‘This is a meagre reward for three days in Manchester,’ said Tallis, gnashing his teeth in disappointment. ‘All that you’ve brought back is the information that the suspects have fled to America.’
‘I don’t call that a meagre reward, sir,’ said Colbeck.
‘You were too late, man. They’ve flown the coop.’
‘We only just missed catching them, sir,’ Leeming pointed out. ‘It was the inspector who guessed that they’d flee the country and that Miss Adnam would be sure to visit her father beforehand. His theory was proved right even though, when he first put it forward, you had doubts about it.’
‘That’s beside the point, Sergeant,’ said Tallis.
‘Our journey was not in vain. We established the facts.’
‘I wanted arrests and you failed to make them.’
They’d returned to Scotland Yard to account for their absence and to inform the superintendent that the fugitives were no longer on British soil. Tallis was appalled by the news. Instead of reaching for a cigar, however, he heaped criticism on his detectives for what he described as their lack of urgency. The attack was unjust and Leeming smarted under its severity. Colbeck, however, remained unruffled. That served to inflame Tallis even more.
‘I don’t know how you can stay so calm, Inspector,’ he said. ‘At this very moment, someone is crossing the Atlantic with your name on his passport. If that fact became known to the press, we’d be held up to ridicule. The department would be pilloried in every newspaper.’
‘The situation is not irretrievable, sir.’
‘Don’t talk such drivel.’
‘We can still capture them.’
‘How?’ asked Leeming, goggling. ‘They’re out of our jurisdiction.’
‘I think we can overcome that obstacle, Victor.’
Tallis descended into sarcasm. ‘What did you have in mind?’ he asked. ‘Are you planning to swim after the vessel and catch it up?’
‘I’ve a much better idea than that, Superintendent.’
‘May we know what it is?’
‘You will have to, sir,’ said Colbeck, ‘because you’ll need to give the sergeant and I your seal of approval.’
‘What sort of approval?’
‘We’re going on a voyage to America.’
Leeming gasped. ‘I can’t go sailing across an ocean. I have obligations.’
‘We both have an obligation to catch felons responsible for the deaths of three policemen as well as for a multitude of other crimes. Yes, I know it’s a long way,’ said Colbeck, ‘but the effort will be well worth it.’
‘You can’t be serious about this,’ said Tallis.
‘I was never more so, Superintendent. We may have no jurisdiction in New York but there’s such a thing as extradition. If it’s handled correctly, the authorities will comply with our request. Well,’ he added, ‘would you want to allow two brutal killers to walk into your country without even being challenged?’
‘But think of the time involved,’ said Leeming, anxiously.
Tallis was practical. ‘I’m thinking of the cost involved.’
‘Your budget is not at risk, sir,’ said Colbeck. ‘I’m so committed to the notion that I’ll volunteer to pay for the tickets myself. Victor and I will sail from Liverpool on the next available vessel.’
‘What about my wife and family?’ wailed Leeming.
‘I’m afraid that they can’t come with us.’
‘They’ll miss me, Inspector.’
‘It’s all in a good cause. Try to think of it as an adventure.’
‘Where’s the adventure in being away for weeks on end?’
Colbeck lowered his voice. ‘Do you want the killers of Constable Peebles to get away scot-free?’
‘No, sir — of course, I don’t.’
‘I second that,’ said Tallis, wholeheartedly. ‘They must pay the ultimate penalty somehow.’ He reached for a cigar then changed his mind and withdrew his hand. ‘It’s a bold plan, Colbeck, but it has a fatal flaw in it.’
‘I’ve yet to detect one,’ said Colbeck.
‘They have a head start on you. They’re already on their way. Mr and Mrs Robert Colbeck will get to New York long before you.’
‘That’s true,’ said Leeming, relieved. ‘We’d never catch them. Good as it is, I’m afraid that the idea will have to be abandoned.’
Tallis nodded. ‘Sadly, I have to agree.’
‘Then neither of you is familiar with the shipping lines,’ said Colbeck. ‘I’m surprised at you, Victor. You actually saw the Arethusa slowly disappearing down the Mersey. Didn’t you notice something about her?’
‘Only that she was out of our reach,’ said Leeming.
‘The Arethusa is a sailing ship. She relies entirely on wind power. That means the crossing will take time. If we book passages on a steamship — driven by propeller and wind — the chances are that we’ll arrive in New York at least a fortnight before them.’ He was amused by their startled reaction. ‘A tall ship may look more graceful as it rides the ocean waves but a steamship is more efficient. I checked the approximate crossing times for both vessels when I was in Liverpool. We can wait over a week and still get to New York ahead of the Arethusa. What do you say, Superintendent?’
‘It’s certainly worth exploring,’ said Tallis. I’d have to speak to the commissioner, of course, but I can’t see that he’d object.’
‘Well, I object,’ said Leeming. ‘It’s simply too far to go.’
‘We should be prepared to go to the ends of the earth in pursuit of murderers,’ asserted Colbeck. ‘Think what it will do for us, Victor. If we can show that there’s no escape from justice, the publicity will be priceless. Criminals will think twice about fleeing abroad.’
‘Yes,’ said Tallis. ‘If you succeed, reporters might actually say something nice about me in their newspapers for a change. And since Leeming is so unhappy about keeping you company, Inspector, I’m tempted to do so myself.’
Colbeck was alarmed. ‘No, no, sir, that won’t be necessary.’
‘It will help me to atone for my part in Constable Peebles’ death.’
‘You’ll do that by sanctioning the plan.’
‘Scotland Yard can manage without me for a few weeks.’
‘It will be over a month, sir — perhaps more. You can’t be spared from your desk for that long,’ said Colbeck, baulking at the notion that he’d have to travel with Tallis. ‘It would be wrong to tear away a senior officer from a job that he does so well. The sergeant will come with me, I’m sure. Victor knows where his duty lies.’
‘It’s with my family,’ said Leeming, disconsolately.
‘Don’t mention that word to me,’ said Tallis, treating him to a withering glare. ‘When you’re inside this building, you don’t have a family. Your first duty is to obey orders.’
‘Yes, sir, I know that.’
‘If I tell you to sail to America, you’ll do so without complaint.’
‘That’s what you think,’ said Leeming to himself.
‘In fact, all three of us can go together. Oxley is armed. He has nothing to lose, so he’s bound to resist arrest. It may need three of us to overpower him.’ He slapped his desk. ‘The matter is decided. I shall speak to the commissioner at once.’
Jumping to his feet, he marched out of the office. Leeming was in despair at the thought of being away from his wife and family for so long. Glad that his plan had the superintendent’s approval, Colbeck was sobered by the threat of having to share the voyage with Tallis. It was not an alluring prospect.
‘It was your own fault, Inspector,’ said Leeming. ‘You should never have persuaded him to return to work. You should have left him in retirement with his portrait of the Duke of Wellington.’
Irene had never expected it to be so noisy. The bellowed commands at the point of departure, the bustle of the crew, the whistle of the wind, the flapping of the sails, the creaking of the timbers, the smack of the water against the hull and the strident cries of the gulls all combined to buffet her ears. With the deafening new sounds came a collection of new sights and sensations. Irene had never been on a ship before and its design intrigued her. When it left the mouth of the river and hit the open sea, she was staggered at the vast expanse of water ahead of them. Covered in white-capped waves, it seemed to stretch to infinity. Sailors were climbing the rigging or hauling up other sails. Passengers were standing at the bulwark to give a farewell wave to the mainland.
Like them, Irene felt the salty spray on her face, the wind on her hair and the rocking-horse rhythm of the deck beneath her feet as the Arethusa rose and fell through the surging tide. She was gripped by a fear that was only partly allayed by a sense of adventure. A ship so small would be no more than a splinter of wood on a huge and turbulent ocean like the Atlantic. The excitement of leaving dry land had now been replaced by the uncertainty of ever arriving at their destination. Irene had no means of control over what was happening to her. All that she could do was to pray.
She felt a comforting arm being wrapped around her shoulder.
‘Welcome to America, Mrs Colbeck,’ said Oxley.
‘There’s a long way to go yet,’ she reminded him.
‘Yes, but the most important part of the voyage is over. We’re clear of the coast now. We’ve escaped from the clutches of the law.’
‘They have policemen in New York, Jerry.’
‘Granted — but they don’t know us, do they? We’ll be looked upon as ideal emigrants. We’re young, respectable, intelligent and financially stable. That’s all they’ll see.’
‘I’ll just be grateful to get there safely.’
‘The Arethusa has crossed the ocean dozens of times.’
‘You keep telling me that but it doesn’t stop me from worrying. Now we’re at sea, the ship feels so small and fragile.’
He stamped hard on the deck. ‘It’s as solid as a rock,’ he said. ‘That’s seasoned English oak beneath our feet, Irene. Nobody could build ships the way that we did. If you still feel nervous about sailing, remember Nelson. He won all those naval battles because he had complete faith in the shipbuilders.’
She gave a pale smile. ‘I wish I could share it.’
‘You’ll come to trust the Arethusa in time.’
For his part, Oxley was in a state of quiet jubilation. After a successful criminal career in England, he’d reached the point where it was about to be terminated on the gallows. Recent events had taught him that there was nowhere safe to hide from Colbeck. The inspector’s pursuit of them was unrelenting. It was only a matter of time before he finally caught up with them. There was no danger of that now. Oxley had severed his ties with England and was embarking on an adventure that, he felt sure, would yield endless opportunities for a man with his well-honed skills. He just wished that Irene could relish the same jubilation.
‘Are you still thinking about your father?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ she confessed. ‘I’m bound to, Jerry.’
‘You gave him far too much money.’
‘I had to bribe him into silence.’
‘Twenty pounds would have done that. There was no need to give him the best part of a hundred.’
‘I could afford it and I felt guilty about him.’
‘He’ll be dead before he has time to spend it. That money came from the robbery in Birmingham. We could have used it in America. It was wasted on him.’
‘We have plenty of money, Jerry. My father has none. Giving it to him made me feel good and stopped him from going to the police.’
‘You’ll never see the old fool again.’
‘I know that.’
‘Does that trouble you?’
She pursed her lips in thought. ‘No,’ she said, eventually. ‘I don’t think it does.’
‘I’m taking you to America and not your father.’
She kissed him. ‘I couldn’t be more grateful.’
‘You have to let go of the past, Irene. When we get to New York, I don’t ever want to hear you talking about your family.’
‘You won’t, I promise you.’
‘How can I be certain of that?’
‘I’m not Irene Adnam anymore,’ she said with conviction. ‘I’m Mrs Robert Colbeck and I no longer have any family in England. What’s more,’ she added, gazing across the undulating waves, ‘I’m going to put my trust in the Arethusa and enjoy every second of this voyage.’
Madeleine Andrews felt as if she’d just been hit over the head. For a moment, she was too dazed even to speak. She’d been overjoyed when Colbeck turned up unexpectedly at the house. They’d kissed and held each other in silence for a long time. When he released her and told her his news, however, it made her stagger back as if from a blow. He steadied her quickly with a hand. She had to shake her head to clear her brain.
‘You’re going to America?’ she cried.
‘They have to be caught, Madeleine.’
‘But it’s so far away and the ocean is so treacherous.’
‘In the interest of arresting the fugitives,’ he said, stoutly, ‘we’re prepared to take any risks involved. At least,’ he went on, ‘I certainly am. Victor is less committed to the enterprise. He hates being away from his family for any length of time.’
‘How long will it all take, Robert?’
‘That depends on the speed of the Arethusa. We’ll be sailing in an iron-hulled steamship that’s much faster. Some of the Cunard fleet have been known to reach New York in as little as ten or eleven days. In fact, the Blue Riband is held by a vessel that went even faster.’
‘What’s the Blue Riband?’
‘It’s a notional award for the fastest crossing between Liverpool and New York. It’s currently held by Persia, an iron ship powered by paddles, launched two years ago. It crossed the Atlantic in nine days and sixteen hours.’
‘It’s not the speed I care about,’ she said, ‘it’s the lack of safety. Remember that I’ve been reading that copy of American Notes you loaned me. Charles Dickens describes the voyage he made in a steamship as a nightmare from start to finish. He feared for his life a number of times.’
‘That was several years ago, Madeleine. He sailed in the steam packet, Britannia. Maritime engineering has made big strides since then. Steamships are faster and safer.’
‘Are they?’ she questioned. ‘I thought the SS Great Britain ran aground. Father had a good laugh when that happened because it was designed by Mr Brunel and Father despises anything connected with him. Yes,’ she continued, ‘and other steamships have been badly damaged in storms. A few have even been lost at sea.’
‘The overwhelming majority cross the Atlantic regularly without incident, Madeleine,’ he said. ‘There’s no need for anxiety, I assure you. Cunard has a good record.’
It was not only the safety of the vessel that concerned her. She was worried about the danger of arresting two people who had both committed murder in order to escape. Madeleine was tortured by the thought that Colbeck might be killed thousands of miles away from her. She was enveloped by a feeling of helplessness. If he went to New York, she’d forfeit his company for a long period and lose her peace of mind into the bargain. When he was leading an investigation in Britain, she rarely had qualms about his personal safety. Now that he was going abroad, however, she was assailed by a creeping terror.
Sensing her unease, he embraced her again.
‘There is one way to prevent your constant anxiety,’ he said.
‘Is there?’
‘You could come with me.’
She laughed in surprise. ‘I could never go all that way, Robert.’
‘Why not?’
‘Father would never countenance it,’ she said. ‘I know that we’re engaged but he’s very old-fashioned in some ways. If we were already married, of course, it would be a different matter.’
‘Once this is over,’ he promised, experiencing a stab of guilt, ‘we will marry, Madeleine. Until then, it’s probably asking too much of your father to allow us to be alone together for weeks on end.’
‘I’m not sure that the superintendent would endorse it either.’
‘He’d make loud protests. You know he has eccentric views about women. Unfortunately, he’s talking about coming on the voyage, so there’d be no way of smuggling you aboard without his knowledge.’
‘I’ll have to stay at home and count the days until you return.’
He kissed her again. ‘I can’t wait until this case is finally over.’
She was fatalistic. ‘There’ll be another one to replace it.’
‘No, Madeleine,’ he said, ‘there’ll never be a case quite like this. It’s unique. When I get back, I’ll explain why.’
Leeming’s experience of travelling by sea was limited to a short voyage to and from France but that had been more than enough to convince him that he was no sailor. His stomach had been as unruly as the wild, green water that had tossed the vessels on which he sailed hither and thither. If crossing the English Channel had such an effect on him, then the Atlantic Ocean would be a continuous ordeal. What helped to give him much needed confidence was the response of his wife. Dismayed that he’d be away for so long, Estelle encouraged him to go because she saw the fact that he was chosen for the assignment as a mark of the esteem in which he was held at Scotland Yard.
As a detective’s wife, she was habituated to adapting to situations as they arose. This one required more adjustment than usual but Estelle did not blench at that. The children’s opinion also weighed with Leeming. They were highly excited at the news that their father would go on a long voyage to America. It was something they could boast about to their friends and they longed to hear about his adventures when he got back. With such unanimous family support, Leeming began to lose some of his reservations about the trip.
One particular fear, however, continued to loom large and he raised the issue with Superintendent Tallis at Scotland Yard.
‘I don’t see that it’s possible, sir,’ he said. ‘How can an iron ship float on water? It’s in defiance of common sense. If I drop a flat iron into a bowl of water, it will sink to the bottom at once.’
‘Colbeck will explain it to you.’
‘I simply can’t trust an iron steamship.’
‘Hundreds of thousands of people have trusted them,’ said Tallis, ‘and they’ve sailed much farther afield than America. There’s a regular service to Australia now.’
Leeming grimaced. ‘I hope none of our fugitives ever go there. I’d hate to have to chase them all that way.’
‘We’re an island race, Leeming. Our power and prosperity are based on our maritime skills. By rights, we should all have salt water in our veins.’
‘Well, I don’t, sir. The sea scares me.’
Tallis was brisk. ‘You’ll soon get over that, man,’ he said. ‘By the time you come back, you’ll be an experienced sailor and look down on landlubbers like me.’
‘I thought you were coming with us, Superintendent.’
There was a long sigh of regret. ‘That’s what I hoped but the commissioner has refused to authorise it. He thinks I’m too important to spare.’
‘Oh, you are,’ said Leeming, rushing to approve the decision. ‘Without you here, the whole department would start to fall apart. In fact,’ he added, groping for a historical analogy, ‘I’d go so far as to say that you’re as important to the Metropolitan Police Force as the Duke of Wellington was to the Battle of Waterloo.’
Tallis glowed. ‘That’s very kind of you to say so.’
‘The inspector would say the same.’
‘We must never forget that the Duke led a coalition army. His genius lay in welding so many disparate elements together. That, I fancy, is where my talent lies.’
‘I agree, sir.’
Yet another of Leeming’s objections had just disappeared. Travelling with Colbeck would ensure that he had someone to keep up his morale on the voyage. Having the superintendent on board as well would rob the voyage of any hope of relaxation or pleasure. Leeming had likened it to being entwined in an anchor chain. Suddenly, that chain had been snapped in two. Tallis would not be going.
‘What about arrest warrants, Superintendent?’
‘They’ll be ready for you to take with you,’ said Tallis.
‘Then there’s the question of extradition.’
‘The documents are being prepared.’
‘What if they refuse to let Oxley and Miss Adnam go?’
‘Don’t waste time raising possibilities that will never exist. America is a young and expanding country. It needs emigrants but it will not take just anyone,’ said Tallis. ‘It will discriminate. Oxley and his accomplice are bloodthirsty killers. My firm belief is that America will be glad to get rid of them.’
‘We’ll do our best to bring them back alive.’
‘Oh, yes, you must do that. I don’t want them to evade the noose by dying in a gunfight or even by shooting themselves. I want to be there when the pair of them are hanged,’ declared Tallis, describing the scene with his hands. ‘It’s the only thing that will reconcile me to the death of Constable Peebles.’
After a week at sea, Oxley and Irene had fallen into a comfortable routine. Good weather and calm conditions encouraged them to spend a lot of time on deck, promenading arm in arm. Their affability had won them a number of new friends, all of whom regarded them as a happily married couple. Oxley was already plotting.
‘People are so trusting on board,’ he said, as they stood at the bulwark one day. ‘It will be child’s play to rob them.’
‘I could have stolen a dozen reticules by now, Jerry. Ladies are so careless with their possessions. They spy no danger,’ said Irene. ‘I’ve lost count of the number of times I had to control the urge to reach out and take things.’
‘It’s far too early, Irene.’
‘I know that.’
‘We must wait until we are much nearer our destination. If there’s a spate of thefts now, the captain will have weeks to look into them. Bide our time and strike hard when the moment comes.’
‘There’s a small fortune on this ship.’
‘Then it needs to go to people like us who appreciate it.’ They smiled conspiratorially. ‘The crucial thing is to maintain their trust. That’s why I’m careful when I play cards of an evening. If I wanted to, I could win almost every hand but that would give the game away, so I allow others to have their share of the winnings.’
‘I hadn’t realised you were a practised cardsharp Jerry.’
‘Oh, I have many strings to my bow.’
‘I’ve discovered that. What other secrets are there in store?’
‘That would be telling,’ he said, archly.
They were diverted by a shout that brought all the other passengers rushing to their side of the deck. A school of whales had appeared in the middle distance, rising playfully out of the water before diving back into it. Irene was diverted by the spectacle and Oxley savoured it for a while. He then looked along the line of passengers and saw how vulnerable they all were to anyone with light fingers. Pressed against the bulwark, feeling the spray and the wind in their faces, they were so enraptured by the antics of the whales that they’d never feel wallets being removed or watches being lifted gently from their waistcoat pockets. Tempted as he was, Oxley stayed his hand. The moment of truth would eventually come.
Only when the ship had sailed past the whales did Irene turn back to him. Her eyes were bright with wonder.
‘Wasn’t that a wonderful sight!’ she said.
‘There’ll be lots more before we reach New York.’
‘I’ve read about whales in books but I never dreamt that I’d actually see any. They were an absolute joy.’
‘Shall I tell you why?’ he asked. ‘They were celebrating their freedom. They have the whole ocean in which to play and they were revelling in the fact. We should do the same, Irene. Because we left England, we’ve bought our liberty and can enjoy it as much as that school of whales.’
‘They’re not entirely free,’ she argued. ‘People hunt whales.’
‘Then we have even more liberty than they do, Irene. Nobody can hunt us now. We’ll never have a harpoon hurled at us.’
‘What if Inspector Colbeck finds out where we’ve gone?’
‘That will never happen,’ he said with a confident laugh. ‘And even if it did, there’d be nothing he could do. Colbeck belongs in our past just like your father. We’ll simply forget him as a person and preserve his memory on our passports.’
‘It was an inspiration to call ourselves Mr and Mrs Colbeck.’
‘I regard it as theft of the highest order, Irene. We’re two unconscionable villains yet we bear the name of a famous detective.’ He smirked. ‘There’s something almost poetic about that.’
SS Jura, a vessel of the Allan Line, was a propeller-driven steamship capable of a speed of eleven knots. While its beam engines provided its motive power, it also had ample amounts of canvas to harness the wind. With a gross weight of 2,241 tons, it was bigger, heavier and more majestic than Leeming had ever imagined. Launched in 1854 for the Cunard Line, it had been a troop transport during the Crimean War and had given good service. It then plied Mediterranean routes before being transferred to the Atlantic where Liverpool, Cork and New York were its ports of call. When he first stepped aboard, Leeming discovered that the vessel had a pleasing solidity. Yet even though Colbeck had explained to him how an iron ship could float without sinking, he remained nervous. When it sailed off down the Mersey, therefore, he half-expected it to founder at any moment.
‘We’re so low in the water,’ he complained.
‘That’s because we have maximum coal stocks aboard,’ said Colbeck. ‘As they get used up, you’ll notice a progressive improvement.’
‘The engines are so loud.’
‘You’ll soon get accustomed to that.’
‘Can the ship really carry so many people? It’s a full passenger list and there must be well over a hundred crew members.’
‘I daresay she carried far more people when she was a troop ship. Soldiers, horses and equipment would have been crammed in. The Jura had no problem catering for such numbers. She came through the experience with flying colours.’
Leeming pulled a face. ‘I’m not sure that I will, sir.’
‘You’ll find your sea legs in time.’
‘I don’t think I have any.’ He looked up and down the deck. ‘I never thought she’d be this long.’
‘She’s over a hundred yards from stem to stern,’ said Colbeck. ‘There’s enough room for us all to promenade without bumping into each other.’
‘What are we going to do all day?’
‘We’ll soon fall into a routine, Victor. By the way, I noticed that they have chessboards available in the saloon.’
‘But I can’t play chess, Inspector.’
‘It will be a pleasure to teach you.’
For the first couple of days, Leeming was unable to concentrate on anything but the queasiness of his stomach. Once he adapted to the roll of the ship, however, he was able to exercise on deck and take a full part in the social activities on board. He shared a state room with Colbeck that had been ingeniously designed to make the utmost use of the limited space. They had comfortable bunks, a table and two chairs bolted to the floor, large cupboards and a porthole through which they could watch the waves rippling past. The food was excellent and the portions generous. The stewards were universally pleasant and efficient. Every effort had been made to ensure that the passengers enjoyed the voyage.
Colbeck decided that they would not divulge the true nature of their business aboard. He confided in the captain but everyone else was told that he and Leeming were visiting friends in New York. They could hide their credentials but they couldn’t curb their instincts. When a succession of thefts occurred from first-class state rooms, the detectives felt obliged to offer their help and — by setting a trap — they caught the thief red-handed. The captain was so grateful that he invited them to dine at his table.
A week after they’d set out, Leeming admitted that all his fears about the voyage had been without foundation. Over a game of chess with Colbeck, he even claimed to be relishing the experience.
‘It’s been an education,’ he said. ‘I’ve learnt something new every day. There are so many interesting people aboard.’
‘The most interesting person I’ve met is the chief engineer,’ Colbeck told him. ‘I spent half an hour in the engine room with him this morning. It’s fascinating to see the stokers at work. They’re the real heroes aboard this vessel.’
‘And there was me, wondering what we’d do all day.’
‘Think of all the stories you’ll have to tell your children.’
‘We’ve seen so many amazing things,’ said Leeming, moving a bishop to take one of Colbeck’s pawns. ‘And even when the weather keeps us below deck, there’s plenty to keep us occupied. Who’d have thought there’d be a library aboard?’
‘That book about New York I borrowed is a revelation.’
‘I’m still reading the novel you recommended — The Adventures of Roderick Random. I’ve never had time to read a whole book before.’
‘This is a voyage of discovery for you, Victor,’ said Colbeck, shifting his queen to capture one of Leeming’s knights. ‘You’re doing new things every day.’
‘Yes,’ said Leeming, using his bishop to capture another pawn. ‘Wait until I tell my children how easily I mastered chess.’
Colbeck smiled. ‘You haven’t quite mastered it yet.’
‘But I’ve taken all these pawns off you.’
‘I was happy to sacrifice them because it enabled me to relieve you of more important pieces. You should guard your king with more care, Victor.’ Colbeck moved his queen again. ‘Checkmate.’
Caleb Andrews was not the most sensitive of men but even he could not miss the change of mood in his daughter. As a rule, Madeleine had a sunny disposition and a natural optimism. Time and again, she’d cheered her father up or eased him gently out of any descent into grief and brooding. Their roles were reversed now. It was Andrews who was buoyant and Madeleine who was jaded. When he got back from work that evening, he spotted the signs.
‘What’s happened, Maddy?’ he asked.
‘Nothing has happened.’
‘Then why are you looking so miserable?’
She manufactured a smile. ‘I don’t feel miserable.’
‘You’ve been sad and distracted all week.’
‘That’s not true, Father.’
‘I speak as I find.’
‘Then you’re mistaken,’ she said with false brightness. ‘I’ve had such a good day at the easel that I probably worked too long. I’m tired, that’s all. Take no notice.’
Andrews was not fooled. He waited until they were eating their supper before he broached the subject again. She looked tense and sorrowful. Her mind was clearly elsewhere.
‘Dirk Sowerby was so jealous when I told him,’ he began.
She was bemused. ‘What’s that?’
‘You know how much Dirk wants to sail in a steamship. When I told him that Inspector Colbeck was crossing the Atlantic, he was green with envy.’ He drank some tea. ‘He is coming back, Maddy.’
‘Yes, I know.’
‘Time will fly past.’
‘It’s not doing that at the moment.’
‘Are you worried about him?’
‘Yes,’ she confessed. ‘I’m very worried.’
‘Steamships have a good safety record — unless they’re designed by Brunel, that is. You wouldn’t get me in one of his vessels.’
‘Don’t be so prejudiced.’
‘He’s our main rival, Maddy. Everyone who works for the LNWR hates the man. For a start, he’s so cocky.’
‘Robert hasn’t sailed on one of his ships.’
‘Then there’s nothing to get anxious about, is there?’
‘I’m not anxious.’
‘And I’m not blind. You’re my daughter. I know your ways.’
‘Yes,’ she said with a wan smile, ‘of course, you do. I’m sorry if I’ve been a bit lacklustre. I don’t mean to be.’
‘You miss him.’
‘I miss him a great deal.’
‘And you think something terrible could happen.’
‘Well, I was upset at first but only because I’d been reading American Notes. Charles Dickens sailed to America with his wife and they had a dreadful voyage. They were caught in a heavy swell and everything in their cabin was tossed about. Mrs Dickens thought they were going to drown.’
‘Did you mention this to the inspector?’
‘I did,’ she replied, ‘and he pointed out that Mr Dickens made the crossing in January when the weather was at its worst. It’s autumn now. Also, shipbuilding has improved since he went to America. Vessels are built to withstand whatever storms batter them.’
‘So you were worrying about nothing, Maddy.’
‘Not exactly…’
‘You mean that there’s something else?’
Madeleine hesitated. It was on occasions like this that she felt the absence of her mother or of a sympathetic female to whom she could talk in confidence. There was always plenty of light-hearted banter with her father and she would freely discuss any household matters with him. Emotional issues were more problematical. She tended to conceal those from him and try to resolve them on her own. This time, however, she felt the need of support. Her father was keen to help. She wondered if it was time to tell him the truth.
‘There is something else,’ she said, quietly.
‘I knew it.’
‘Though I fancy I’m probably fretting unnecessarily about it.’
‘Why not let me be the judge of that?’
‘It’s this investigation,’ she explained. ‘Robert has become obsessed with it. I know that he gets immersed in every case he deals with but this one is different. It’s made him so single-minded.’
‘Do you know why that is?’
‘Frankly, I don’t.’
‘Then let me tell you,’ said Andrews, tapping his chest, ‘because I understand what’s going through his mind. It’s those policemen, Maddy. Two were killed on the train and the other one was shot in London. Inspector Colbeck has a bond with fellow policemen, the same way that I do with engine drivers. It’s something that goes very deep. He’s single-minded because he’s chasing people who murdered his kin — at least, that’s what they’ll seem like to him.’
‘That’s not the whole story, Father.’
‘Yes it is, so you can stop losing sleep over it.’
‘It’s more personal than that.’
‘What could be more personal than a detective who worked alongside you on the case being shot dead?’
‘This is not about Constable Peebles,’ she said. ‘Robert was shocked by what happened to him but he’s driven by something from the distant past. He as good as said so when I last saw him.’
‘Did he explain what it was?’
‘No — that’s why I’m upset about it. I feel that he should have told me everything there is to tell. It’s so unlike Robert. He’s never concealed things from me before. This case has a real significance for him but he refused to say why. I feel as if I’m deliberately being kept ignorant,’ she said, shaking her head in despair, ‘and it’s not what I expect from the man I’m about to marry.’
A sudden squall cleared the upper deck of the Jura and made the vessel dip and rock on the choppy sea. While Leeming went into the saloon, Colbeck repaired to their state room to have some time alone. As he checked through the paperwork he’d brought with him, he picked out the passenger’s contract ticket, issued when he’d booked the passage. It was an interesting legal document, listing the obligations placed both on the shipping line and on the passenger. Trained as a lawyer, he noted the small print on the document. Among other things, it stipulated that the victualling scale had to be printed out in the body of the ticket. Consequently, the daily quantities of water and provisions for each person were listed. If the Jura defaulted in any way on its obligations, it was liable to legal redress.
Studying one form of contract made him reflect on another. Marriage was the most solemn contract of all, committing two people to lifelong conditions from which they could not waver. As he went through the service of holy matrimony in his mind, he was ready to commit himself to Madeleine when the moment arose. Yet somehow he was not prepared to state exactly when that moment would be. The urge to delay and prevaricate was implanted deep within him. Even though he could see how much distress it was causing Madeleine, he could not bring himself to name the day when he would make her his wife. The invisible barrier stopped him.
He recalled the joyous openness with which Ian Peebles had talked about his forthcoming marriage, and the way that Victor Leeming always looked back on his own nuptials with such fondness. Colbeck wished that his path to the altar had been as straight and uncomplicated as theirs. Before the wedding, the banns would have to be published. He remembered how nervous Leeming had been when that phrase about just cause or impediment had been read out before the congregation. Had his own banns been published, the phrase would have unsettled Colbeck even more because of the secret he’d nursed for so many years. Helen Millington was his impediment. Until she was laid to rest, he could never give himself wholly and exclusively to Madeleine Andrews. The only way he could finally reconcile himself to her death was by catching Jeremy Oxley.
It had been a despicable murder. Colbeck had been shaken rigid when he read the details of the post-mortem. He was a young and impressionable barrister at the time, not a hardened detective who’d learnt to look on hideous sights without flinching. The manner of Helen’s death was almost as horrid as the fact of it. Such was the searing effect on him that Colbeck had abruptly changed direction in life so that he could begin the hunt for Oxley. Equally keen to arrest Irene Adnam, he was struck by the power of love to induce blindness. Irene was so entranced by Oxley that she did not apprehend his true character. Had she been aware of what he did to Helen Millington before he killed her, she would have shunned his company in disgust.
Colbeck had a contract with the shipping line, but a far more important one with Madeleine Andrews existed. It would bind him for life. He had to remove the impediment to their marriage and return to her as a free man with no ghosts to keep them apart. As he thought about Madeleine now, he felt an upsurge of love for her that flooded through his entire body and left him exhilarated. It was an elation that had to be suppressed until the proper moment for release. Helen Millington had to be his sole inspiration for the time being. Once her unquiet spirit had been appeased, there would be a blissful future with Madeleine Andrews.