‘You’d like him – he’s a real dandy. He sticks out from every other policeman I’ve met, whereas his sergeant is more typical of the breed. To be honest,’ he went on, ‘I enjoyed crossing swords with Colbeck. He’s a worthy opponent – unlike Lord Hendry.’
She was uneasy. ‘Do you still mean to go ahead with the duel?’
‘I can’t pull out of it now, Kitty.’
‘But you could be putting yourself in jeopardy.’
‘He’d never get the better of me with a pistol.’
‘If he believes that, George will look for a way to ensure that the duel never takes place.’
‘You mean that he’ll go into hiding somewhere?’
‘No,’ she said, stroking his arm. ‘George won’t run away – that would look bad. He’s more likely to hire some ruffians to break a few of your bones so that you’re frightened off.’
Fido laughed. ‘He’ll need a whole army to get close to me,’ he boasted, tapping the bulge at his waist. ‘Apart from the fact that I carry a loaded weapon, I have a bodyguard watching my back. The moment I leave here, I’m under his protection.’
‘That won’t stop me worrying.’
‘Lord Hendry deserves a bullet between his eyes.’
‘I want you to stay alive in order to put it there.’
‘One of us will finish him off,’ he said with conviction. ‘If some mishap should befall me, Marcus will take my place. From what you’ve told me about him, he’s an excellent shot.’
‘He is,’ said Kitty. ‘Gambling is his first love but, when he takes time off from that, it’s to join a shooting party somewhere. Though he’s desperately short of money most of the time, he somehow manages to maintain a very comfortable existence. He trades on his charm and lives off his wealthy friends.’
‘He’s a silver-tongued social parasite and I admire him for that. It takes skill and daring to do what he does. I was also touched by the way he came to your defence.’
‘I just wish that he hadn’t told you about it.’
‘Somebody must call Lord Hendry to account.’
‘I’d rather it wasn’t you, Hamilton. I know the way that George’s mind works. If the duel did actually take place,’ she warned, ‘he’d be ready to fall back on unfair means.’
Fido grinned. ‘That makes two of us – so will I.’ Holding her by the chin, he gave her a gentle kiss then stood up. ‘When are you going to speak to Inspector Colbeck?’
‘Never – if I can help it.’
‘He won’t give up, Kitty. The longer you keep dodging him, the meaner he’ll be when he finally does catch up with you. It’s only a matter of time before he does that,’ he pointed out. ‘As soon as he sees us together, he’ll know that you’re the lady from the Wyvern Hotel.’
‘There’s no reason why he should see us together – not alone, anyway. I’ve got myself another beau to hide behind.’
‘Oh – and who might that be?’
‘Marcus, of course,’ she said. ‘He told me to avoid the police at all costs or my name might finish up in the newspapers. I don’t want to become a public spectacle, Hamilton.’
‘I rather hoped that you did – on my arm.’
‘When I’ve shaken off Inspector Colbeck, there’s nowhere I’d rather be. Above all else, I want George to see us together. After what he did to me, I want him to writhe in pain.’
‘He’s already been doing that, Kitty,’ he said, reaching for his hat. ‘My guess is that Lord Hendry didn’t get a wink of sleep last night. He’d have been tortured by the thought of fighting a duel against me. He knows how that will end. And if he was kept awake, he’ll have heard the sound of the downpour we had. It rained hard for hours and hours. That means the going will be soft at the racecourse and that won’t suit Odysseus at all.’ He put his hat on at a rakish angle. ‘One way or another,’ he said cheerfully, ‘Lord Hendry must have had the worst night of his life.’
Victor Leeming was making his way through the crowd when he saw the woman. Short, dainty and with a look of sublime innocence on her face, she was accompanied by a small boy. Speaking to an elderly gentleman who was just descending from his carriage, she asked directions from him. He was happy to oblige. He was entranced by her pretty features and beckoning smile. Victor Leeming was more interested in what the boy was doing. When the directions had been received, the woman thanked her guide and led the boy away. The sergeant moved swiftly to intercept them. Fixing the boy with a knowing look, he held out the palm of his hand.
‘Give me the wallet,’ he ordered.
‘What are you talking about?’ demanded the woman haughtily.
‘The wallet that he took from that gentleman while you distracted him. This lad is a pickpocket and you’re his accomplice.’
‘How dare you! I’m David’s mother!’
‘Then you should be ashamed to bring him up in this way.’
‘If you don’t leave us alone,’ she said, putting a maternal arm around her son, ‘I’ll call a policeman.’
‘You’re already talking to one,’ said Leeming, enjoying his moment. ‘I’m Detective Sergeant Leeming from Scotland Yard.’
He waved a hand to a uniformed policeman who stood a dozen yards away. Recognising him, the man came briskly over to him.
‘Good morning, sir,’ he said.
‘Here’s your first arrest of the day, Constable. I caught a pair of pickpockets. The lad has just stolen a wallet from that gentleman standing beside his carriage. Return his property to him,’ said Leeming, ‘then find out what else these two have purloined.’
The woman and her son made a sudden dash for freedom but the policeman restrained them both. Turning on the sergeant, she unleashed a stream of vile abuse and had to be dragged away. Leeming was about to move off when Brian Dowd came over to him.
‘I saw that, Sergeant,’ he said with a complimentary smile. ‘You did very well. I’d never have known what those two were doing.’
‘You didn’t spend as many years in uniform as I did, sir. When you get big crowds, the pickpockets come out in their hundreds.’
‘That boy could have been no more than six or seven.’
‘Children younger than that have been trained to steal,’ said Leeming sadly. ‘They’re corrupted at an early age. I don’t blame the lad. It’s the mother who should take the punishment.’
‘I hope you don’t spend all your time looking for pickpockets.’
‘By no means, sir.’
‘There are more important crimes to solve.’
‘Inspector Colbeck and I are well aware of that,’ said Leeming, ‘and we have our superintendent snapping at our heels to make us find the killer of John Feeny. Our problem is that we keep getting distracted by related crimes.’
‘Such as?’
‘The attacks on both Odysseus and Merry Legs – someone is determined to keep them out of the Derby.’
‘Don’t forget what happened to me,’ said Dowd. ‘Limerick Lad can win the race but I’m honest enough to admit that he might not do it unless he has Tim Maguire on his back. That’s why my jockey has been the target, Sergeant. Tim is my guarantee of success.’
‘Limerick Lad likes soft going, I’m told.’
‘The more rain we have, the better.’
‘I hope that it holds off for the race itself.’
‘Yes,’ said Dowd. ‘The world and his wife will be here tomorrow. There’s nothing quite like Derby Day. I hope that the sun shines brightly during the races but I’ll be praying for more rain tonight.’
‘Were you on your way to the grandstand?’ asked Leeming, glancing towards it. ‘If you are, I’ll walk with you, if I may.’
‘Please do, Sergeant. I have some friends to meet there.’
Leeming fell in beside him. ‘I’ve arranged to meet Inspector Colbeck,’ he said. ‘Left to myself, I’d rather see some of the sights. There’s a six-legged pig on display and the Smallest Man in England is in one of the booths. Then there’s a huge Polynesian woman who has tattoes everywhere. Duty calls, however,’ he sighed. ‘And the inspector should be back from Lord Hendry’s house by now.’