‘That’s the difference between Lord Hendry and me,’ he said, kissing the nape of the neck. ‘He buys you a hat and a hatbox – I give you jewellery.’
‘In fairness to George, he did promise to buy me a diamond brooch when his horse won the Derby.’
‘When or if?’
‘There was no doubt in his mind.’
‘How much money has he laid out on the race?’
‘A lot, Hamilton,’ she said. ‘He’s risking everything on it.’
‘Then he’s a bigger fool than I thought.’
‘His wife has money but she won’t lend him any to fritter away on what she considers to be a pointless sport. It always maddened George that she would make large donations to worthy causes while ignoring him. He’s had to raise funds from elsewhere.’
‘Loans from friends?’
‘He’s been forced to mortgage some of his property.’
‘What happens if Odysseus loses?’
‘George will be finished,’ she said with satisfaction.
‘In that case, I’ll be doing him a favour by killing him in a duel. It will put him out of his misery.’
‘Must you go ahead with it, Hamilton?’
‘I can’t pull out of it now,’ he said. ‘That would be cowardice.’
‘I still feel that George may resort to a trick of some kind.’
‘I’ll be ready for him, Kitty.’
‘I don’t want you harmed in any way,’ she said, stroking his cheek. ‘I couldn’t bear to lose you.’
‘Lord Hendry poses no danger to me,’ he said smugly. ‘I’m a bookmaker, remember, and I create enemies without even trying. Over the years, disaffected customers have threatened me with all manner of gruesome deaths. Yet I’m still here,’ he boasted. ‘Doesn’t that tell you something?’
‘Yes – you take wise precautions.’
‘I also have a sixth sense. I knew that Sergeant Leeming was going to trail me. He came into the betting room once too often and kept glancing in my direction. That’s why I gave the signal to one of my bodyguards. Of course,’ he went on, ‘none of this would have been necessary if you had spoken to Inspector Colbeck. Because of you, his sergeant ended up with a throbbing headache.’
‘I don’t like getting involved with the police, Hamilton.’
‘You have no choice.’
‘Marcus warned me against it.’
‘It’s your decision, Kitty – not his.’
‘I know.’
‘How much longer do you want to hold back?’
She turned away and walked to the window, gazing sightlessly through the glass. Deep in thought, she stood there for minutes and wrestled with the competing arguments. Fido waited patiently. At length, she turned back to him with a resigned smile.
‘I’ll speak to Inspector Colbeck today,’ she said.
‘Thank goodness for that!’
‘But only after the race,’ she stipulated. ‘I’ll not let anyone distract me from that. It’s the reason I got up so early. I want to enjoy every minute of Derby Day and watch Odysseus getting beaten by Merry Legs. Then – and only then – I’ll be ready for Inspector Colbeck.’
Although he knew how capable and independent she was, Robert Colbeck did not want Madeleine Andrews to wander about the Downs on her own. There were too many thieves, confidence tricksters and drunken men about, ready to pounce on an unaccompanied female. Since she was keen to see the acrobats performing, Colbeck assigned a uniformed policeman to be her guide. While she set out with the burly constable, Colbeck went off in search of Brian Dowd.
To get to the stables where Limerick Lad was being kept, he had to find his way through a labyrinth. Broughams, barouches, carts, gigs, four-wheeled chaises, traps, cabs, covered vans and phaetons were parked close together in positions of vantage. As he passed a stagecoach, Colbeck counted no fewer than eight people perched on its roof as they consumed their picnic. When the races began, the vehicles would form their own grandstand and those still sober enough to see would have an excellent view of one part of the course.
It took him some time to reach the stables but he was rewarded with a sight of Brian Dowd. The trainer was walking across the yard. Seeing his visitor, the Irishman gave him a broad smile.
‘Top of the morning to you, Inspector!’ he said.
‘And to you, sir.’
‘Isn’t it just a grand day for a Derby?’
‘That depends,’ said Colbeck.
‘More rain last night and a clear sky today,’ said Dowd happily. ‘Limerick Lad couldn’t ask for better conditions. The going will be soft and he’ll have the sun on his back.’
‘I thought he’d have Tim Maguire on his back – unless, that is, he’s been tempted away from you by anonymous offers.’
Dowd frowned. ‘Do I hear a cynical note in your voice?’
‘You were responsible for putting it there, sir,’ said Colbeck. ‘When you showed me that letter sent to your jockey, I believed that one of your rivals really was trying to steal him from you. Then this happened to fall into my hands,’ he continued, pulling out the note that had belonged to John Feeny and thrusting it at Dowd. ‘The handwriting bears a strange resemblance to that in the letter, as you’ll see.’ Extracting the missive addressed to Tim Maguire, he handed it over. ‘Don’t you agree, Mr Dowd?’
Face motionless, the Irishmen compared the two items. A flicker of irritation showed before he burst into laughter. He reached forward to slap Colbeck companionably on the shoulder.
‘You found me out, Inspector. I wrote both of these.’
‘In other words, you reported a crime that never existed.’
‘But it did exist,’ said Dowd. ‘You can ask Tim about it. The only difference is that it was made verbally. I thought that if I put it down in writing, you’d take it more seriously.’
‘You deliberately misled me, sir,’ said Colbeck icily, ‘and I take exception to that. You also gave me an incorrect version of what happened when you and John Feeny parted company.’
‘It’s my word against that of an ignorant barmaid.’
‘The girl can read, write and tell the truth.’
‘All she’s told you are the lies that Feeny spread about me,’ said Dowd, spitting out the words. ‘Frankly, I’m insulted that you should believe for a moment anything she said.’
‘It accords with my own observations, Mr Dowd.’
‘Are you questioning my honesty?’
‘I’m saying that you’re very parsimonious with the truth, sir.’
‘I resent that strongly, Inspector!’
‘Your resentment is duly noted,’ said Colbeck smoothly, ‘but it pales beside my own. You wrote a letter purporting to come from an anonymous rival. That was gross deception.’
‘I explained that. I needed to secure your attention.’
‘You’ve certainly secured it now.’
‘It was done with the best of intentions.’
‘What about that story of two men who tried to cudgel Tim Maguire? Did you invent that with the best of intentions as well?’
‘It was no invention.’
Colbeck raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘Really?’
‘Yes,’ retorted Dowd. ‘And before you accuse me of lying to you, let me remind you that I didn’t report that incident to the police. We dealt with it ourselves as we’ve done with many similar incidents. If you look at my record as a trainer over the past five years, you’ll see how successful I’ve been. That annoys people, especially members of the English aristocracy who can’t bear the thought of an upstart Irishman like me beating their expensive racehorses time and again. At Doncaster last year, someone tied a silk handkerchief around the leg of my colt, Dungannon, then hit it with a stick. It’s a miracle the leg was not broken. And you don’t have to believe me,’ he went on, working himself up into a fury. ‘The incident was reported in the newspapers. It happens every time we come to England, you see. We’re always under siege over here. Well, look at the evidence. If one of the bastards can send me the severed head of a lad I once employed, you can see what I’m up against.’