‘We won’t hold you up from your dinner,’ said Colbeck, one hand on the fence. ‘We’re sorry to disturb you. Come on, Victor,’ he went on. ‘We must find Meadow View. Look out for the horse chestnut.’
‘I’d rather look out for horse manure,’ said Leeming, grumpily.
The man laughed and waved them off. When the detectives walked away, he watched them until they vanished into the darkness, then he went back into the house. Colbeck and Leeming, meanwhile, went as far as the designated tree and paused beneath it. The meadow was off to their right. The sergeant was perplexed.
‘Why did you say that we were looking for Meadow View?’
‘I didn’t want to arouse his suspicions.’
‘Do you think it was in that shed that the stationmaster saw the owl?’
‘No,’ said Colbeck, ‘not unless he climbed over the fence and trespassed on their garden, and I don’t think he did that. I ran my hand over the fence. It’s built with relatively new timber and reinforced with stout posts.’
‘He wants to protect his property. I’d do the same.’
‘There’s more to it than that, Victor. It was the wife who interested me.’
‘She was just a blob in the dark, sir.’
‘Didn’t you notice her lamp? It was unusually large and heavy. That’s why she never lifted it up to her face. I’d have expected her to come out with an oil lamp or even a large candle.’
Leeming showed real interest at last. ‘Do you think it might have been the missing railway lamp?’
‘It’s a possibility worth exploring,’ said Colbeck. ‘Add up what we know. There are two people excessively sensitive about anyone near their property. Both of them immediately came out to confront us so that they could weigh us up. There’s a tall fence that’s been recently constructed, yet the shed is falling to pieces and they’ve made no attempt to repair it. I find that significant. Finally, there’s a lady carrying what may turn out to be a stolen lamp. On the basis of that evidence, I’d say we have cause to investigate.’
‘What are we going to do, Inspector?’
‘Give them plenty of time to start their meal.’
They waited a quarter of an hour under the boughs of the tree. Then they walked slowly back to the place where they’d encountered the man. Colbeck took a closer look at the fence and saw that it had cost money and effort. When he indicated to Leeming that they were going to climb the fence, the sergeant was at first alarmed. Chest high, it was a daunting obstacle. In spite of the cold, Colbeck shed his hat, coat and waistcoat before hauling himself to the top of the fence and hooking a leg over it. Rolling out of sight, he reappeared and crooked a finger for Leeming to follow. The sergeant took off his coat and hat and tried to do exactly what the inspector had done but he was neither as lithe nor as fit as Colbeck. It took him three attempts before he finally got a leg over the fence. Colbeck was waiting to steady him as he lowered himself down. They moved across to the shed and peered in.
‘I don’t see any owl,’ whispered Leeming.
‘Neither do I, Victor, but then I never expected to. This is not the shed to which Heygate referred. The one with the owl is closer to Meadow View.’ He peered into the gloom. ‘But I do see something else.’
It was an old handcart with sacking on it. Colbeck felt his way around it to make sure that it was serviceable. Then he led the sergeant back into the garden. As they walked furtively towards the house, Leeming tripped over something and had to stifle a curse as he fell. His knees were covered in fresh earth. What he hadn’t seen was a small mound. It was next to another mound, overgrown with moss. Colbeck bent down to investigate the parallel mounds. He and Leeming were still crouched down when two figures were conjured out of the darkness. The woman was holding a lamp and the man was pointing a shotgun at them. There was menace in his voice now.
‘I had a feeling you might come back,’ said the man, standing over them. ‘Hold the light up, May. Let’s see who these nosy devils are.’
‘Put that gun down, sir,’ suggested Colbeck.
‘Shut up!’
‘You’re right, sir,’ said Leeming as the lamp was held near his face. ‘I think it was stolen from Mr Heygate.’
‘Heygate was too inquisitive,’ said the man. ‘If he’d minded his own business, he’d still be alive now. You made the same mistake that he did.’
Ready to pull the trigger, he aimed the gun at Leeming. Colbeck immediately snatched up a handful of earth and threw it into the man’s face, distracting him completely. The gun went off but it discharged its shot harmlessly into the air. Leeming was galvanised into action. He dived for the man’s ankles and brought him crashing to the ground before hurling himself on top of him. The woman was no mere bystander. She raised the heavy lamp with the intention of smashing it down on Leeming’s skull. Colbeck stopped her just in time, seizing her wrist and twisting it until she was forced to let go of the lamp. It fell to the ground but she was not finished yet. Surprisingly strong, she grappled with him for minutes, kicking, screaming, biting and spitting at him. Evidently, she was very accustomed to a brawl and gave no quarter. Colbeck eventually slammed her against the side of the shed to take the fight out of her, then held her from behind with one hand around her neck and the other applying an arm lock.
Leeming was engaged in an even more desperate struggle against a man determined to kill him. Having failed to shoot the sergeant, he rolled on top of him and managed to hold him down long enough to get the shotgun across his neck. Pressing down hard on Leeming’s windpipe, he tried to choke him to death. As the pain became more intense, Leeming put every ounce of his remaining energy into an upward shove, dislodging his adversary and making him fall backwards. It was the sergeant’s turn to be on top now and the first thing he did was to wrest the shotgun away and fling it out of reach. The two of them traded punches and the advantage swung first one way, then the other. With the woman safely pinioned, Colbeck watched as the man finally shrugged Leeming away and tried to escape.
He got no further than the fence. Before he could scramble over it, he felt his legs being held securely. Leeming dragged him to the ground and pulled him over each of the two mounds in turn. Every time the man attempted to get up, he was knocked back down again by a well-aimed punch. In the end, drained of energy, he simply collapsed in a heap. Leeming reclaimed the shotgun.
An owl hooted nearby.
Dr Morton Swift worked long hours at the asylum. Though he owned a house only a mile away, there were times when he decided to stay at the institution instead of going home. He reserved a large room with an adjoining bathroom for his own use. It was far more comfortable and well appointed than the accommodation used by any of the patients. Much of the space was taken up by a double bed. When he finished work that evening, he adjourned to his private quarters. He was surprised when there was a knock on his door. Anticipating company for the night, he didn’t expect his visitor to come so soon. When he opened the door, he saw that there was no compliant young woman outside. The trio of men comprised Colbeck, Leeming and Steel. The superintendent was holding handcuffs.
‘May we come in, sir?’ asked Colbeck, pushing him back into the room and following him in. Leeming and Steel came behind him. ‘We must apologise for this intrusion but we’ve come to place you under arrest.’
‘What the devil are you talking about?’ demanded Swift, shaking with rage.
‘I thought I was quite explicit.’
‘Please leave at once. You have no right to barge in here.’
‘We have every right, Dr Swift. Our duty is to enforce the law.’
‘We’ve already made two arrests,’ said Leeming, pointedly. ‘Howard and May Gurney are both in custody. They’re friends of yours, I believe. As you can see, they were stupid enough to resist us in the garden.’