Edward Marston - The Silver Locomotive mystery

There was a point when Leeming thought he might have to intervene but it quickly passed. Colbeck was far too strong and experienced. In the course of his career as a detective, he had had to make many arrests of violent men. It had built up his stamina. Though the silversmith was fighting to save his life, he was no match for Colbeck. His strength at last began to fade. In a last bid to escape, he tried to get up and run away but his legs were scythed from beneath him by Colbeck's foot. Kellow fell headfirst on to the grass. Before he could move, he felt a knee in his back and a pair of handcuffs being snapped on to his wrists. Bruised, dishevelled and with his frock coat torn, Colbeck stood up and hauled his prisoner to his feet. Kellow was breathless and exhausted. Effie was weeping.

Colbeck bent down to pick up the silver coffee pot and brush away some specks of dirt. He inspected it carefully all over.

'It's in perfect condition,' he said, approvingly. 'It will go to its proper home at long last.'

The two prisoners were given a temporary home in the police station nearby. While Effie and Kellow had their first experience of being locked up, Colbeck cleaned the blood from his face and brushed some of the dirt from his coat. Two policemen were sent off to secure the property bought by Kellow so that nothing could be stolen. Leeming had the coffee pot locomotive in a leather bag. He was puzzled when Colbeck asked him to wait at the police station.

'But we have to take the prisoners back to London, sir,' argued Leeming, eager to relay word of their triumph to Edward Tallis.

'All in good time,' said Colbeck.

'Where are you going?'

'I have some business to take care of, Victor.'

'Shall I come with you?'

'I think not. This is an expedition that can only ever involve two people. You'd be highly embarrassed and feel that you were in the way. We'll not be long.'

'As you wish, sir,' said Leeming, wondering what he meant.

Colbeck went through into the outer office where Madeleine was talking to the desk sergeant. She was surprised that he was alone.

'What about your prisoners?' she asked.

'They can wait.'

'Why the delay?'

'Let's step outside,' he suggested, 'and I'll explain.'

Colbeck took her out and surveyed the streets facing them. He was irritated by the tear in his coat but, since it was under his arm, it was not very noticeable. It certainly would not prevent him from taking what would be an extremely important walk. Madeleine was still bewildered.

'What about the sergeant?'

'Victor can cool his heels while we take a stroll.'

'Where are we going, Robert?'

'We're going to take advantage of a unique opportunity,' he said, holding her hands. 'It seems perverse to come to a Jewellery Quarter without buying some jewellery. I thought that we might look in a few windows.'

'Why?'

He smiled at her. 'Why else?'

Madeleine could not believe what she was hearing. It made her head spin. As his smile broadened into a grin, her heart began to pound and she felt unsteady on her feet. Standing outside a police station in Birmingham seemed the most unlikely place for her to receive a proposal of marriage. Yet, in another sense, it was highly appropriate. She knew that Colbeck was wholly committed to his work as a detective and that any wife of his would have to accept that. Madeleine was happy to do so. She loved him enough to take him on any terms. Yet she was still troubled by uncertainty.

'Do you mean what I hope you mean, Robert?' she asked.

'I think it's high time we put your father's mind at rest,' he replied, taking her hands. 'I know that he thinks I'm trying to lead his lovely daughter astray. I need to show him that my intentions are honourable.'

'Everything you do is honourable.'

'When you have a ring on your finger, he may finally learn to trust me. You won't have to put up with his badgering any more. If, that is,' he went on, 'you accept me.'

Madeleine was overjoyed. Her mind was filled with dozens of things she wished to say but her lips refused to open. All that she could do was to luxuriate in the moment. Something she had dreamt about for years had finally become a reality. It was intoxicating.

'Well?' he pressed. She nodded her head vigorously. 'Thank heaven for that. I had a horrible feeling that you'd reject me.'

'There was never any danger of that, Robert,' she said, finding her voice at last. 'The answer is yes – yes – yes!'

Colbeck removed his hat so that he could kiss her on the lips. Then he embraced her warmly. They stood there in silence for some while, savouring the moment. Eventually, she looked up at him.

'What made you decide to ask me here?' she asked. 'It's hardly the most romantic place. You caught me completely off guard.'

'Is that a complaint?''

She laughed with pleasure. 'No, no, I'm delighted.'

'And I'm thrilled, Madeleine. Fate must have brought us here for a purpose and it wasn't simply to arrest two people. I'm sorry it wasn't quite how you might have hoped it would be but I just couldn't help myself. When we were waiting for Victor to get into position at the rear of the house, I had this sudden impulse. I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you and not simply be an occasional visitor to your house. I love you, Madeleine.'

'I love you, Robert – even with those bruises on your face.'

He put a hand to his cheek. 'When your father sees the state I'm in, he'll think that you've beaten me into submission.'

'I don't care what he thinks.'

Neither do I.' He offered his arm and she took it. 'Let's see what Birmingham has to offer us in the way of rings, shall we?'

Edward Tallis was so pleased to hear of the arrests that he produced a bottle of brandy from a drawer and poured a generous amount into two glasses. Handing one to Victor Leeming, he raised the other one in a silent toast before taking a long sip.

'I think we deserved that, Sergeant,' he said. 'Congratulations!'

'Thank you, sir,' said Leeming, taking a more tentative sip. 'Though the person you ought to be congratulating is the inspector.'

'Were the fellow here, I'd happily do so. Where is he?'

'He'll be here before too long. He wanted to make sure that the prisoners were in safe custody.'

Leeming knew full well that Colbeck was taking Madeleine Andrews back home before returning to Scotland Yard but he did not tell that to his superior. Nor did he let him in on the secret that the inspector was now engaged to marry. Madeleine had returned from Birmingham with an expensive ring on her finger. Leeming was touched to be the first person who knew about the betrothal and he had wished the couple health and happiness.

'Mind you,' said Tallis on reflection, 'any praise I give to the inspector must be tempered with criticism. He did make a mistake.'

'He'll be the first to admit it.'

'The pair of you went chasing after Stephen Voke in the certainty that he was the villain – so much for Inspector Colbeck's reputation for infallibility!'

'Even the best horse stumbles, sir.'

'Quite so, quite so,' confessed Tallis. 'I myself am not free from blame here. I stumbled badly in Wood Street. In telling Mr Voke that he'd alienated his son by his behaviour and created a desire for revenge in his assistant, I fear that I may have pushed him another step towards the frightful decision to take his own life.'

'That was hardly your fault, sir,' said Leeming, surprised by the frank admission. 'Leonard Voke was a fine silversmith but he was a poor father and a miserly employer. The wonder is that he got anyone to work for him. I'm sorry for what happened to him but I fancy that he brought it all on himself.'

'My conscience is still troubled.'

'I don't see that it should be.'