Bagsy Browne paced up and down the tiny cell like a caged animal. When a policeman came to taunt him, he was driven back by a torrent of bad language. Browne’s predicament was frightening. He’d been arrested for a whole host of crimes, some of which carried long prison sentences. But it was the charge of murder that rattled him. There was no prison sentence for that – only an appointment with the hangman. What really rankled was the fact that Adeline might be inveigled into giving evidence against him. If she talked about his burning hatred for Joel Heygate and his determination to attend the funeral, she would be inadvertently helping to condemn him. He needed to school her, to rehearse all the answers she was to give to the police. But he had no chance to get anywhere near her. They would be working on Adeline in another part of the building. In any other circumstances, Browne would be fearless. When a meeting with the public executioner was a likely outcome, however, he discovered that he was only human, after all.
On his second trip to Dawlish, Leeming was struck afresh by its enchantment. Even on a dull autumn afternoon, its beach, its brook and its encircling hills were things of wonder. Far less appealing were the people on whom he’d come to call. Michael and Lavinia Heygate were even less welcoming than on his first visit but they invited him in and offered him refreshment. Ensconced in front of their fire, he drank a cup of tea and nibbled at a biscuit as he listened to Heygate’s description of the funeral.
‘It was an ordeal,’ said Heygate. ‘Frankly, I don’t know how I got through it. I kept remembering all the good times that Joel and I had shared – before we came to a parting of the ways.’
‘That’s what I wanted to ask about, sir,’ said Leeming. ‘If you and your brother didn’t speak to each other any more, why did you call at his house on the evening before Guy Fawkes Day?’
‘We went as a courtesy.’
‘Yet you told me that he was testy with you.’
‘Michael made the effort to bury their differences,’ said Lavinia, ‘but Joel was as frosty as ever.’
Heygate nodded. ‘We were both wounded by his attitude.’
They were still dressed in black but they were no longer using sepulchral voices and pretending that they were racked by grief. Leeming was aware of a muted note of victory and a deep satisfaction.
‘Tell me about the evening of November 4th,’ he invited.
‘We’ve already discussed it with you and with Superintendent Tallis,’ said Heygate. ‘There’s nothing we can add.’
‘Oh, I think there is, sir. Remind me where you stayed that night. It was with friends, I gather.’
‘That’s right.’
‘You didn’t stay at an inn, by any chance?’
‘Why pay for an inn when you can enjoy the hospitality of friends?’
‘We can’t afford to stay at an inn,’ added Lavinia. ‘At least, we couldn’t then. Things will be different in the future.’
‘Is that what you told Superintendent Tallis?’
‘Yes,’ replied Heygate. ‘We don’t understand why he sent you back here.’
‘It wasn’t him who sent me, sir. He’s not even in Exeter. I’m sure you’ll be distressed to hear that he’s back in London, nursing a wound inflicted by one of your former customers – this man named Bagsy Browne.’ They were both startled. ‘Don’t worry. We have the villain in custody. Inspector Colbeck and I arrested him at the railway station this morning. Apart from his many other crimes, he’ll be charged with the murder of your brother. Since we feel that he may have an accomplice,’ he went on, regarding each of them in turn, ‘we’ll be looking closely at anyone who’s been in touch with him recently.’
‘Well, you can exclude us,’ said Heygate, nervously. ‘It’s a long time since we’ve seen Bagsy. My wife will tell you.’
‘Yes, yes,’ she said. ‘It was a very long time ago.’
Leeming smiled. ‘We’ll have to ask him exactly when it was.’
‘Don’t accept the word of a rogue like that,’ warned Heygate.
‘You were ready to accept the money of a rogue, sir. You obviously made no distinction between good and bad customers.’
‘Business was slack, Sergeant. We couldn’t turn anyone away.’
‘I see.’ Leeming swallowed the last of the biscuit and washed it down with some tea. ‘What did you think of Superintendent Tallis?’
‘We were touched that the man in charge of the investigation took the trouble to keep us informed of its progress. It was very considerate of him.’
‘Yes, he can be considerate. He’s also very observant. He takes nothing on trust, you see. When you told him you’d stayed with friends in Exeter that night, he asked Superintendent Steel to deploy his men as detectives. And they made an interesting discovery that rather contradicts what you claimed. It seems,’ said Leeming, putting his cup on a side table, ‘that a Mr and Mrs Michael Heygate spent the night in question at the Crown Inn.’ He smiled benignly at them. ‘What do you both say to that?’
They were speechless, each looking desperately to the other for help.
At the end of her working day, Dorcas tried to slip away without being seen by Woodford but he was waiting to waylay her. Though he didn’t say anything, his eyes were full of menace. She read the message that they held for her. While he was in the city, Colbeck might be able to protect her but the inspector would leave before long. She would then be at the mercy of the new stationmaster and could expect no quarter.
Cowed into silence, she trotted all the way home and arrived there with her heart beating like a drum. The first thing that greeted her was the chirping of the canary and she brightened immediately. Dorcas went into the parlour and saw her mother, struggling to put a hand into the cage so that she could clean it. Peter watched from the comfort of his perch and kept up a cheerful commentary.
‘No, no, Mother,’ said Dorcas. ‘Leave that to me. You shouldn’t try to do that when you must be in pain.’
‘It has given me a few twinges,’ admitted Maud, withdrawing her hand and lowering herself gently into her chair. ‘Here – take this cloth, Dorcas.’
‘Wait a moment.’
Dorcas first removed her hat and coat. After hanging them up, she took the cloth from her mother and examined the cage. The base was covered in seeds and droppings. Peter cocked his head to one side and peered quizzically at her.
‘There’s a way of doing this properly,’ she said, going to the cage. ‘Now that it’s safe to let Peter out, he can fly around the room.’
The canary seemed to hear her and seized his chance of freedom, hopping on to the open door then flying out into the room and up to the picture rail. From that eminence, he looked down and regaled them with full-throated song. Dorcas lifted the cage up at a slight angle.
‘Mr Heygate had this specially made,’ she explained. ‘He wanted it very large and with this thick base in it.’
Maud was worried. ‘What are you trying to do?’
‘He told me once that the whole base is hinged so that it opens out. That way, you can get inside the cage to give it a good clean.’
‘Wait for your father. It’s far too heavy for you to handle.’
‘I can manage, I promise you.’
Tilting it at a sharper angle, Dorcas felt for the clips that held the base to the back edge of the cage. She pulled hard and the base flapped down like a trapdoor, spilling the items hidden away beneath it. Dorcas and Maud looked at the things which had just tumbled on to the table. They were absolutely mesmerised.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Madeleine Andrews could see that her father was deeply troubled. While he still talked fondly of Binnie Langton, there was none of his earlier boyish enthusiasm at the rediscovery of love. He now spoke with the caution of a middle-aged man who was weighing up all the possibilities before he made a major decision. When she visited her aunt that evening, Madeleine persuaded him to go with her. Wrapped up warmly against the chill wind, they strolled along side by side. The walk gave them an opportunity to discuss the situ
ation.
‘Are you going to invite her for tea?’ she asked.
‘I don’t know, Maddy.’
‘Do you want to invite her?’
‘Part of me wants to,’ he said, ‘but another part is holding me back somehow.’
‘You’re still thinking about her sister, aren’t you?’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘Mrs Langton will be expecting some kind of response,’ said Madeleine. ‘You went to her house for tea. The least she’s entitled to is a letter of thanks and I daresay she’ll want to know why you stayed such a short time.’
‘I can hardly tell her that I was scared of her sister.’
‘Then you must invent a polite excuse.’
They paused at a kerb and waited for two cabs and a cart to roll past before crossing the road. Once on the opposite pavement, Andrews spied a possible means of escape.
‘It may all be over, Maddy,’ he said, hopefully. ‘I don’t think that Mrs Young took to me. Why should she? She probably told her sister that there was no future in our friendship and that the best thing Binnie could do was to let me go.’
‘I don’t think she’d say that at all,’ argued Madeleine, hurt by the suggestion that her father was unworthy of the woman for whom he cared. ‘You’d be a very presentable suitor to any unattached lady of that age. Besides, Mrs Langton clearly has no objection to you. She wouldn’t be put off by a few words of criticism.’
‘That’s true.’
‘You should have more faith in the friendship.’
‘If only two of us were involved,’ said Andrews, gloomily, ‘then I would. But there are three of us involved now – Binnie, me and her sister.’
‘You can’t count, Father. The correct number is four and it includes me.’
He looked surprised. ‘Yes, I suppose it does.’
‘Not that you’d ever take my advice,’ she added.
‘I hang on your every word, Maddy,’ he said, laughing. ‘But you’re right. I have been in too much of a rush. I should have introduced you to Binnie earlier. Whenever we’ve been together, she’s always asked after you and about the wedding.’
‘On one thing I must put my foot down,’ said Madeleine, firmly. ‘Mrs Langton will not be invited. It’s a small affair with family and friends. Invitations have already been sent out. There’s no room for anyone else.’
‘That’s fair enough.’
‘Robert wouldn’t be happy about it, I know.’
‘It’s a pity he didn’t come to Binnie’s house with me,’ said Andrews. ‘I could have done with police protection when I was set on by Mrs Young.’
‘She sounds like a real harridan.’
‘Well, she didn’t look it, Maddy. That’s the odd thing. She was a very striking woman. In many ways, she’s a more interesting person than Binnie. But for the sharp tongue, Ivy Young would be a catch for any man.’
Madeleine stopped and turned to face him. She took him by the shoulders.
‘Be honest, Father,’ she advised. ‘What would you really like to do?’
‘I’d like to go back to my job on the railway.’
She blinked. ‘Why ever do you say that?’
‘When I was driving up and down the country all day long, I had no time for silly thoughts about women. I acted my age, Maddy. I was happy. It’s not the same any more,’ he confessed. ‘I’m cut adrift. That’s why I was so pleased when Binnie crossed my path. Everything seemed so wonderful at first.’
‘I’m sorry that her sister has blighted everything.’
‘She made me look at Binnie in a different way and it sort of changed my mind. Oh, I don’t know what to do,’ he moaned, shaking his head. ‘If you want the truth, right now I’d like to be hundreds of miles away from here.’
Colbeck was both astounded and elated. On the table in the parlour was a pile of banknotes that had been hidden under the false base in the birdcage. Of far more interest to him, however, was the diary belonging to Joel Heygate. Its hiding place had at last been found.
‘I always said that the canary knew his secret,’ said Colbeck. ‘This device is better than a safe because nobody would dream of looking there.’
‘We only found it by accident,’ said Dorcas, meekly.
‘That’s why we sent for you at once, Inspector,’ said Maud.
Colbeck picked up the diary. ‘You did the right thing, Mrs Hope,’ he said. ‘This may give us vital clues that will help to solve the murder.’
She was puzzled. ‘But you’ve already solved it, haven’t you? I thought that you’d caught the man responsible.’
‘We have someone in custody but he’s being very tight-lipped about what actually happened on the night that Mr Heygate was killed. This diary may at least tell us where the murder occurred and throw up a lot of other valuable information.’
‘What about the money?’ asked Dorcas.
‘It shows you what a frugal man Mr Heygate must have been. At a glance, I’d say that we have at least two hundred pounds. Having so little to spend his money on, he took the sensible decision to save it.’
‘What will happen to it, Inspector?’
‘First of all,’ said Colbeck, ‘I’ll count it in your presence and give you a receipt for the amount. I’d like to say that you could keep it, because you certainly deserve to do so, but it must be handed over to Mr Heygate’s solicitor. It will then be bequeathed to the person or persons nominated in the will.’
‘That will be his brother, even though Mr Heygate didn’t really like him.’
‘We shall see, Miss Hope. In a sense, the cash is immaterial. This diary is worth much more than two hundred pounds. I’ll study it with the greatest interest.’
Dorcas smiled. ‘Will there be any mention of me in it?’
‘I daresay there will be. You looked after Peter for him.’
The canary cheeped in response and fluttered about in the cage.
‘He always does that when he hears his name,’ noted Maud.
‘Birds are more intelligent than we think, Mrs Hope,’ said Colbeck.
‘What about Mrs Rossiter?’ asked Dorcas.
‘I expect to see her name in the diary.’
‘I didn’t mean that, Inspector. I wondered if you had any news of her.’
‘It’s too early for that,’ replied Colbeck. ‘When I went to the asylum, Dr Swift told me that she needed time to adjust to her new surroundings. But she won’t be without a friend in there. He sang the praises of the chaplain and said that he had a gift for helping people like Mrs Rossiter.’
‘Her sister is terribly upset.’
‘Have you been to see her?’
‘Yes, I did. After you suggested it, I went as soon as I could. Miss Impey feels lost and alone. It’s her house but Mrs Rossiter more or less ran it. Now that she’s gone, her sister doesn’t know how to cope. She’s afraid to step outside the door.’
‘We must invite her here,’ said Maud, sympathetically. ‘Miss Impey ought to know that there are some of us who don’t judge her sister harshly.’
‘That would be a comfort to her, Mrs Hope,’ said Colbeck. ‘In time, I trust, more reassuring news about Mrs Rossiter will come out of the asylum. I was very heartened by what I heard about the chaplain there. He’ll surely take pity on her.’
It was evening before Canon Smalley found the time to visit the new arrival. His daily round had taken him all over the asylum, offering whatever help and solace he could. As on the previous occasion, he spent a long while with Agnes Rossiter, listening to her complaints and holding her hands. There were marginal improvements. She was no longer so agitated and her rage against the Church and the god it served seemed to have abated somewhat. But she was still under the illusion that she and Joel Heygate had been destined to marry and still ranted on about her rights as his beloved. When he left her, Smalley had promised to visit her on the following day. She thanked him profusely and had squeezed his hands in gratitude.
As evening wore on, his i
nterest shifted to Esther Leete. He had some idea what to expect because Dr Swift had shown him her file. She’d been admitted to the deaf and dumb asylum two years ago at the age of fifteen. The diagnosis had been one of melancholia at puberty. Throughout her stay, she’d been depressed. Suddenly, she’d become violent and the staff were unable to control her. Swift’s diagnosis was that she was in the grip of a mania. Unable either to speak or to hear, Esther Leete presented special problems. When he called on her, Canon Smalley saw what they were. She was being held in a locked room with a burly female nurse standing over her. Seated on the bed, the girl was strapped into a straitjacket.
Smalley disapproved. ‘Does she have to wear that?’
‘It’s what Dr Swift ordered,’ said the nurse.
‘Can’t you release her so that I can talk to her?’
‘She won’t understand a word of what you say, Canon Smalley. Besides, my orders are to keep her restrained. When she was free, she smashed a glass and tried to cut her wrists.’
‘Dear me!’ he exclaimed. ‘What pain she must be in to be driven to such an extreme.’ He approached the patient and smiled at her. ‘Hello, Miss Leete.’
‘I’d advise you not to get too close,’ warned the nurse.
‘She’s not frightened of me. I pose no threat.’
‘She’s dangerous.’
‘What about her parents?’
‘They were unable to look after her. When her father died, she became very depressed. That’s when she was taken into care.’
Smalley sat on the edge of the bed, barely a yard from the patient; Esther was studying him with glinting eyes. If her face had not been so contorted, she would have been a beautiful young woman. Smalley felt that it was cruel that she had to suffer twin disabilities. Normal life was impossible for her. She had to rely on the patience and assistance of others. Esther looked at his cassock and seemed to understand what it betokened. It did nothing to comfort her. Twisting her features into a grimace, she leapt to her feet and began to make a muffled noise of protest. The nurse grabbed her before she could kick out at her visitor.
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