Edward Marston - The Railway Detective

Madeleine closed the door after him then went back upstairs.

‘Is there anything I can get you, Father?’ she said.

‘A pair of crutches.’

‘The doctor told you to stay in bed.’

‘I’ll die of boredom if I’m trapped in here much longer.’

‘You’ve had plenty of visitors,’ Madeleine reminded him. ‘Frank Pike came yesterday, so did Rose. Today, it was Gideon’s turn.’

‘He’d be here every day if he had some encouragement.’

She inhaled deeply. ‘You know how I feel on that score.’

‘Give the lad a chance, Maddy. He dotes on you.’

‘Yes,’ she said, sadly, ‘but I do not dote on Gideon.’

‘Your mother didn’t exactly dote on me at first,’ he confided with a nostalgic sigh, ‘but she took me on and — God bless her — she learnt to love me in time. I think I made her happy.’

‘You did, Father. She always said that.’

‘I miss her terribly but I’m glad that she’s not here to see me like this. I feel so helpless .’ He peered up at her. ‘Gideon will be a driver one day, Maddy — just like me. You could do a lot worse.’

‘I know that.’

‘So why do you give the poor man a cold shoulder?’

‘I try to be polite to him.’

‘He wants more than politeness.’

‘Then he wants more than I am able to offer,’ she said.

His voice hardened. ‘Gideon is not good enough for you, is that it?’

‘No, Father.’

‘You think that you are above marrying a railwayman.’

‘That’s not true at all.’

‘I brought you up to respect the railway,’ he said with a glint in his eye. ‘It served me well enough all these years, Maddy. Your mother was proud of what I did for a living.’

‘So am I.’

‘Then why are you giving yourself these airs and graces?’

‘Father,’ she said, trying to remain calm, ‘the situation is simple. I do not — and never could — love Gideon Little.’

‘You’ve set your sights higher, have you?’

‘Of course not.’

‘I’m not blind, Maddy,’ he told her. ‘Something has happened to you over the past few days and we both know what it is. Run with your own kind, girl,’ he urged. ‘That’s where your future lies. Why look at a man who will always be out of your reach?’

‘Please!’ she said. ‘I don’t wish to discuss this any more.’

‘I only want to stop you from getting hurt, Maddy.’

‘You need rest. I’ll leave you alone.’

‘Stick to Gideon. He’s one of our own. Be honest with yourself,’ he said. ‘No man in a silk top hat is going to look at you.’

Madeleine could take no more. Her feelings had been hurt and her mind was racing. Holding back tears, she opened the door and went out.

Superintendent Tallis did not even bother to knock. He burst into Colbeck’s office in time to find the Inspector poring intently over a copy of the Illustrated London News . Colbeck looked up with a dutiful smile.

‘Good afternoon, sir,’ he said.

‘Where have you been, Inspector?’

‘To the Kilsby Tunnel and back.’

‘I know that,’ said Tallis, leaning over the desk at him. ‘Why did you not report to me the moment that you got back?’

‘I did, Superintendent. You were not in your office.’

‘I was in a meeting with the Commissioners.’

‘That’s why I came back here to do some work.’

‘Since when has reading a newspaper been construed as work?’

‘Actually,’ said Colbeck, turning the paper round so that Tallis could see it, ‘I was studying this illustration on the front page. I suggest that you do the same, sir.’

‘I do not have time to look at illustrations, Inspector,’ rasped the other, ignoring the paper, ‘and neither do you. Now what did you learn of value in Northamptonshire?’

‘That it really is a charming county. Even Victor was impressed.’

‘Did you establish how the tunnel was damaged?’

‘I did much more than that.’

‘Indeed?’

‘I discovered why they chose that particular target. More to the point,’ Colbeck announced, ‘I believe that I know where they will direct their malign energies next.’

‘And where is that, Inspector?’

‘At this.’ Colbeck tapped the illustration that lay before him. ‘ The Lord of the Isles . It’s a steam locomotive, sir.’

‘I can see that, man.’

‘The pride of the Great Western Railway. What more dramatic way to make his point than by destroying this symbol of excellence?’

‘Who are you talking about?’

‘The man who organised the train robbery and who instigated the attack on the Kilsby Tunnel. If you take a seat, Superintendent,’ he said, indicating a chair, ‘I will be happy to explain.’

‘I wish that somebody would.’

As soon as Tallis sat down, Colbeck told him about the visit to the scene of the latest crime and how he had become convinced of where the next attack would be. Tallis had grave doubts.

‘It’s a wild guess, Inspector,’ he said.

‘No, sir. It’s a considered judgement, based on what I know of the man and his methods. He is conducting a vendetta against railways.’

‘Then why not blow up another tunnel or destroy a bridge?’

‘Because he can secure infinitely more publicity at the Crystal Palace. Every newspaper in Britain and several from aboard would report the event. After all, the Exhibition has an international flavour,’ said Colbeck. ‘The whole civilised world will be looking at it. That is what this man craves most of all, Superintendent — an audience.’

‘Why should he pick on the Lord of the Isles ?’

‘Because that will set the standard of locomotive construction for years to come, sir. It repeats the design of Daniel Gooch’s Iron Duke , built for the Great Western Railway at Swindon. Other locomotives will be on display,’ he continued, ‘including the famous Puffing Billy and the Liverpool , designed by Thomas Crampton. Our man may choose one of them instead or create an explosion big enough to destroy all the railway exhibits. Inside a structure like the Crystal Palace, of course, any explosion will have a devastating effect.’

‘Only if it were allowed to happen.’

‘That is why we must take preventative measures.’

‘They are already in hand,’ Tallis informed him. ‘I attended a first meeting with the Commissioners about security at the Exhibition in November of last year. We recommended that an extra 1000 police officers were needed.’

‘Yes, but only to control the massive crowds that are expected.’

‘A moment ago, you mentioned the Iron Duke . It may interest you to know that the real Iron Duke, the Duke of Wellington, advocated a force of 15,000 men. I put forward the notion of swearing in sappers as special constables but it was felt — wrongly, in my opinion — that they would be seen as too militaristic.’ He stroked his moustache. ‘As an army man, I believe in the power of the uniform.’

‘The problem is,’ said Colbeck, ‘that a uniform gives the game away. It sends out a warning. Besides, Superintendent, you are talking about security arrangements during the Exhibition. I think that the attack will be made before it.’

‘How have you arrived at that conclusion?’

‘By putting myself in the mind of the man we are after.’

‘But you do not even know his name.’

‘I know his type, sir,’ said Colbeck. ‘Like you, he was a military man. He understands that he must use surprise to maximum effect and strike at the weakest point. Look at the train robbery,’ he suggested. ‘The weak points were William Ings and Daniel Slender. Once their loyalty had been breached, the ambush could be laid.’