‘Don’t be so facetious, Cecil.’
‘It was a serious question.’
‘Come and meet Grace,’ she told him. ‘She looks a trifle better but is still very frail. Be kind to her.’
‘I always am.’
‘She needs a very special brand of kindness now.’
‘Nobody can provide that better than you,’ he said, fondly.
They went into the drawing room to join Grace Swarbrick who looked pale and distracted. When she became aware of them sitting opposite her, she apologised for not seeing them at once.
‘I’m never quite sure if I’m awake or asleep,’ she said.
‘You’re wide awake now,’ said Anthea, ‘and we’re delighted to see a hint of colour returning to your cheeks.’
It was a polite lie and Freed was happy to confirm it with a smile.
‘Did Anthea tell you that your stepson came to see me?’
‘Yes, she did,’ said Grace. ‘What sort of a mood was he in?’
‘He was as forceful as ever. At one point, he came close to outright aggression but he veered away in time.’
‘Did he want to discuss … arrangements?’
‘No,’ replied Freed, ‘what he really wanted to talk about was replacing his father as Member of Parliament for Norwich.’
Grace blinked. ‘You have surprised me.’
‘Didn’t you realise he nurtured political ambitions?’
‘No, I didn’t.’
‘Jarvis never discussed such things at home,’ said Anthea. ‘When he was there, he liked to put politics to one side. That suited Grace.’
‘It did,’ agreed the other. ‘It’s a closed world to me.’
‘Your husband was born into it, Grace,’ said Freed. ‘He was a natural politician with all the gifts that implies. I’m not convinced that his son has quite the same qualities.’
‘How keen is he?’
‘It’s become a burning desire.’
‘Well, there you are,’ said Grace, sadly. ‘He’s ready to make a vital decision in his life and I have to hear about it from somebody else.’
‘He came to Cecil in search of support,’ explained Anthea. ‘My husband’s blessing would increase his chances of success.’
‘I know nothing about elections.’
‘You would do if women had the vote.’
‘There you go again, Anthea,’ said Freed, amused. ‘The moment politics is mentioned, you start waving the flag for female emancipation.’
‘It’s a worthy cause.’
‘Unfortunately, it’s doomed to failure.’
‘Tell me more about Andrew,’ said Grace, diplomatically. ‘Were you able to give him encouragement?’
‘I was and I wasn’t. Naturally, I offered him my support, but I felt obliged to tell him that he’d face a battle for the nomination. Oliver Trant is going to put his name forward.’
‘He’s a rather sinister man, I always think.’
‘Oliver may be sinister but he’s also very capable. He’s had far more experience of public speaking than Andrew and is very popular in some quarters.’
‘So who will be our next Member of Parliament?’ asked Anthea.
‘I honestly don’t know, my dear.’
‘Can’t you pull a few strings?’
‘I’ll pull as many as I can lay my hands on. What I can’t do, I’m afraid, is to give you any guarantees.’
‘Well, I think it’s all rather indecent. Andrew should be mourning his father and not getting obsessed about his own career.’
‘I made that point to him.’
‘How did he respond?’ asked Grace.
‘He did manage to mumble an apology.’
‘He hasn’t done much mumbling back at the house. Even from my bedroom, I could hear him shouting at the servants. Whenever he’s there, Andrew always wants to create an atmosphere.’
‘You’ll have to sit down and talk to him at some point.’
‘I accept that.’
‘But the dust has to settle first,’ said Anthea, firmly. ‘Grace needs to be much stronger before she even thinks of meeting her stepson. And when she does, I’ll be at her side.’
‘Thank you,’ said Grace, reaching over to squeeze her hand. ‘You’ve been a rock, Anthea. Without you at my side, I’d have gone to pieces completely.’
Alan Hinton managed to catch an express train to Canterbury, thereby eliminating many of the intermediate stations on the way. He then took a cab to the village where Terence Wardlow lived. During the hectic search for Tallis after his kidnap, Hinton had got to know Wardlow very well and knew what a reliable friend he’d been to the superintendent. He had no qualms about calling on the former soldier but was sad that he’d have to pass on such disturbing news. Arriving at the house, he was shown into the drawing room. Wardlow came in using his walking stick. He was a tall, rangy man with an air of distinction.
‘It’s good to see you, Constable,’ he said, offering a handshake, ‘though I can’t say I was ever expecting to find you here in Kent again.’
‘It’s a surprise to me as well, sir. Might I suggest that you sit down before I tell you what brought me here?’
‘Oh dear, that sounds rather alarming.’ He lowered himself slowly into his chair and put his stick aside. ‘What’s happened?’
‘Superintendent Tallis needs your help, sir.’
‘I can’t believe he’s been abducted again.’
‘No,’ said Hinton, ‘it’s nothing like that – though, in a sense, I suppose that it is.’
‘You’re not making much sense.’
‘I’m sorry, sir.’
Hinton went on to explain the sequence of events that led him to believe that Tallis was seriously ill, and suggested that his condition might be related to the ordeal he suffered at the hands of his kidnappers. He also mentioned that Victor Leeming had been distressed by the superintendent’s strange behaviour. After plying him with a few questions, Wardlow sat back worriedly in his chair.
‘This situation is not unknown to me,’ he said, sombrely.
‘Do you mean that you’ve seen him like this before?’
‘No, no, I’m not referring to Edward. I’m talking about the extreme dangers that soldiers face in battle. Even if their bodies come through unscarred, their minds often bear hidden wounds. It makes them brood on the horrors of war, sometimes to the point where they’re virtually disabled. In the worst cases, there are suicides.’
‘I don’t think the superintendent is in danger of taking his life,’ said Hinton. ‘What worries us is that he might be sacrificing his career in the police without even realising it.’
‘He’s fortunate to have such perceptive friends as you, Constable.’
‘I wouldn’t claim to be a friend in that sense, sir, and nor would Sergeant Leeming. But we can both recognise a man who is plainly ill and wish to do something about it.’
‘I’m grateful that you thought of me.’
‘It was inspector Colbeck’s idea.’
‘Then he deserves my thanks as well.’
‘What’s the best way to tackle the problem, Captain?’
‘Well,’ said Wardlow, stroking his chin, ‘the first thing I’d like to do is to see Edward and make my own estimate of his condition. To do that, I’ll travel back to London with you and call on him this evening. I can spend the night at my club.’
‘I regret having to impose on you like this.’
‘Not at all, young man. You did the right thing. There may still be time for me to intercede before my old friend gets into serious trouble.’
‘If he goes on like this, it’s unavoidable.’
‘It’s strange, isn’t it?’ mused the older man.
‘I don’t follow.’
‘Major Tallis, as I knew him in the army, was indestructible. He seemed to be made of iron. It wasn’t simply that he was brave and fearless. It was his ability to carry responsibility lightly and to shrug off the appalling horrors one is bound t
o see in action. Yet here he is,’ said Wardlow, ‘apparently at the mercy of what happened to him during a few days in Kent just before last Christmas.’
‘It’s left him with a haunted look.’
‘He never had that when he was in the army.’
‘You know him better than we do, sir.’
‘I just hope I’m in time to be of any real use.’ He struggled to his feet. ‘Forgive me while I break the news to my wife and pack some things to take with me. Since you’re the person who actually came in search of me, I’m deeply grateful, but I hope to be able to thank inspector Colbeck in person for calling on me.’
‘That may not be possible, sir.’
‘Why not?’
‘The inspector is in Norwich, leading a murder investigation.’
After her visit to the Red Gallery, Madeleine Colbeck had arrived home with mixed feelings. While she’d been pleased that nothing would be said to Lionel Fairbank about her father’s enquiries about him, she was upset to hear that Caleb Andrews had been back to the art gallery. The news that he was forced to sneak past it in embarrassment was disconcerting. In telling him not to interfere in her work as an artist, she’d unintentionally deprived him of the pleasure he took in it. It made her feel cruel. Madeleine worried about it so much that she took a cab to his house that evening to apologise.
Andrews was reading a newspaper when she arrived. As a rule, he was always delighted to see her but this time he was cowed and wary.
‘What are you doing here?’ he asked.
‘I went to see Mr Sinclair earlier.’
‘You don’t need to say any more, Maddy. I know I’m not allowed to take an interest in your work again. I poked my nose in where it wasn’t wanted, and I upset you.’
‘I was even more upset when I heard you’d been there again.’
‘But I didn’t,’ he said, earnestly. ‘I just happened to pass on the other side of the street. Mr Sinclair must have told you I didn’t go anywhere near the gallery itself.’
‘He told me how you behaved when you realised he’d seen you.’
‘I was in a hurry to go somewhere.’
‘You shouldn’t have been there in the first place, Father,’ she said, softly, ‘because it must have been very painful for you. We both know that you went there deliberately. It’s off the beaten track. You’d never just happen to be passing.’ He lowered his head. ‘I feel so guilty.’
‘I’m the guilty one,’ he said, looking up again. ‘I barged in where I wasn’t wanted. It’s not the first time, Maddy. We live in different worlds now. Every so often, I’m reminded that I’m an outsider.’
‘That’s a silly thing to say!’ she scolded.
‘It’s the truth.’
‘You’re an important part of our family and always will be. Helen doesn’t have any other grandparents. That’s why she loves you so much.’
‘I don’t feel loved at the moment.’
‘Well, you are,’ she said, putting her arms around him, ‘even though you don’t really deserve it.’
‘I never meant to hurt you.’
‘You were too hasty, Father. You didn’t stop to think.’
‘I can see that now.’
‘And will you promise to take more care next time?’
‘There won’t be a next time,’ he said, morosely. ‘I’m banished.’
‘Not any more,’ she said. ‘You’re entitled to take pleasure from my paintings. All I ask is that you don’t … act on impulse.’
‘I won’t, Maddy, I promise.’
‘Then let’s forget we ever had this row.’
He brightened visibly. ‘Yes, let’s do that. It never really happened.’
‘We can carry on as before. Is that agreed?’ He nodded gratefully. After kissing him on the cheek, she stepped back. ‘And let’s hear no more nonsense about being an outsider.’
‘Does that mean you want me to meet Mr Fairbank?’
‘No, it doesn’t!’
He laughed. ‘I was only teasing you, Maddy.’
‘Well, don’t do it again. Painting is not a hobby with me. It’s a business. I need to be able to conduct that business without you being involved. Is that understood?’
‘I’ll be on my best behaviour from now on, I promise.’
‘I’ll hold you to that,’ she said.
Edward Tallis lived in a set of rooms that afforded him peace, privacy and comfort. When he heard the doorbell ring, he ignored it at first. Nobody ever called on him. It rang again with more force. Hauling himself out of his chair, he put his cigar aside and went to open the door. He was amazed when he saw that he had a visitor.
‘What are you doing here, Terence?’ he asked.
Wardlow smiled. ‘Hello, Edward …’
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Shortly after arriving back at the cottage that evening, Colbeck and Leeming had a visit from Cecil Freed, who apologised for disturbing them but thought they should know that Grace Swarbrick had been spirited out of the reach of her stepson.
‘That was a sensible move,’ said Colbeck.
‘Did he protest very strongly?’ asked Leeming.
‘No,’ replied Freed. ‘They made their escape while he was out of the way. One of the servants drove them here by stealth. But for the circumstances, Grace said, she’d have found it quite exciting.’
‘What if he turns up here?’
‘He won’t, Sergeant. He’ll know that he wouldn’t be allowed in. I daresay he’ll take out his spite on the housekeeper, Mrs Wymark, and accuse her of being part of the conspiracy.’
‘That’s unfair.’
‘Men like that don’t bother with fairness when there are high stakes,’ said Colbeck. ‘Ruthlessness is second nature to them.’
‘Jarvis had a streak of that,’ admitted Freed.
‘Parliament is no place for the tender-hearted, sir.’
Since he hadn’t seen Freed since much earlier that day, Colbeck gave him a brief account of their movements. Their host was pleased that the police had tracked the killer to Yarmouth and he praised Leeming for instigating the search along the road there. When he realised that one the ECR’s sidings had been used to rehearse the crime beforehand, he was stunned.
‘I didn’t know that criminals practised.’
‘The clever ones do,’ said Leeming. ‘The others take a chance and usually end up behind bars. The killer planned everything carefully.’
‘That’s worrying.’
‘They all make mistakes in the end, sir.’
‘Who was his paymaster?’
‘That’s what we’ve been asking ourselves,’ said Colbeck. ‘Initially, I thought that someone from another railway company wanted to block the merger by getting rid of the man most likely to achieve it, but I fancy that we must cast our net more widely now.’
‘That’s an apt metaphor, inspector. Fishing is one of our major industries. If it ever comes into being,’ said Freed, ‘the Great Eastern Railway will service five ports – Harwich, Felixtowe, Lowestoft, Yarmouth and King’s Lynn. We’ll be able to convey huge quantities of fish from Lowestoft and Yarmouth to London and to the Midlands.’
‘A great deal rests on the amalgamation, then.’
‘That’s why it must be salvaged.’
‘Do you think Andrew Swarbrick is the person to do that?’
‘He has the right credentials,’ said Freed. ‘He has a good working knowledge of the details of the merger because his bank has a financial stake in the venture. Whether or not he could get it safely through Parliament is another matter. I trusted his father. I don’t trust Andrew.’
‘Would you prefer Oliver Trant?’
‘Neither of them can hold a candle to Jarvis Swarbrick.’
Conscious that he was interrupting them, Freed apologised once again for intruding and went off to the main house. Leeming closed the door behind him, then came back to the drawing room.
‘How much would it cost?’ he wondered. ‘If you wanted t
o have someone shot dead − what sort of price would you have to pay?’
‘It would be a very high one, Victor.’
‘Swarbrick could afford it. He’s a rich man.’
‘So is Trant,’ said Colbeck. ‘He’s also wealthy. He’d not only hand over whatever the killer demanded, he’d probably offer him a free pair of shoes as well.’
Oliver Trant arrived at the bank just after it opened. He was shown immediately into the manager’s office and was pleased to see the wads of money sitting on the table.
‘It’s a substantial withdrawal,’ said the manager. ‘I assumed that you’d bring a bodyguard with you.’
‘I have someone waiting outside to drive me back to the factory,’ explained Trant. ‘Besides, you and I are the only people who know that I’m carrying quite so much money. There’s no danger.’ He opened the leather bag he’d brought with him. ‘Let’s put it all in, shall we?’
The moment they arrived at the station, the detectives were approached by Horace Pryor who asked where they were going. Colbeck was happy to say that they were on their way to Yarmouth but he was careful not to disclose their reason for going there. No sooner had Pryor walked away than the stationmaster came hurrying across the platform to them. He was waving a telegraph in his hand. Colbeck thanked him and took it from him. When he read the telegraph, his face clouded.
‘Is there trouble, sir?’ asked Leeming.
‘There might be, Victor.’
‘Did the superintendent send it?’
‘No, it’s from inspector Vallence, the acting superintendent.’
Leeming was agog. ‘What happened to Tallis?’
‘He’s on indefinite leave.’
‘Why?’
‘He doesn’t say, Victor. He simply tells me to report to him from now on. Vallence is a wise choice to replace Tallis.’
‘Will he take over for good?’
‘We can only speculate.’
Slipping the telegraph into his coat pocket, Colbeck was worried. So much was left unsaid in the message. He wondered why.
Expecting Lydia Quayle to call that morning, Madeleine was pleased when she heard the doorbell. The maid went to the door to see who it was then invited someone into the hall. She then went into the drawing room to speak to Madeleine.
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