Edward Marston - Inspector Colbeck's Casebook

‘Did you actually see any bloodstains?’

‘No, but it’s a strong possibility they were there.’

‘Only if he actually committed the murder,’ said Colbeck, ‘and to do that, he’d need a key to the church. Where did he get it from?’

Leeming’s certainty faltered. ‘I’m not sure about that, sir.’

‘It’s the crucial factor. Is Huxtable a religious man?’

‘Not as far as I could see.’

‘Then the significance of that scene at the altar would mean nothing to him.’

‘He just looked so guilty, Inspector.’

‘And so did Harry Blacker when I first clapped eyes on him.’

‘Is he a likely suspect?’

‘No,’ said Colbeck, ‘but he did point me in the direction of someone who might be. Come on, Victor,’ he said, moving off. ‘We have a train to catch.’

Leeming fell in beside him. ‘Are we going back to Euston?’ he asked, hopefully.

‘I’m afraid not. Do you know why the railway company chose Wolverton as a place for their depot and their factories?’

‘No, I don’t.’

‘It’s almost equidistant between London and Birmingham. When I said that we had a train to catch, there was something I forgot to mention.’ Colbeck gave a teasing smile. ‘It won’t be the same train. You’ll go in the direction of London and I’ll go in the direction of Birmingham.’

When they called in on Adam Revill later that afternoon, the warden had rallied. A couple of hours’ sleep had put some colour in his cheeks and given him the urge to sit up in bed and read. Anthony and Maria Vine were pleased to see the improvement in him. Maria placed a cup of tea on the bedside table.

‘There you are, Uncle Adam,’ she said. ‘It’s just as you like it.’

‘You’re so good to me, Maria — and so are you, Anthony.’

‘We’re both happy to help.’

‘I feel so much better now,’ said the warden. ‘The person who really needs your help is Simon Gillard. After making that grisly discovery in the church, he must be in a terrible state. I just wish that I was well enough to comfort him.’

‘Anthony says they’ve moved the body,’ explained Maria. ‘He walked past the church earlier on. The detectives seem to have disappeared.’

‘Well, I hope they come back soon,’ said Vine. ‘The murder has cast a pall over the whole town. We need someone to lift it from us. As for Simon, I agree that he’ll need a lot of support from us. He doesn’t have the strongest constitution. It’s been a real blow.’

‘You must be ready to take over, Anthony.’

‘I’m not a warden, my dear.’

‘You will be one day and there’s nobody who can compare with you when it comes to church affairs. That’s the kindest thing you can do for Simon. Tell him that you’ll take over his duties next Sunday. It will be a huge weight off his shoulders.’

‘Maria is right,’ said Revill. ‘You’re the man to step into the breach.’

‘I’d have to speak to the vicar first,’ said Vine, clearly attracted by the notion. ‘I’ll need his approval before I speak to Simon Gillard.’

They heard a knock at the front door. Maria went off to see who it was.

‘That may be the vicar now,’ said Revill. ‘He promised to call this afternoon.’

‘Then I’ll seize my opportunity,’ said Vine.

But it was not the Reverend Odell. They heard a voice talking to Maria then three sets of footsteps came up the staircase. Maria entered the bedroom with Colbeck and Leeming. Since he’d met Revill and Maria before, the sergeant took charge of the introductions. Vine shook hands with both men.

‘I’m so glad that you haven’t deserted us,’ he said. ‘We need this murder solved and solved quickly.’

‘We take the same view, Mr Vine,’ said Colbeck. ‘That’s why we went for a ride on the train. I went to Blisworth and the sergeant went to Bletchley. When he drew a blank there, he went on Leighton Buzzard.’

Maria was baffled. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘Everything turns on that key, Mrs Vine. Only three keys to the church existed so the killer must somehow have acquired a fourth. And that,’ Colbeck said, ‘means that he needed a locksmith to make one. He’d be too cunning to use someone here in Wolverton so he’d go to another town — Leighton Buzzard, as it turns out.’

‘The locksmith there was very helpful,’ said Leeming. ‘He remembered that he’d made a replica of a key to a church door only days ago and he remembered the man who asked him to do it. Of course,’ he went on, turning meaningfully to Vine, ‘you were careful not to give him your proper name. You called yourself Marklew.’

‘That was my maiden name!’ cried Maria, looking at her husband. ‘Is this true, Anthony? Did you go to Leighton Buzzard?’

‘No,’ replied Vine, indignantly. ‘The locksmith is confused.’

‘We can soon clear the confusion,’ said Colbeck. ‘We can take you to meet the gentleman and he will confirm his identification.’ He confronted Vine. ‘You took advantage of Mr Revill’s illness, didn’t you? While he was confined to his bed, you borrowed his key, had a copy made and restored the original to its place here. Then you overpowered Mr Exton, got him into the church and committed the murder in front of the altar.’

Vine spluttered. ‘I’d never dream of doing such a thing.’

‘We spoke to the vicar, sir. He told us what a deeply religious man you were.’

‘There’s nothing religious about battering a man to death,’ said Leeming.

‘I also spoke to Harry Blacker,’ resumed Colbeck. ‘He said that you were incensed when you heard that Mr Exton had defecated on your mother’s grave. There’d been bad blood between them when she was alive, apparently, but nothing excused what he did in that churchyard.’

Maria was staring at her husband in horror and Revill was scandalised.

‘Did you take my key behind my back, Anthony?’ he demanded.

‘Yes, he did,’ said Leeming.

‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this,’ said Maria, backing away.

Abandoning denial, Vine tried to justify what he’d done.

‘He deserved it, Maria,’ he argued. ‘Have you forgotten all the other things he did to the church? I lost count of the number of times I had to scrub off the obscenities Exton had daubed on the walls. He mocked God. He laughed at Christianity,’ he cried, eyes darting wildly. ‘When he … did what he did over my mother’s grave, it was the final straw. I had to teach him a lesson. You must see that. I took him into church and made him beg forgiveness from God — then I killed him in front of the altar.’ He raised a palm. ‘Don’t ask me to feel sorry for him because I don’t. Divine guidance made me do it.’

Colbeck nodded to Leeming who moved forward to make an arrest. But Vine was not going to surrender. Grabbing the sergeant by the shoulders, he flung him away then lifted the sash window in order to jump out. A yell of pain told them that he’d fallen badly and injured himself.

‘I’ll arrest him outside,’ said Leeming, leaving the bedroom.

‘Yes,’ said Colbeck, peering through the window. ‘From the look of it, you won’t get much resistance this time.’

‘Anthony can’t plead divine guidance,’ said Revill in bewilderment. ‘Thou shalt not kill . That’s what we’re taught. What Anthony did was … dreadful.’

Maria was still transfixed by what she’d learnt about her husband. As she tried to take in the full horror of it all, her face crumpled and the tears gushed out. After a few moments, she collapsed into Colbeck’s arms.

When the train pulled into Euston station, the detectives got out and walked along the platform. Both were pleased to have solved the crime so quickly and to have restored a degree of calm to Wolverton.