Peril on the Royal Train (32 page)

‘Thank ye.’

He waved her off and she went running off across the grass with her hair streaming behind her. Angus pursued her for the best part of a hundred yards then he responded to the shepherd’s whistle and raced back to him. Farr continued his walk downhill until he reached the area where he’d seen the trap. It meant that he had to walk beside the railway line and that soon proved dangerous. He heard the train long before he saw it, its wheels making the rails sing of its approach. When it came, it did so with a burst of speed and an explosion of noise, rattling south with its passengers gazing out of the window at the sight of Farr and his dog cowering only yards away. Suddenly it was gone, leaving smoke, smell and resounding clamour in its wake.

The train had ignited all of Farr’s resentment and hatred. He remembered the lamb butchered on the line and the countless times when the fierce passage of a train had terrified his flock. Yet he was helping in the search for those who’d caused the crash. Part of him was still disgusted at that. But his ambition was strong enough to overcome that disgust. He put his hopes of a future with Bella Drew before anything.

With Angus at his heels, he followed the tracks made by the trap on the previous day. They soon veered away from the line and he lost sight of it as he climbed upwards. There were occasional glimpses of it between the bushes but, even when it was invisible, he was aware of its presence. The tracks stopped near a stand of trees and the stony ground beyond bore no marks of it at all. Farr was about to walk on when he heard the dog snuffling among the trees. Angus yelped and the shepherd ran to see what he’d found.

There were ruts in the soft ground but they hadn’t been made by the trap. They were too deep and wide. A bigger and heavier vehicle had been there recently. Farr’s search had yielded something important. He needed to tell Inspector Colbeck.

They arrived punctually at Buckingham Palace but they were kept waiting for over half an hour. It gave Colbeck the opportunity to tell Archibald Renwick about the events of the previous day. Renwick listened, open-mouthed in horror. He was still burning with guilt at the thought that he’d indirectly provided the conspirators with information about the royal family that could put them in dire peril. It gave him no satisfaction to hear that the man who’d burgled his house had been murdered. The fate of Patrick Scanlan simply made him realise what they were up against.

‘These people will stoop to anything,’ he said.

‘We’ll be ready for them.’

‘How can you defend the royal family against such a threat?’

‘That’s something we must discuss with Prince Albert,’ said Colbeck. ‘And distressing as the death of Scanlan has been, it has strengthened my belief that he was only a pawn in a much bigger game of which he was totally unaware.’

‘I’m pleased that his servant agreed to help you.’

‘It was more a case of helping himself, Mr Renwick. Self-interest was what impelled Ned Layne to volunteer information. He’s a marked man. Until we catch whoever killed his master, he lives in constant danger.’

‘What did he tell you?’

‘I was not present at the interview,’ replied Colbeck. ‘It was conducted by Superintendent Tallis and Sergeant Leeming. It seems that they scared the story out of him. Layne remembered that two men called at the house. He gave a good description of them, though only one of them spoke.’

‘Why was that?’

‘One can only guess. The other man, who did all the talking, had a Scots accent.’

‘What was their proposition?’

‘They weren’t allowed to make it at first,’ explained Colbeck, ‘because Scanlan claimed that his name was Alfred Penn and that they’d come to the wrong address. He was naturally suspicious of strangers. When they offered him a large fee for services rendered, however, the temptation was too great to resist. He admitted that he was indeed the man they sought. Before he agreed to go ahead, however, he insisted on visiting your house to see how easy it would be to get inside.’

Renwick was flabbergasted. ‘You mean that he went there
twice
?’

‘The initial visit was only a reconnaissance. He entered the premises to find out where the safe was located then slipped quietly away into the night.’

‘I daren’t tell that to my wife,’ said Renwick, anxiously. ‘Isobel would never sleep soundly again if she knew that this rogue was prowling around our house at will like that. Is there no way to protect ourselves against such a man?’

‘Now that he’s dead that need won’t arise, but I would advise that one of your servants sleeps on the ground floor. Up in the attic rooms, they’ll hear nothing.’

‘That’s good counsel, Inspector.’

‘Even if someone
had
been sleeping downstairs,’ said Colbeck, ‘they might not have been roused by the intruder. Scanlan moved like a ghost, apparently. He told his servant that the task would be relatively simple but his paymasters heard a different story. Scanlan pretended that it would be extremely difficult to open your safe and demanded an extra hundred guineas. They agreed.’

‘So this fellow, Layne, met them on two occasions?’

‘Yes, he let them in and made sure that he overheard most of what was said. It’s a precaution that Scanlan always took when strangers visited the house. He got his servant to listen in case there was any whiff of trouble.’

‘Did both men speak on their second visit?’

‘No – it was only the one. The same man remained silent.’

‘Was he dumb?’

‘I can’t answer that question,’ said Colbeck. ‘Interestingly, Layne had the feeling that the silent man was the person in charge. It was he who handed over the first payment to Scanlan.’

‘What else did the servant disclose?’

‘I think you’ve heard the gist of it, sir. Layne is not the most articulate of men. Hopefully, when he’s had time to think things over, he’ll remember more details that will be of use to us. Meanwhile, he’s cooling his heels behind bars.’

‘I’m disappointed that Sergeant Leeming found nothing at the house itself.’

‘It was not for want of trying. He searched high and low – until Layne came in and attacked him, that is. Anything of real use to us is probably locked in the safe.’

‘Was there no key?’

‘None that we found,’ said Colbeck. ‘Unfortunately, the man who could have opened it
without
a key was lying dead on the floor. I’ve sent word to the Chubb factory and given precise details of the safe. I’ve requested that they send someone capable of opening it.’

‘Legally, that is.’

‘Indeed, sir.’

‘I’ve rather lost faith in the professed excellence of Chubb safes.’

‘You shouldn’t,’ said Colbeck. ‘Scanlan clearly admired them. The curious thing is that he purchased a safe that was virtually the same as yours.’

Renwick sniffed. ‘Given the circumstances, I don’t find that reassuring.’

‘I think you should. An expert cracksman would choose the best.’

Without warning, the double doors opened with a flourish and a liveried attendant came into the room. He gave them a dutiful smile of welcome.

‘This way, gentlemen,’ he said in a voice dripping with deference. ‘His Royal Highness Prince Albert will see you both now.’

It was predictable that Caleb Andrews would complain. He couldn’t understand why the invitation to the palace had not been extended to him as well. When he called at the house that morning, he reminded Madeleine that it was he who’d instigated the secondary investigation. For that reason alone, he argued, he deserved to be taken seriously.

‘It was not intended as a personal slight to you, Father,’ said Madeleine.

‘Then why do I feel so hurt?’

‘Robert will tell you everything that transpired at the palace.’

‘I should be
there
, Maddy. After all, I’ve met the Queen and Prince Albert – in a manner of speaking, that is.’

‘Driving the royal train is not the same as being introduced to members of the royal family,’ she pointed out. ‘In any case, the discussion today will be about the security arrangements. You couldn’t usefully contribute to that.’

‘Yes, I could.’

‘How?’

‘Well, the first thing I’d do,’ he declared, ‘is to offer to drive the royal train. That would be a guarantee of safety in itself.’

‘It would also be an act of folly.’

‘Why?’

‘You’re too old, Father,’ she said with an affectionate arm around his shoulders. ‘How many times must I tell you? You’ve retired from the railway and are entitled to put your feet up.’

‘I’d go back on the footplate if I was needed, Maddy,’ he affirmed.

‘You won’t be. Of that, I can assure you.’

Andrews continued to protest until refreshments arrived. As soon as the servant departed, Madeleine poured tea for the two of them and told him about the latest developments in the case. He was shaken when told of the murder and sobered by the account of Leeming’s fight with the dead man’s servant. While praising the sergeant, Andrews admitted that he couldn’t have coped in such a situation. Some things were best left to younger and fitter men.

‘I feel sorry for that poor young woman,’ he said. ‘She was duped.’

‘Yet she did gain from the friendship with Scanlan. Thanks to the extra lessons for which he paid, she improved greatly as an actress. When all this is over, Mary Burnell might yet be able to take up the career she wants. Before that, of course,’ said Madeleine with a sigh, ‘she will have to learn the truth about Patrick Scanlan.’

‘And what a terrible truth it is, Maddy. The money he lavished on her was tainted. It was all stolen.’

‘That will distress Mary and her parents.’

‘How did they let her get involved with such a heartless criminal?’

‘They only saw what Scanlan allowed them to see,’ replied Madeleine. ‘But I don’t believe he was heartless. He loved her. There’s no doubting that. And while he had many opportunities to take advantage of Mary, he never touched her.’

As he sipped his tea and pecked at a biscuit, Andrews was bound to compare Mary Burnell’s experience with that of his own daughter. He sent up a silent prayer of thanks to heaven for sparing Madeleine the ordeal that the young actress was going through. Having to look after him in the wake of her mother’s death had given Madeleine a sharper awareness of the ways of the world. Andrews liked to think that she wouldn’t have been hoodwinked by a man like Patrick Scanlan.

‘What will Robert do next?’ he asked.

‘That depends on what decision is taken today.’

‘Will he go back to Scotland?’

‘Oh, yes,’ she said. ‘That’s where the first crime was committed and where the second one is due to take place. Robert expects to travel north very soon.’

‘I’ll go with him,’ volunteered Andrews.

‘That wouldn’t be allowed.’

‘I’d promise not to get in the way.’

‘Your place is here, Father – well away from any danger.’

‘I can take care of myself, Maddy.’

‘Oh, no, you can’t,’ she said with a smile. ‘Having lived with you all those years, I should know. You’re too disorganised. When you have such difficulty hunting for the right clothes to wear, how can you hope to track down desperate criminals? It’s too big a risk. Remember what they did to Patrick Scanlan.’

‘Yes,’ he said on reflection. ‘Perhaps I am better off in London.’

‘If it was left to me, Robert would stay here as well.’

‘He must go where he’s needed. That’s his job. But since you enjoyed your glimpse of Scotland, why not go with him this time?’

‘No,’ said Madeleine, resignedly, ‘that’s out of the question. I was lucky enough to be involved on the fringes of this investigation but that’s as far as it goes. There’s no room for me on the train to Glasgow. I’ll leave everything to Robert and Victor Leeming. Unlike me, they’ll know what to do.’

It was almost seven years since Colbeck had met him and Prince Albert had changed somewhat in the interim. He was still a tall, arresting man with a handsome face and a full head of hair but his waistline had thickened and strands of grey were starting to appear in his mutton-chop whiskers. What Colbeck remembered most about their first meeting was that he radiated intelligence and was strikingly elegant. As someone who took great pains with his own appearance, he noted the Prince’s impeccable attire and footwear with interest.

After shaking hands with both men, the Prince turned to Colbeck. He spoke English fluently but with a guttural accent.

‘I believe that congratulations are in order,’ he said.

‘For what reason, Your Royal Highness?’

‘Heavens, have you so soon forgotten that you were recently married?’

‘Oh, no,’ said Colbeck, stifling a laugh.

‘The commissioner told me of your good fortune. This is a remarkable man, Mr Renwick,’ he went on, indicating Colbeck. ‘As you will know, I conceived of the Great Exhibition as a vast shop window in which we could display British expertise in engineering and in manufacturing skills. We wanted to show that mankind’s progress depended on a flourishing international trade. The project had many critics and I had the greatest pleasure in confounding them.’

‘The exhibition was a triumph, Your Royal Highness,’ said Renwick. ‘Over six million visitors came to it. My wife and I were among them.’

‘It was the inspector who made the event possible.’

‘That’s overstating my importance, sir,’ said Colbeck.

‘Nonsense!’ returned the Prince. ‘You learnt of a plot to blow up part of the exhibition and you scotched it. I’m eternally grateful to you.’

Prince Albert’s gratitude was understandable. He’d been closely involved in the event and stood to lose face if it failed or was undermined in some way. Colbeck had been instrumental in removing a major threat, thereby allowing the exhibition to go ahead. It was a resounding success and much of the credit went to the Prince. The Queen was delighted that her husband’s beloved project had stilled the doubters and boosted his reputation.

The visitors waited for the Prince to sit down before they did so themselves. They were in a large, high-ceilinged room with walls covered in gilt-framed portraits. The attendant who’d escorted them there now stood beside the door.