Murder on the Brighton Express (7 page)

‘God has punished them enough for their sins,’ said Follis. ‘I don’t feel they deserve the additional penalty of my disapproval. Given their condition, they’ll get nothing but sympathy from me.’

Colbeck could not imagine that view being expressed by any other churchman. It would certainly not be endorsed by Edward Tallis, a man of high ideals and a stern moral code. In his report to the superintendent, Colbeck would make no mention of the liaison between a respected, married banker and an attractive young woman. The more he got to know Ezra Follis, the more interesting and unusual the man became. Colbeck was about to ask a question when the rector read his mind.

‘The honest answer is that there
have
been occasional moments of friction,’ he said, blithely ‘That’s what you wanted to know, isn’t it? You were wondering about my relationship with my bishop.’

Colbeck blinked. ‘How did you know I was going to ask that?’

‘It’s what most people think when they hear some of my rather eccentric opinions. They marvel why I’ve not been rapped over the knuckles and forced to toe the line.’

‘The Anglican church has many restraints.’

‘And I willingly abide by most of them,’ said Follis. ‘But I reserve the right to conduct my ministry according to my own
promptings. I’m more concerned about the response of my parishioners than the strictures of the bishop or the dean. As long as I can preach to a congregation, I’ll continue to do so in my own way.’ He took a sip of tea. ‘Now, tell me, Inspector – what progress have you made?’

‘We’re still in the early stages of the investigation,’ said Colbeck, ‘but I have every confidence that we’ll catch the person or persons responsible for the crash. It’s only a question of time.’

‘That’s reassuring to hear.’

‘We already have some suspects in mind.’

‘It must be someone with a fierce hatred of trains.’

‘You could well be right,’ said Colbeck, unwilling to give any more information. ‘Even after all this time, railways are still not universally accepted. Whoever caused that crash wanted to inflict serious damage on the LB&SCR. He knew how calamitous the consequences would be.’

‘Journeys to London have been badly disrupted,’ remarked Follis, ‘and that’s a nuisance to those of us who go there on a regular basis. Not that I’ll be doing any travelling for a while,’ he went on. ‘I’ll have to wait until I begin to look more human.’

Colbeck sampled the tea. ‘This is excellent,’ he said.

‘Mrs Ashmore looks after me very well. Here in the rectory, I have everything a man could desire – peace, harmony, a selection of fine books and the loving care of a woman.’ He set his cup and saucer down. ‘In view of your well-deserved reputation, Inspector, I’ve every reason to accept your judgement but I have to point out that your view is not shared by everyone. All of the passengers still believe they were victims of an unfortunate accident.’

‘Until we catch the perpetrator, I’m happy for them to think that. There’s no need to spread alarm, especially when the survivors are hardly in the best condition to cope with it. No,’ said Colbeck, ‘the official view remains that of the inspector general.’

‘He puts the blame on the driver of the Brighton Express.’

‘That’s both wrong and unjust.’

‘Is he aware that you hold a very different opinion?’

‘Oh, yes,’ replied Colbeck. ‘Captain Ridgeon and I have already clashed once. I daresay that we shall do so again before long.’

Captain Harvey Ridgeon was in a purposeful mood when he called at Scotland Yard that afternoon. Demanding to speak to the most senior detective on the premises, he was shown into the office of Edward Tallis. After attending church early that morning, the superintendent had spent the rest of the day going through reports of the various cases that came under his aegis and making copious notes of the instructions he intended to give to his respective officers. He could see at a glance that his visitor had come to complain.

Once introductions had been made, Ridgeon was offered a seat. As former soldiers, they had similar attitudes, similar upright sitting positions and similar ways of speaking. What distinguished Tallis was that he no longer attached his military rank to his name, preferring the nomenclature conferred on him by the Detective Department.

‘What can I do for you, Captain Ridgeon?’ he asked.

‘I’d like you to remonstrate with Inspector Colbeck,’ said the other, coolly. ‘I find his interference both unhelpful and annoying.’

‘Then your argument is with the railway company itself. It was they who sought his assistance.’

‘I need no assistance, Superintendent. As my record shows, I’m perfectly capable of carrying out an inquiry into a railway accident.’

‘Nobody disputes that. The point at issue here, however, is that we are not dealing with an accident. Inspector Colbeck is certain that a heinous crime has been committed.’

‘The facts are open to that misinterpretation, I agree,’ said Ridgeon. ‘What surprises me is that the much-vaunted Railway Detective has misread them so wilfully.’

‘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.’