‘Yes,’ she said, ‘that cheered me.’
They were standing in front of a garish poster advertising the Judge and Jury Show and they moved away so that passers-by could see it. Johnson unfolded the newspaper that was under his arm.
‘Haven’t you seen that enough times, Marcus?’ she asked.
‘No,’ he replied. ‘I still haven’t made up my mind.’
‘But you know the names of the horses off by heart.’
‘I’d rather study them in print.’
‘I’ve put money on Merry Legs,’ she said.
‘A filly hasn’t won the Derby for over fifty years.’
‘One is due to break that sequence.’
‘I’d never risk a bet on Hamilton’s horse.’
‘Then which one will you pick?’
‘The race has to be between these six runners,’ he said, pointing to the paper. ‘The rest of the field will simply make up the numbers. Somewhere in that sextet is my chance to make a fortune.’
Kitty looked over his shoulder at the list of betting odds.7–2 against - Lord Hendry’s Odysseus 6–1 - Mr Dowd’s Limerick Lad 9–1 - Mr Fido’s Merry Legs 10–1 - Duke of Sefton’s Aleppo 12–1 - Sir J Mallen’s Gladiator 12–1 - Hon E Petre’s Royal Realm
‘You can’t shilly-shally any longer, Marcus,’ she said.
‘I’ll not be rushed. It’s the biggest bet I’ve ever made.’
‘Odysseus is the clear favourite.’
‘I’d never waste my money on anything belonging to Lord Hendry,’ he said, folding the newspaper up again. ‘Favourite or not, Odysseus can and will be beaten.’
‘By whom?’
‘Limerick Lad,’ he decided. ‘I’ll entrust my future to Ireland.’
Epsom racecourse was shaped like a horseshoe but it would not bring luck to all of the runners in the Derby. Only one could win and, years after the race, that was the name that would be remembered. No matter how close they had been to success, second- and third-placed horses would be consigned to obscurity. Everything depended on a fierce gallop that lasted less than three minutes. No horse could have a second chance to win the fabled race.
Robert Colbeck had been reunited with Madeleine Andrews in time to share a light repast with her and his colleagues. She had met Victor Leeming before but now had the ambiguous pleasure of being introduced to Edward Tallis. Notwithstanding his trenchant views on the distraction caused to his officers by wives and female friends, the superintendent was uniformly charming to Madeleine and showed a side to his character that the other men had never seen before.
The whole day had been built around the Derby and when the starting time drew closer, the excitement reached a new and more strident pitch. Much to his frustration, Leeming was ordered to take a seat beside Tallis in the grandstand. He would have preferred to accompany Colbeck and Madeleine to the paddock but was given no choice in the matter. The sergeant had managed to place a surreptitious bet but he would have liked to see his chosen horse at close quarters before the race.
‘Mr Tallis is not the ogre you described,’ observed Madeleine.
‘You caught him on one of his milder days,’ said Colbeck.
‘I thought that he disliked women.’
‘Only if they take the minds of his officers off their work.’
She giggled. ‘Is that what I do, Robert?’
‘From time to time,’ he replied, squeezing her arm, ‘and I’m grateful for it. But you’ve also been able to assist me, as you’ve done in the present investigation.’
‘What does that make me?’
‘I suppose that I’d call you a useful diversion.’
‘Is that good or bad?’
‘You won’t ever hear me complaining, Madeleine.’
The paddock was near the finish and a sizeable throng had gathered to watch the horses being paraded. Owners were having last-minute conversations with their trainers and jockeys. Lord Hendry was there, patting Odysseus nervously as a groom led him past. It was Madeleine’s first sight of the favourite and she marvelled at his lean head, longish neck and solid shoulders. She also took note of his massive ribs and powerful quarters. Merry Legs, though neat and beautifully proportioned, looked slight beside the favourite.
‘Father was going to bet on Aleppo,’ she confided.
Colbeck pointed. ‘Here he comes,’ he said, ‘and he may yet cause an upset. So might Sir James Mallen’s Gladiator. I’ve been hearing good things about him all morning.’
‘It’s so confusing, Robert. How can anyone choose a winner?’
‘By a combination of luck and judgement.’
‘What’s your feeling?’
‘I’m just relieved that the Derby is about to be run without any horses having been eliminated unfairly. It’s not too late for any foul play at this stage, of course,’ he said. ‘To guard against that, I’ve placed some of my officers in strategic positions so that the horses will be watched all the way to the start.’
‘You didn’t answer my question.’
‘No, I didn’t.’
‘Have you or have you not placed a bet?’
Colbeck smiled. ‘It would be absurd not to, Madeleine.’
There was mild commotion as Princess of Fire had a tantrum, bucking half a dozen times and scattering those who had got too near. The groom and the jockey soon calmed the filly. It was time for the horses to go to the starting post. Jockeys were helped up into the saddle and fitted their feet into the stirrups. Racing caps were adjusted. Silk tunics, bearing the owner’s colours, flapped in the breeze. Tensions that had built steadily up over months of preparation were finally on the point of release. There was no turning back now.
When they saw the runners heading for the start, the spectators went into a frenzy of anticipation. Lining the course and covering the Downs like a vast human carpet, they roared and cheered and clapped. Six years earlier, the starting point had been altered so that it was more easily visible from the towering, three-tiered grandstand. That was the best place from which to watch the race and Colbeck conducted Madeleine there. While he was very interested in the outcome of the Derby, part of his mind was still concentrated firmly on the murder investigation. Leeming had told him that Kitty Lavender had agreed to meet him soon after the race. Colbeck looked forward to the encounter with her.
They were all there. Lord Hendry was seated among his cronies, hiding his deep fears beneath friendly badinage. Brian Dowd sat nearer the front, dressed in his finery and using a telescope to get a better view. Hamilton Fido had vacated the betting room and stood at the rear of the grandstand, framed in a doorway and watching it all with wry amusement. He had taken an immense amount of money in bets. Whatever the result, he stood to reap a huge profit. He was already considering what he would buy Kitty Lavender by way of celebration.
With the vast crowd baying for the race to start, there was a delay as three of the jockeys were unable to bring their horses in line. In spite of repeated warnings from the starter, it was minutes before the mettlesome thoroughbreds were brought under enough control. Twenty runners were eventually strung out in something resembling a line. The flag came down and the horses plunged forward on their dash into racing history. They were off.
Royal Realm and Princess of Fire were the early leaders with the rest of the field fanned out behind them. They made the running all the way to Tattenham Corner, with over half the race behind them. As soon as they entered the straight, however, they fell back and it was a quartet of horses who surged to the front. Below the distance, with just over a furlong to go, they split into two groups. Limerick Lad and Aleppo were involved in a ferocious battle on the rails while Odysseus and Merry Legs fought for supremacy on the stand side. There was little to choose between any of them.