Authors: Edward Marston
‘I looked more closely at the charges against him, Superintendent. There are several witnesses at The Black Dog in the Devil’s Acre, who will swear that Mulryne did not start the affray. He was not even there when it flared up. Mulryne is paid to quell such outbursts. Those he knocked out during the brawl certainly have no complaint against him. They made the mistake of taking on a stronger man. As for the damage he caused to a window,’ he revealed, ‘nobody is prepared to bring a charge against him on that account.’
‘That Irish gorilla assaulted four policemen,’ said Tallis.
‘Only because they provoked him, sir,’ replied Colbeck, ‘and they now admit that. I spoke to the custody sergeant. Since he’s been behind bars, Mulryne has been a model
prisoner. He’s even made his peace with the four men who tried to arrest him.’
‘Turning on that blarney of his no doubt!’
‘Mulryne was one of them, remember. In his heart, I suspect, he would still like to be.’
‘Not as long as I have anything to say about it!’
‘I raised the matter with Mr Mayne earlier on.’
Tallis was horrified. ‘You tried to get Mulryne reinstated?’
‘No,’ said Colbeck, ‘that would have been asking too much and, in any case, it’s too late for that. No, Superintendent, I wanted to discuss a point of law with him.’
‘When it comes to law, you only need to know one thing with regard to Brendan Mulryne. He’s on the wrong side of it.’
‘Technically, he’s not.’
‘He resisted arrest.’
‘The four officers involved see it rather differently now.’
‘They cannot change their minds about a thing like that.’
‘According to Mr Mayne,’ said Colbeck, levelly, ‘they can. If, on mature reflection, they feel that their report of the incident was slightly inaccurate, they can amend it when they give their statements in court. Like me, Mr Mayne agreed that Mulryne should get off with a small fine.’
‘A small fine!’ roared Tallis.
‘I will be happy to pay it on his behalf.’
‘Inspector, he attacked four policemen.’
‘I prefer to remember the two villains whom he took on last night, sir. Both were armed but Mulryne squared up to them nevertheless. All that Sergeant Leeming had to do was to snap on the handcuffs.’
‘Mulryne had no right to be there in the first place.’
‘You said that I had a free hand to choose my men.’
‘I assumed they would be from inside the police force.’
‘Nobody else could have done what Mulryne did last night.’
‘That does not exonerate him, Inspector,’ said Tallis, sourly. ‘Or you, for that matter.’
Colbeck met his glare. ‘Mr Mayne felt that it did, sir,’ he pointed out, calmly. ‘Since you feel so strongly about it, perhaps you should take it up with him.’
Tallis was halted in his tracks. Whatever else he did, he could not countermand the orders of his superior. Colbeck not only had the Police Commissioner on his side, he had, by effecting the three arrests at the Crystal Palace, earned the admiration of the whole department. A vital breakthrough had at last been made in the investigation. To harry him after such a triumph would be seen as sheer vindictiveness. Tallis retreated to the safety of his desk and took out a cigar from its case. Inhaling deeply as he ignited it, he watched Colbeck through the smoke.
‘I will remember this, Inspector,’ he said, sternly.
‘It is all a matter of record, Superintendent.’
‘What do you intend to do now?’
‘Question the three men in custody,’ said Colbeck. ‘They may not give us the name that we want but we can still squeeze some information out of them. Arthur Jukes is their leader. I’ll start with him. To be frank, I hoped that you might join me, sir.’
‘Me?’
‘You know how to speak to an army man.’
‘That’s true,’ said Tallis, slightly mollified, ‘though all three of them are a disgrace to their regiment. If they were still in
uniform, they’d be court-martialled.’
‘Make that point to them,’ advised Colbeck. ‘If I introduce you as Major Tallis, it will increase your authority. Do you agree, sir?’
Tallis straightened his back. ‘Yes, Inspector. I think that I do.’
‘And we will need the services of an artist.’
‘An artist?’
‘To draw sketches of the three men,’ explained Colbeck. ‘I want to see if Caleb Andrews recognises any of them. Since he is unable to come here to identify the prisoners, we will have to take a likeness of them to him. He might pick out the man who assaulted him.’
‘The fireman can do that – what was his name?’
‘Frank Pike.’
‘Arrange for him to call here.’
‘I will, sir,’ said Colbeck, smoothly, ‘but I think that Mr Andrews is entitled to have a first look at these three men. After all, he was the real victim.’
‘True enough.’
‘He also deserves to know that we have taken such an important step forward in the investigation. When we finish questioning the prisoners, I’ll go across to Camden to apprise him of the situation. I have more than one reason for wishing to see him,’ he added, thinking of Madeleine. ‘Please put an artist to work as soon as you can.’
Thomas Sholto moved swiftly. In the space of a few hours, he had gathered sufficient information about Robert Colbeck to take back to the house in Upper Brook Street. Sir Humphrey Gilzean was waiting for him. When his manservant showed
the visitor into the drawing room, Gilzean got to his feet with urgency.
‘Well?’ he said.
‘I arrived just in time, Humphrey.’
‘In what way?’
‘When I got to Scotland Yard, there was a crowd of reporters waiting to hear details of the arrests. I mingled with them.’
‘Did you get inside?’
‘Yes,’ said Sholto, ‘I pretended that I worked for a provincial newspaper. Nobody paid any attention to me, tucked away at the back.’
‘Who gave the statement? Inspector Colbeck?’
‘No, it was Superintendent Tallis. A military man, by the look of him. He introduced us to the Inspector but would not let him answer any questions. Tallis has taken some severe criticism in the press,’ explained Sholto. ‘He wanted to make sure that he was seen in a better light this time. That’s why he stole all the attention.’
‘So what exactly
did
take place at the Crystal Palace last night?’
‘Three men lay in wait near the locomotives. When Jukes and the others gained entry, they were promptly arrested.’
‘Three against three? Why did they not fight their way out?’
‘They tried, Humphrey, but they were soon overpowered.’
‘Inspector Colbeck is a brave man,’ said Gilzean, ‘but he took a foolish risk when he fought on equal terms. He is obviously no soldier or he would have had a dozen policemen at his back.’
‘Nevertheless, he got the better of Jukes and the
Seymours.’
‘How on earth did he come to be there in the first place? Was it a complete coincidence or a case of inspired guesswork?’
‘Neither,’ replied Sholto. ‘According to the Superintendent, they realised that the shipment of glass for the Great Exhibition was the intended target of the Kilsby Tunnel explosion. That led them on – at least, it led Inspector Colbeck on – to the conviction that the locomotives on display at the Crystal Palace were in potential danger. Last night was the third during which he kept vigil.’
‘A patient man, clearly.’
‘And a powerful one. It seems that he tackled Arthur Jukes on his own and beat him into submission – even though he had to take a few blows himself.’
‘Jukes is a tough character. He would have fought like a tiger.’
‘The tiger has now been caged.’
Gilzean nodded soulfully. It had given him pleasure to organise the train robbery, to inflict damage on a railway company and to outwit the detectives who were put in charge of the case. The murders of William Ings and Daniel Slender had been necessities rather than sources of enjoyment, though they had also been carried out in order to muddy the waters of the investigation. Someone, it now transpired, was able to see clearly through muddy waters and it was troubling.
‘What manner of man is this Robert Colbeck?’ he asked.
‘A positive dandy.’
‘Yet able to acquit himself well in a fight.’
‘I’d not like to take him on, Humphrey.’
Sholto went on to give of description of Colbeck’s
appearance and behaviour. Since the Inspector was clearly known to the other reporters, Sholto had taken the trouble to talk to as many of them as possible, picking up all kinds of anecdotes about Colbeck. He retailed them to Gilzean, who assimilated all the facts he had been given.
‘Tall, handsome, single,’ he noted. ‘He must be a ladies’ man.’
‘Apparently not.’
Gilzean was curious. ‘Are you telling me that he seeks exclusively
male
company?’
‘No,’ said Sholto. ‘I would never accuse him of that.’
‘Then he must have a social life of some kind.’
‘One of the reporters told me that Colbeck is something of a mystery. He trained as a lawyer, went to the bar, then, for some inexplicable reason, chose to become a policeman.’
‘There’s no such thing as an inexplicable reason, Thomas. A man would only make such a radical change of direction if he were prompted by just cause. It would help us if we knew what it was.’
‘There was one rumour.’
‘Go on.’
‘Someone told me that there had been an incident in his past,’ said Sholto, ‘involving a broken engagement.’
‘Now we are getting somewhere!’
‘It was some years ago, apparently.’
‘Who was the lady in question?’
‘I did not get a name.’
‘See if you can discover what it is, Thomas,’ said Gilzean. ‘We may be able to use it as a lever. Inspector Robert Colbeck must have some human contact, surely. No parents still alive, no brothers or sisters, no close friends – I do not believe it.
There has to be
someone
.’
‘How can we find out?’
‘By having him followed.’
‘That will not be easy.’
‘He does not spend twenty-four hours a day at Scotland Yard. And when he leaves, I doubt if he always goes home to an empty house. Have him followed, Thomas,’ he instructed. ‘We’ll soon unravel the mystery of Robert Colbeck.’
When she finally had some time to herself, Madeleine Andrews chose to read the newspaper cuttings that she had kept since the train robbery. Her father’s injuries were mentioned but the name that she paid most attention to was that of Robert Colbeck, wondering how she could manage to meet him again without seeming forward. Madeleine recalled their last conversation and smiled. She was still annoyed that she had been followed to Scotland Yard by Gideon Little but that did not prevent her feeling a pang of sympathy for him. If he were so obsessed with Madeleine that he would shadow her across London, he had to be pitied. She hoped that he would find someone else to whom he could transfer his stifling affections.
There was a loud knock at the door. Fearing that it might be Gideon Little, she was minded to ignore the caller at first but her father’s yell from upstairs made that impossible. It might well be another visitor for him and she was grateful for anyone who could offer him some distraction. Putting the cuttings away in a drawer, therefore, she went to open the front door.
‘Oh, my goodness!’ she cried.
Her exclamation blended pleasure with sheer fright. While
she was overjoyed to see Colbeck standing there, she was shocked at the sight of the bruising on his face.
‘Hello, Miss Andrews,’ he said, raising his hat.
‘What happened to you?’ she asked with concern.
‘That is what I came to tell you.’
She noticed the bandage. ‘And your hand is injured as well.’
‘A minor problem. Is it convenient for me to come in?’
‘Yes, yes,’ said Madeleine, backing away and wishing that she had known that he was about to call. ‘Forgive my appearance.’
‘I see nothing whatsoever wrong with it.’
‘This is my working dress, Inspector.’
‘And very charming you look in it, Miss Andrews.’
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘Do you wish to see Father?’
‘Yes, please. I have some good news for both of you.’
She led him up the staircase and he watched her hips swaying entrancingly to and fro in front of him. Stepping into the bedroom, he was greeted by a look of surprise from Caleb Andrews.
‘Have you been fighting, Inspector?’ he said, staring at his face.
‘A light scuffle, Mr Andrews,’ replied Colbeck. ‘Nothing more. My injuries pale beside yours even though we may possibly have come up against the same man.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Three arrests were made last night. The men were all members of the gang involved in the train robbery.’
‘At last!’ said Madeleine.
‘We still have to round up the others, of course, but we feel that we are definitely closing in on them now. Last night
was a turning point.’
‘Tell us why, Inspector,’ urged Andrews. ‘We want the details.’
Without even saying that they had been acting on his initiative, Colbeck told them about the successful ambush at the Crystal Palace and gave them the names of the three men in custody. Madeleine clapped her hands together in delight but her father shook his head.
‘Those names mean nothing to me,’ he said.
‘Perhaps their faces will, Mr Andrews.’
‘You’re going to bring the rogues here for me to see them?’
‘I already have,’ said Colbeck, taking some sheets of paper from inside his coat and opening them out. ‘These are only sketches, mark you, but I think that the artist caught the salient features of each man. Here,’ he went on, passing the first sketch to Andrews, ‘this is Harry Seymour. Do you recognise him?’
‘No,’ said Andrews, squinting at the paper. ‘No, I don’t think so.’
‘What about his brother, Vernon?’
‘Let me see.’ He took the second sketch then shook his head. ‘No, this is not the man either. He was bigger and with an uglier face.’
‘Perhaps it was Arthur Jukes, then,’ said Colbeck, showing him the last drawing. ‘Ignore the black eye,’ he advised. ‘That’s what I gave him when he had the temerity to fight back. Those whiskers of his are ginger, by the way.’