‘Can we, sir?’
‘Yes, I refuse to believe that Colonel Fitzhammond is our man. He’s given a lifetime’s service to the army and will be steeped in its traditions.’
He scratched through the name then put a line through three more. ‘We can count these officers out as well. They’ll be too old. All that they will want is a quiet retirement.’
‘I know the feeling,’ said Leeming.
‘Two of these men left the army within the last few months,’ said Colbeck, pen poised over their names. ‘They would not have had the time to set up such a complicated crime as the train robbery. We can cross them off the list as well.’ The pen scratched away. ‘That leaves five names. No, it doesn’t, Victor,’ he added, as he spotted a detail. ‘I think that it leaves two whom we should look at more carefully.’
‘Why is that, Inspector?’
‘Because they retired from the army on the same day.’
‘Coincidence?’
‘Possibly – or they could be friends who joined at the same time.’
‘When did they return to civilian life?’
‘Almost five years ago,’ said Colbeck. ‘Of course, we may be barking up the wrong tree but I have the feeling that we may have found something important here. My belief is that one or both of these men was involved in that train robbery.’
‘What are their names?’
‘Major Sir Humphrey Gilzean and Captain Thomas Sholto.’
‘Mr Tallis will never accept that army officers are responsible for the crimes. In his book, they are above suspicion.’
‘Then let’s first try these two names on someone else,’ decided Colbeck. ‘Men who served under them.’
Standing in the hallway of Gilzean’s country house, Thomas Sholto stroked his beard and watched two servants bringing another trunk downstairs. He turned to his friend.
‘You do not believe in wasting time, Humphrey, do you?’
‘Forewarned is forearmed,’ said Gilzean.
‘What if Inspector Colbeck does not run us to ground?’
‘Then we have no need to implement our contingency plans. As you know, I’m a great believer in covering all eventualities. This luggage will be loaded into a carriage in readiness for a swift departure.’
‘Will our hostage be travelling with us?’ asked Sholto.
‘Only if we need to take her, Thomas.’
‘Given the opportunity, I’d have taken her already.’
‘Keep your hands off Miss Andrews.’
‘You should at least have let me share the same coach as her.’
‘No,’ said Gilzean. ‘The woman is frightened enough as it is. I do not wish to add to her distress by having you lusting after her. I prefer to encourage your virtues, not indulge your vices.’
Sholto laughed. ‘I didn’t know that I had any virtues.’
‘One or two.’
‘What are you going to do with this resourceful Inspector?’
‘Keep him guessing, Thomas.’
‘How will you contrive that?’
‘By pretending that we really do intend to hand over Madeleine Andrews for the three prisoners. A letter will be delivered by hand to him tomorrow, setting up a time and place for the exchange to be made, two days from hence. Only when they arrive at the designated spot will they realise that they’ve been hoodwinked. By that time,’ said Gilzean, leading his friend into the library, ‘I will have emptied my bank accounts and put all my affairs in order.’
‘Would you really be prepared to turn your back on this house?’
‘Yes. It holds too many unpleasant memories for me now.’
‘That was not always the case,’ Sholto reminded him.
‘No, I agree. When I grew up here, I loved it. After my army days were over, I could think of no finer existence than running the estate and keeping a stable of racehorses.’ His face hardened. ‘I reckoned without the railway, alas.’
‘It does not actually cross your land, Humphrey.’
‘Perhaps not but it skirts it for over a mile. It’s far too close for comfort. Trains from the Great Western Railway go past all the time. If the wind is in the right direction, I can hear the noise of that damned whistle whenever I am in my garden. Nothing makes my blood boil so much as that sound.’
‘I hope that you do not have to sacrifice this place,’ said Sholto, gazing fondly around the room. ‘It’s a splendid house. There are some things that you’ll miss a great deal about this estate.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘One of them, in particular.’
‘All that has been taken into consideration,’ said Gilzean, knowing what he meant. ‘Whatever happens, I will return somehow from time to time to pay my respects. Nobody will prevent me from doing that. It’s a sacred duty. Besides,’ he went on, his face brightening, ‘I have another good reason to come back.’
‘Do you?’
‘Yes, Thomas. I simply have to be at Epsom on the first Wednesday in June. I intend to watch my colt win the Derby.’
‘What if he loses?’
‘That option does not even arise,’ said the other, brimming with confidence. ‘Starlight is a Gilzean – we never lose.’
‘Sir Humphrey Gilzean?’ asked Superintendent Tallis, eyes bulging.
‘Yes,’ replied Colbeck. ‘I’m certain of it, sir.’
‘Then I am equally certain that you have the wrong man.’
‘Why do you say that?’
‘Do you know who Sir Humphrey is – and what he is?’
‘If my guess is right, he’s a man with blood on his hands. He not only organised the train robbery, he sanctioned two murders and ordered the kidnap of Miss Andrews.’
‘Do you have any other far-fetched claims to offer, Inspector?’ said Tallis, incredulously. ‘Are you going to tell me, for instance, that Sir Humphrey is about to assassinate the Queen or steal the Crown Jewels?’
‘No, Superintendent.’
‘Then do not plague me with your ridiculous notions.’
‘Sir Humphrey is our man. Take my word for it.’
‘Listen, Inspector. I can accept that men from the ranks, like Jukes and the Seymour brothers, may have gone astray but not someone who was once a senior officer. You have no concept of what it takes to become a major in the British Army. I do. It shapes you for life. Sir Humphrey is no more likely to have committed these crimes than I am.’
Superintendent Tallis was peremptory. Colbeck had come into his office to announce what he felt was a critical breakthrough in the investigation, only to have cold water liberally poured over his suggestion by his superior. Remaining calm in the face of the other’s intransigence, he tried to reason with him.
‘Will you not at least hear what we found out, sir?’
‘No, Inspector. The idea is ludicrous.’
‘Sergeant Leeming and I do not think so.’
‘Then I have to overrule the pair of you. Look elsewhere.’
‘We have,’ said Colbeck. ‘At a man named Thomas Sholto, who was a Captain in the same regiment. Have you heard of him as well?’
‘Not until this moment.’
‘Then you will not have prior knowledge of his innocence.’
‘Do not be impertinent.’
‘Well, at least do us the courtesy of taking us seriously.’
‘Why should I bother to do that?’ said Tallis, sourly. ‘It is quite obvious to me that neither you nor Sergeant Leeming are aware of who Sir Humphrey is. Did you know, for example, that he is a distinguished Member of Parliament?’
‘No,’ admitted Colbeck. ‘We did not.’
‘He has only been in the House for three or four years yet he has already made his mark. Sir Humphrey is already being talked of as a future minister.’
‘That does not prevent him from robbing a train.’
‘Why should he need to do such a thing, Inspector? He’s a rich man with a dazzling political career ahead of him. It would be sheer lunacy to jeopardise that.’