbeck appeared to have gathered useful evidence whereas the sergeant’s efforts had been more or less futile. Apart from being hounded by ragamuffins in the rookeries, he had had to endure an indecent proposal from the daunting Josie Murlow.

  ‘I went to all four of Chiffney’s favourite taverns,’ he said, morosely, ‘but there was no sign of him.’

  ‘Was he well-known to the landlords?’

  ‘Oh, yes – they all had Dick Chiffney stories to tell. Most were about fights he’d started or times when he drank himself into oblivion and had to be carried home. He and Josie Murlow have a reputation.’

  ‘She sounds like a potent lady,’ said Colbeck.

  ‘Overwhelming is the word I’d use, sir.’

  Having discussed their respective reports, they went down the corridor to the superintendent’s office. From the other side of the door, they heard the raised voice of Edward Tallis as he berated one of his officers for failure to solve a crime. A minute later, the man came out, shooting a baleful glance at Colbeck and Leeming as he did so. Tallis, apparently, was even more hot-tempered than usual. After tapping on the door, Colbeck led the way in.

  ‘Is this a convenient time to speak, sir?’ he enquired, politely.

  ‘I expected you hours ago,’ growled Tallis.

  ‘Victor and I were unavoidably delayed.’

  ‘Well, I hope you have more to show for your efforts than Sergeant Nelson. I’ve just threatened him with demotion if he doesn’t improve markedly.’ He pointed to the chairs and they sat down. ‘I hope I don’t have to issue the same threat to you.’ Leeming squirmed but Colbeck responded with a confident smile. ‘Let’s hear from you first, Inspector.’

  Colbeck was succinct. He talked about his visit to Brighton, recounting his conversations with Giles Thornhill, Ezra Follis and some of the survivors at the hospital. He omitted any reference to the Royal Pavilion. Without divulging the name of Caleb Andrews, he said that he had information from Fireman Heddle that two people had been seen watching trains go by near the spot where the crash later occurred. Colbeck felt that the use of the telescope was significant.

  ‘If they were simply looking at trains,’ he argued, ‘they did not need it at all. The telescope was used to check up and down the line to make sure that there would be no witnesses if anyone levered part of the rail away. They chose that specific place with care. There are no farmhouses or cottages nearby.’

  Throughout the report, Tallis made no comment. He sat there in silence, smouldering quietly like a cigar in an ashtray. When Colbeck had finished, the superintendent blazed into life.

  ‘Why did you waste time talking to the Rector of St Dunstan’s?’ he said, acidly. ‘The fellow is no help to us at all.’

  ‘I believe that he was, sir,’ argued Colbeck. ‘Mr Follis is an excellent judge of character. More to the point, he survived the train crash and was able to describe exactly how the collision felt.’

  ‘That has no relevance to the pursuit of the malefactor.’

  ‘Malefactors,’ corrected Leeming. ‘There were two of them, sir.’

  ‘Be quiet, man!’

  ‘According to Fireman Heddle…’

  ‘Don’t you recognise an order when you hear one?’ demanded Tallis, interrupting him. ‘The sight of two men looking at trains on the Brighton line is not, in my view, conclusive evidence that they are anything to do with the disaster. For all we know, they may even have been railway employees, surveying the line.’

  ‘With respect, sir,’ said Colbeck, ‘John Heddle has seen enough surveyors in his time to be able to identify one. He thought their presence was odd. Driver Pike felt the same because he told his wife that someone had been watching the trains.’

  ‘Come to the crux of your evidence, Inspector. Are you still firmly of the belief that the accident was caused to kill a particular individual on board
?’

  ‘I am, superintendent.’

  ‘Then the choice would seem to be between Horace Bardwell and Giles Thornhill. Which one would you select?’

  ‘Mr Bardwell.’

  ‘Yet it’s Mr Thornhill who has been receiving death threats.’

  ‘They could relate to his political activities,’ said Colbeck. ‘He’s supported many unpopular causes in Parliament and is leading the fight for a Sunday Trading Bill. It would mean the closure of all shops and public houses on the Sabbath.’

  ‘That would be cruel!’ protested Leeming.

  ‘It’s eminently sensible and long overdue,’ said Tallis.

  ‘But if people work hard for six days a week, sir, surely they’re entitled to the pleasure of a drink on Sunday.’

  ‘Strong drink leads to drunkenness and that, in turn, leads to crime. It would greatly relieve the pressure on our police if there was one day when they did not have to deal with violent affrays in public houses or people in the streets being drunk and disorderly. But there’s an even stronger reason why the Sunday Trading Bill should be passed,’ continued Tallis, sounding a reverential note. ‘It shows respect for the Lord’s Day and for people’s spiritual needs.’

  ‘I still think it will cause a great deal trouble if it’s ever put forward,’ said Leeming. ‘It might even lead to a riot.’

  ‘The point is,’ observed Colbeck, rescuing the sergeant from Tallis’s stony glare, ‘that the Bill is highly controversial. It will stir up a lot of opposition, as other legislation sponsored by Mr Thornhill has done. I fancy that he’s being menaced by a political enemy. Mr Bardwell, on the other hand, embodies the LB&SCR in several ways. That’s a salient point in my opinion. As far as I know, Mr Thornhill has no connection with the railway company.’

  ‘Then you are not as well-informed as you should be,’ said Tallis, savouring the opportunity to embarrass Colbeck for once. ‘While you and the sergeant went gallivanting off today, I did not sit idly here. I took it upon myself to call on the London office of the LB&SCR and I made an interesting discovery.’