Sidney Chambers and The Dangers of Temptation (10 page)

Olivia told Sidney that she thought the farmer must have taken the necklace during the clear-up. ‘He was so annoyed about the cows perhaps he assumed it was his reward.’

‘I’m not sure Harding Redmond’s the kind of man who would do that sort of thing.’

‘Why not?’ Alexander asked. ‘He could have given it to his daughter.’

‘I suppose that’s possible, but I imagine both of them had more important concerns. I’m sure they would have
seen to the victim and then worried about their cows. They wouldn’t have had time to consider the necklace unless it was right in front of them. Did it take long for the ambulance to come?’

‘About twenty minutes,’ Olivia replied. ‘It was horrible. We thought Richard was going to die. The cows were determined to kill him. They kept pushing each other as if they all wanted a try at stamping on him and they were butting him with their enormous heads. Alex ran to the phone box, but one of the villagers stopped him and said that she had already called for help.’

‘It was like a rugby scrum,’ said Alexander, ‘and Richard was the ball. The cows kept turning him over and over. The farmer’s daughter saved him. She swore about how irresponsible we were and how lucky we were that more of us weren’t killed and that we had no right to be on the Meadows.’

‘She’s wrong about that,’ said Sidney.

‘I never know why some of the people who live here hate students so much.’

Olivia was looking for something in her net bag. ‘It’s so unfair. It was only a party.’

‘Not for the farmer or his daughter,’ Sidney pointed out. ‘How long did everyone stay?’

‘Once Richard was taken to the ambulance everyone left. It was definitely over after that. We couldn’t really go on.’

‘And who went to the hospital to see Richard?’

Olivia started on a roll-up. ‘I think Emily might have gone.’

‘Emily?’

‘She’s in love with him.’

‘I see. And is Richard in love with her?’

There was a silence as the roll-up was completed and shared between the two students. ‘No,’ said Alexander. ‘He’s in love with Olivia.’

‘I see.’

‘Most people are.’

‘That’s not true,’ Olivia replied while sounding as if she hoped it was.

Sidney tried to stick to the matter in hand. ‘When did you notice your necklace was missing?’

‘She didn’t,’ Alexander answered. ‘I did.’

‘And when was that?’

‘When we went back to get our stuff. We were going to pick up our things that we’d left by the river and then go on to the hospital, but we realised the necklace had disappeared and we had to find it. We looked around, retraced our steps. It could have fallen off, but if it had, we would have found it. Someone must have taken it when we were dozing.’

Sidney wanted to see what Olivia had to say. ‘Are you sure you had the necklace on when you fell asleep?’

Alexander spoke for her. ‘Oh, definitely. I remember.’

‘You do?’

‘It was between her breasts.’

‘So when you woke it was gone?’

Olivia tried to explain that she couldn’t recall what had happened at the crucial moment. ‘Everyone was screaming because of the cows. I put on my blouse, I can remember doing that, but I must have left my bra behind. I’m not really sure. It was all a bit mad, to be honest.’

‘So you think your necklace was gone when you woke up?’

‘It had to be.’

‘Before all the drama with the cows?’

‘Yes.’

‘And so you think it was stolen as you both slept? Was there any redness on your neck?’

‘From it being yanked off? I don’t think so.’

‘So,’ Sidney continued, ‘if it was taken when you were asleep then it must have been someone who knew how the clasp worked.’

‘That means it was probably a woman.’

‘And could that have been your friend Emily?’

‘She was the other side of the river. And she had already gone off once she realised that we wanted to be alone.’

‘And do you know where she went?’

‘Further downriver. There was a man there, making recordings. She wanted to see what he was doing. She thought he looked a bit spooky.’

‘And is Emily a close friend?’

‘Yes. But I don’t think she’d take my necklace if that is what you are suggesting.’

‘Then who would?’

‘I don’t know. That’s why we think it must have been the farmer or his daughter.’

Sidney had had enough of this. ‘I think I know Harding Redmond well enough to be sure that he wouldn’t approach a sleeping student and take a necklace from her naked breasts.’

‘His daughter might,’ said Alexander.

‘I understand she was nowhere near the Meadows and only arrived in time to help with the rescue.’

‘But no one knows what happened afterwards.’

‘As I have already said, I imagine Abigail had enough to do setting the cows right.’

Olivia had another suggestion. ‘Perhaps the man doing the recordings stole it?’

‘I thought you said he was the other side of the river?’

‘He could have swum across.’

‘Why would he do that?’ Sidney asked.

‘Because he saw the necklace lying on the ground?’

‘Even though you were sure it was taken from your neck?’

‘I can’t be positive.’

‘In any case, it was too far away for him to see anything lying in the undergrowth across the river.’

‘Unless he had binoculars.’

‘I think you’re clutching at straws,’ said Sidney.

He was becoming increasingly irritable. Could these people not remember anything? How had they ever been able to pass an exam?

‘I don’t know how criminals do these things,’ Olivia replied.

Sidney said that he would talk to Harding and Abigail Redmond once more. It was also important he spoke to Emily Hastings.

‘She’s at Newnham. It’s a girls’ college.’

‘I know that,’ said Sidney. ‘The principal is a friend of mine.’

‘Emily’s quite an eccentric,’ said Alexander. ‘She makes her own clothes; dresses as a 1920s flapper. I think her father might even be a vicar.’

Things were looking up. ‘Then I’m sure she’ll tell me the truth,’ said Sidney. ‘If she can remember it.’

Before visiting Newnham, Sidney decided to go to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in order to find out how Richard Lane was
recovering from the stampede. Perhaps he might be able to provide a clearer account of what had happened on the Meadows.

On arrival, the hospital chaplain told him the boy’s parents had just left and that it had been a job to pacify them. ‘I’m afraid they want compensation.’

‘I suppose you can’t really blame them. How is the patient?’

‘He’ll live. It was a stupid thing to do; not that he’s taking any responsibility. Students hardly ever do. Lane comes from a family that can’t ever accept that anything might be their fault. There always has to be someone to blame. It’s something of a Cambridge disease, I find.’

‘Perhaps it’s one we should try to cure.’

‘They’re only just allowing visitors. The boy’s been drifting in and out of consciousness. I’m not sure if he can cope with two clergymen. He’ll think he’s still delirious.’

‘It’ll be a novelty for him,’ Sidney replied. ‘Perhaps he can find a way to blame us for something.’

‘Unhappiness at school. Sunday boredom. Unrealistic expectations . . .’

‘Omnipotence and the problem of evil; a loving God who allows accidents to afflict the innocent . . .’

‘We’ll be ready.’

Richard Lane was propped up in bed. The covers were damp because he was on so much morphine that he kept blacking out between picking up a beaker of water and trying to drink it. A nurse patted down the sheets and told Sidney he could have five minutes.

Once the explanations had been made, Richard told them what he could remember.

‘Once I realised what was happening it was too late. The cows were charging at me and I had no time to get away. I felt this thump against the side of my back when the first one hit me. I stumbled and thought I could stagger on but then I was hit again from the opposite side and fell over. They began to head-butt me. They were right on top, blocking the light from the sky. I cried out for help but I knew it was hopeless. There were so many animals. I tried to protect my head and rolled up into a ball but they kept butting me and trying to kneel down on me, wanting to get me to uncurl. In the end, I thought that if I gave up the struggle and pretended I was already dead they would stop. But I didn’t have time to do that because there was then this enormous weight on my back and shoulder. One of them must have knelt right on top of me. It was trying to crush me to death. I must have passed out. That’s all I remember, apart from thinking that it was the most humiliating way to die.’

‘It’s a wonder you survived.’

‘The nurses said there was so much blood that it had all clogged up and they had to cut my clothes away. It was a cream linen suit. I’ve got a broken leg, collarbone and cracked ribs. I don’t know how the cows missed my head. They say it’ll take months to get better. I was planning on going to India.’

Sidney asked if anyone else had been near the cows at the time.

‘Everyone was lying down on the grass, playing some kind of weird game of listening to grasshoppers. We even started imitating them at one point, I seem to remember. But we were really just drinking away and having a good laugh. I was looking for my friend Emily. Olivia and Alexander had just wandered off to find a secluded spot.’

‘I don’t know if you’ve heard about Olivia’s necklace?’ Sidney asked.

‘No one’s told me anything. But then I’ve been so out of it.’

‘Has no one been to see you?’

‘They haven’t allowed anyone in except my parents.’

‘I am sure your friends will come.’

‘It’s the end of term. You know what it’s like.’

‘What about Emily Hastings? Alexander Farley? Olivia Randall?’

‘I suppose so. But it’s been a bit complicated . . .’

‘Do you mean, Olivia?’

‘Well, yes. She’s lovely. But she’s a bit of a lunatic.’

‘Do you think so?’

‘She makes things up.’

‘You’ve not been sweet on her yourself?’

‘She thinks everyone’s in love with her or, if they’re not, they should be. It’s a pain. I’m keener on Emily, to be honest, but she’s out of my league and I’m hardly in a fit state to do anything about it now. Missed the boat on that one.’

‘I don’t know,’ said Sidney. ‘Life is long.’

‘Nearly wasn’t, though, was it? Bloody cows. And why me? Do you think they singled me out? I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I was just trying to cross a field.’

‘I don’t think anyone tried to set them against you. That would be a hard thing to do, I imagine. I assume it was simply a case of bad luck.’

‘You’re not wrong.’

‘I am sorry,’ Sidney continued, ‘but could I just ask one thing before I go? The main party was in Little Fen. The cows were in Trench Meadow which is on the way back towards
Cambridge. Were you actually leaving the party when this happened?’

‘I thought I heard Emily calling, some more friends arriving, but I was mistaken. I was hot and confused and the drink was stronger than we all thought. God knows what was in it.’

‘I understand. I must let you rest.’

‘What were you saying about a necklace?’ the boy asked.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Sidney replied. ‘It can wait.’

As he left the hospital he wondered if Richard could have been responsible for the theft after all. Could the cows have set upon him
after
he had stolen the necklace and while he was making his escape; taking some kind of short cut that had gone disastrously wrong?

Because Sidney was due to dine at High Table that evening he decided to pay the Master of Corpus a quick visit. It was a while since they had spoken and he thought he could use the opportunity to find out if Richard Lane’s parents were well off, if their decision to sue Harding Redmond was unalterable and whether their son might be in need of money.

The master was concerned about the boy’s health and stated how predictable it was that there always seemed to be some kind of post-exam disaster when the students were winding down at the end of their university career. It was similar to coming down off a mountain: the descent was always more perilous than the ascent.

Sidney discovered that, like Alexander Farley, Richard Lane had been reading law (his father was a QC) and he didn’t appear to have any financial worries. He had been a diligent pupil, spoken at the Union, written the odd article for
Varsity
and had caused little trouble during his time at Cambridge.

‘I’m sorry he’s sustained such an attack,’ the master said, ‘but they tell me he’s likely to make a full recovery. He’ll be able to continue his training in the autumn. I gather there was a related incident?’

‘I am not sure about “related”.’

‘Inspector Keating let slip that it wasn’t just the business of the cows that interested him. A priceless jewel, I hear?’

‘I don’t think it’s priceless.’

‘The girl’s mother told me that it was a family heirloom which could never be replaced.’

Sidney tried not to be surprised. ‘Mrs Randall knows about the theft?’

‘Hermione is a friend of mine. I thought it was only right to tell her. We were in an amateur production of
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
in Vienna before the war. It’s where she met her husband. We were ex-pats together. Geoffrey’s a great Shakespearean; named his daughters after famous heroines. Helena and Olivia. I’ve got a daughter called Rosalind, although everyone calls her Lindy. It’s good to keep Shakespeare in the bloodline, don’t you think?’

As ever, Sidney was keen to stick to the point. ‘The girls were hoping that they would find the necklace before their mother discovered it was missing. Then she would never have needed to know.’

‘Well it’s too late for subterfuge. Hermione is not one to waste any time. I think she’ll be here the day after tomorrow.

‘That won’t go down well with her daughters.’

‘It’s not the daughters we need to worry about. Their mother is a very formidable woman.’

*    *    *

Sidney was unsure how far his responsibilities extended. If Keating was already on to the theft and Hermione Randall was about to turn up, he didn’t see what more he could do to help proceedings. However, he did take up Harding Redmond’s offer to talk to his daughter Abigail. He had always admired the girl’s free-spirited, untutored perceptiveness and what had eventually become a firm moral stance.