The Circus Train Conspiracy

by Edward Marston

  ‘Was the woman still alive at that point?’

  ‘No, but Jacko was. He decided to play a joke on us by digging up the hand and using it to wave. I didn’t know whether to be grateful we’d found him or to strangle the little wretch.’

  After another five minutes, they were close to the place where the discovery had been made. Mulryne had to check his bearings first. He looked around for guidance then spotted a tree stump.

  ‘That’s where we turned right,’ he remembered, leading the way. ‘It’s not far. I hope we don’t see another hand waving at us from the grave. My old heart couldn’t stand that.’

  After walking on slowly, they came to piles of loose earth around a shallow grave. The area had been roped off by the police. Jacko started screeching in alarm and hugged Mulryne for safety. Though the sky still had some brightness, trees were blocking out much of the light. Leeming therefore set his hat aside and lit the lantern he’d been carrying. He used it to illumine the whole area.

  ‘You’ll find nothing,’ warned Mulryne. ‘I didn’t and I searched for ages.’

  ‘What condition was the woman in?’

  ‘In the circumstances, she looked quite well. When the doctor examined her, he said she couldn’t have been here for more than a day. Rigor mortis had set in, of course, but I’d have said she’d once been very pretty.’

  ‘How old would she be?’

  ‘She was older than you, perhaps, but not by many years.’

  ‘Was there any sign of … interference?’

  ‘No, I don’t think so. She was fully clothed and there was no hint of a struggle. She looked almost peaceful. I began to wonder if she’d died of natural causes and been given a private burial.’

  ‘If that had been the case, they’d surely have taken the trouble to dig a proper grave. It looks as if she was covered by less than six inches of earth.’

  ‘That’s what told me there’d been foul play.’

  ‘Did the doctor confirm it?’

  ‘Yes, Sergeant, he said that she’d been poisoned.’

  ‘She was killed elsewhere,’ observed Leeming, ‘then brought to a place where she was highly unlikely to be discovered – by human beings, anyway. It was only a matter of time before animals found her and dug up the body.’ He grimaced. ‘I hate to think what would have happened to her then.’

  ‘We saved her from that fate, thank God.’

  ‘Her family will be eternally grateful to you.’

  ‘It’s Jacko who deserves the credit,’ said Mulryne. ‘He found the corpse and I found him, didn’t I, Jacko?’ He looked around but the monkey was nowhere to be seen. ‘Where’s he gone to now?’

  There was a squeal of joy from the top of a nearby tree. They looked up to see the monkey waving something wildly in the air.

  ‘That’s my hat he’s got up there!’ wailed Leeming.

  Whenever he went to investigate a serious crime associated with the railway, Colbeck found a recurring pattern of resistance. He and Leeming were resented by the local constabulary for taking over a case they felt they could solve, and disliked by railway policemen who hated to be reminded how limited their powers really were. This time it was different. Instead of meeting muted opposition, Colbeck found hero-worship. Cyrus Lill had followed the other man’s career with a mixture of interest and awe. To him, it was an honour to work alongside the celebrated Railway Detective, albeit it in an inferior capacity.

  ‘Are there any reports of missing persons?’ asked Colbeck.

  ‘There are a few,’ replied Lill, ‘but none of a woman fitting the description we’ve released to the newspapers. I’ve not just been in touch with police forces in Cumberland and Northumberland. I’ve sent telegraphs to neighbouring counties as well.’

  ‘Excellent.’

  ‘I reasoned that it’s exactly what you’d have done, Inspector.’

  ‘It is.’

  ‘The victim might actually live hundreds of miles away.’

  ‘That’s true. Details of her discovery have already appeared in national newspapers. The net is being cast far and wide.’

  ‘Without the crash, we might never have found her.’

  ‘That was a fortunate coincidence,’ said Colbeck. ‘I’m deeply sorry for what happened to Moscardi’s Magnificent Circus but one horrendous crime served to bring another to light. The sergeant and I won’t leave until both have been solved.’

  ‘You’ll have our complete cooperation, sir.’

  ‘Thank you, Inspector.’

  ‘This is an opportunity I’ll embrace to the full.’

  There was an almost servile note in his voice and it troubled Colbeck. Adulation was gratifying but it was out of place in a murder investigation where cool heads and unremitting work were required. He began to fear that Lill’s exaggerated respect for him might be as much of a handicap as the surly hostility he met from detectives in other constabularies. And yet the man had clearly been thorough. He’d conducted dozens of interviews and kept a record of them for Colbeck to see. Lill had also spoken to the engine driver and to the manager in Carlisle who’d arranged the two trains for the circus and fitted them into the timetable.

  ‘My question was this,’ explained Lill. ‘What would the Railway Detective do in my position? I followed you in every way, sir. I’ve kept a scrapbook of your cases. I’ve learnt so much from studying your methods.’

  ‘You ought to find your own way of working,’ suggested Colbeck.

  ‘Why do that when there’s a better one available?’

  ‘I can’t claim that it’s better in this case. To start with, I’m an outsider.’

  ‘That hasn’t held you back in the past.’

  ‘You know this area, whereas I don’t. That gives you an advantage.’

  ‘When I’m standing next to you, I certainly don’t feel it.’

  They were close to the point where the crash had occurred. Since the train had left the line in its entirety, there had been only limited disruption to services. At the moment of impact, the sleepers had been knocked clear of the track. It had been a blessing to the NCR. Instead of having to cancel trains, they could concentrate on rescuing the stricken locomotive and rolling stock. The damage was mercifully restricted. Cranes were still working away and there were dozens of labourers at hand. It would be days before the site was cleared completely but something akin to normal service had been restored.

  Colbeck looked meditatively up and down the line.

  ‘They chose a good spot,’ he said. ‘It’s fairly isolated and the engine driver wouldn’t have seen the obstruction until he came around that bend.’

  ‘Actually,’ corrected Lill, ‘the first thing he saw was a red flag, planted right on the curve. That’s what the engine driver told me.’

  ‘So he did have a warning.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘It didn’t come early enough. Even at the locomotive’s reduced speed, there’d be no chance of stopping in time.’

  ‘None at all, I’m afraid. One thing puzzles me.’

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘The nearest sleepers are stored half a mile away. How did they get here?’

  ‘A horse and cart could have brought them.’

  ‘Sleepers are heavy. Are we looking for one man or two?’

  ‘That remains to be seen, Inspector, but a strong man could easily manoeuvre a couple of sleepers into position. The wonder is that he bothered to do so.’

  Lill was surprised. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Well,’ said Colbeck, thoughtfully, ‘if his intention was to cause a major crash, he could have done it much more easily by using a pickaxe to lever some of the rails out of position. It was almost as if he wanted the locomotive to bounce off the sleepers at low speed and remain upright. He even provided a red flag to warn the driver to slow down.’

  ‘That seems odd.’

  ‘Had the accident happened a hundred yards farther back,’ said Colbeck, pointing a finger, ‘and had the rails been
blocked there, then the train would’ve landed on that bank and been absolutely certain to overturn. In that event, lives would probably have been lost and many more passengers and animals would have been badly injured.’

  ‘That never occurred to me,’ admitted Lill.

  ‘It’s perplexing.’

  ‘Are you claiming that the man we’re after was … soft-hearted?’

  ‘I don’t see any evidence of a soft heart, Inspector Lill. What I see are the consequences of a despicable crime that’s caused a lot of pain and inconvenience.’

  ‘But you’re right about the place he chose for those sleepers. Farther back down the line, they could have brought about a catastrophe.’

  ‘What do you deduce from that?’

  ‘The villain didn’t do his job properly.’

  ‘Oh, I think that he did,’ said Colbeck. ‘He picked a spot where the damage would be limited. In other words, he wasn’t out to destroy the circus. He simply wished to stop it from reaching Newcastle.’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  During her confinement, Madeleine Colbeck had felt the absence of her mother most keenly. It was a time when she really needed the advice and reassurance of the person who’d brought her into the world and who therefore understood the mysteries of childbirth. Madeleine had an aunt who’d visited her regularly but could not offer anything like the same support. All that she and the older woman did was to have a version of the conversation they usually had, confined to questions about her father’s health, her plans for a new painting and the details of her husband’s latest case. Though she loved her aunt in spite of the woman’s patent shortcomings, Madeleine drew far more strength from the visit of two people closer to her own age.

  One of them was Victor Leeming’s wife, Estelle, a mother of two sons and therefore able to talk with some authority about the problems of family life. She was a kind, considerate, down-to-earth woman with a pleasant manner and a quiet sense of humour that had often revived Madeleine during her darker moments. The friendship had grown out of the fact that their respective husbands worked together at Scotland Yard. Crime had produced Madeleine’s other close friend as well. She’d met Lydia Quayle when Colbeck was investigating the murder of the latter’s father in Derbyshire and the two women had been drawn together. In the weeks and months leading up to the birth of her daughter, Madeleine had come to rely more and more on Lydia’s visits. Though she didn’t realise it at the time, their friendship was having a significant impact on another relationship in Lydia’s life.

  On her visit that morning, Lydia hovered over the crib and beamed.

  ‘She’s the most beautiful baby in the world.’

  ‘We think that,’ said Madeleine, ‘but we could be accused of prejudice.’

  ‘I’d love to hold her again but I don’t want to wake her up.’

  ‘You won’t have long to wait, Lydia, I promise you.’

  ‘Good.’ She sat beside Madeleine. ‘But I came to see you as well as Helen. How are you? And how is Robert?’

  ‘I’m fine, thank you, and so is my husband – but I’d rather he wasn’t quite so far away at the moment.’

  ‘Why – where is he?’

  ‘He’s somewhere in Northumberland. A train carrying a circus was derailed and the body of a woman was found in the vicinity. Robert didn’t know if there was any connection between the two crimes.’

  ‘It’s such a pity he’s so far away at a time like this.’

  ‘I do feel that I’ve been deserted,’ said Madeleine, sadly. ‘Having him here in London for so many weeks was an absolute treat – for Robert as much as for me. I miss him already.’

  ‘Then I’ll have to call more often, if you can put up with me.’

  ‘What a silly question! You’re always welcome, Lydia.’

  ‘Thank you – I love coming here.’

  ‘So you should – you’re an honorary aunt.’

  Lydia laughed. She was about to reply when a maid came in with a fully laden tray. Madeleine took charge of pouring the tea. As she handed a cup to her visitor, she looked at her shrewdly.

  ‘Is everything all right, Lydia?’

  ‘Yes, yes, I’m in excellent health.’

  ‘I wasn’t asking about your health. You seem a trifle distracted, that’s all. I noticed it when you first arrived. Has anything happened?’

  There was a long pause during which Lydia went off into a world of her own and studied the carpet intently. When she looked up, she contrived a brave smile. Madeleine was worried.

  ‘What’s going on?’ she asked.

  ‘I can’t burden you with my problems,’ replied the other. ‘In any case, they may turn out to be largely imaginary. I just want to enjoy your company.’

  ‘I’d enjoy yours far more if I was in a position to help you.’

  ‘I came as a friend – not as someone in search of help.’

  ‘But you do need help, don’t you?’

  Lydia sighed. ‘You’re very perceptive.’

  ‘That comes from living with a detective. Robert’s taught me how to read people’s faces and to look for certain signs.’ She took Lydia’s hand. ‘I don’t wish to pry. If it’s a private matter, we’ll talk about something else and I’ll never pester you again with regard to … well, the way you’re behaving.’

  ‘Is it that obvious?’

  ‘As a rule, you’re always brimming with life when you come – but not today.’

  ‘No,’ confessed the other, ‘it’s true.’

  Lydia took her hand away so that she could have a first sip of her tea. After pursing her lips for a moment, she reached a decision.

  ‘I do need to talk to someone,’ she conceded.

  ‘Is it to do with your elder brother?’

  ‘Thankfully, it’s not. Now that everything is finally settled with regard to Mother’s will, Stanley has gone very quiet. He’s no longer a threat. I’m still in correspondence with Lucas, my younger brother, and he keeps me abreast of family matters.’

  ‘I’m glad you still have a line of communication.’

  ‘That’s all it is, I’m afraid. My life is here now.’

  She fell silent and Madeleine wanted to reach out and take her hand again. Not wishing to exert even the slightest pressure on her friend, she held back and waited for the words to come when Lydia was quite ready. Minutes drifted past. When she eventually spoke, the visitor blurted out the truth.

  ‘I’m being followed by a man,’ she said. ‘He frightens me.’

  ‘Do you know who he is?’

  ‘No – and that’s what’s so unsettling. I never really have the chance to look at him properly. Whenever I try, he disappears.’

  ‘Is it the man who once followed you here?’

  ‘Oh, no, it’s definitely not him. I was completely unaware of someone behind me on that occasion. Besides, he only followed me to find out where I was going so often. Once he had this address, he reported back to …’ Lydia inhaled deeply. ‘You know the rest.’

  When they’d first met, Lydia had been living with Beatrice Myler, an older woman who’d become very possessive when Madeleine appeared on the scene. Her antagonism towards Lydia’s new friend had been the catalyst that led to the departure from Beatrice’s house. The older woman was so embittered at the loss of the person she loved that she hired someone to track Lydia’s movements. When she learnt what Beatrice had done, Lydia was so hurt that she broke off the friendship completely.

  ‘That was different,’ she recalled. ‘I didn’t feel in any way threatened by that man. This time, I do.’

  ‘Do you think he means to harm you?’ asked Madeleine, anxiously.

  ‘I don’t know what he wants to do.’

  ‘Can you describe him?’

  ‘He’s young, well dressed and … well, I suppose you’d say that he was quite handsome. That’s all I’ve been able to deduce from the glimpses I’ve had of him.’

  ‘Have you challenged him?’

  ‘He doesn’t stay lo
ng enough for me to do that, Madeleine.’

  ‘What steps have you taken?’

  ‘Well, I’ve moved to a different hotel in the hope that I can shake him off by doing so. But it’s only a matter of weeks before I take possession of the house I’m buying. I hate the thought that he’ll run me to earth there.’

  ‘When did you last see him?’

  ‘It was over a week ago. I usually walk here but, when he started following me, I began to take a cab.’

  Madeline felt sympathy well up inside her. Her friend was obviously in distress. She tried to say something that had a degree of reassurance in it as well, she hoped, as a grain of truth.

  ‘You’re a very attractive woman, Lydia. Have you ever considered that he might simply be … an admirer?’

  ‘If only he was,’ said the other. ‘I’ve coped with that situation more than once in the past. It’s sometimes embarrassing but it’s never disturbing. This man is no unwanted suitor. He’s rather sinister, although, for the life of me, I can’t understand why. What should I do, Madeleine?’

  ‘In the first instance, you should confide in Robert. He’d soon solve the problem. Unfortunately,’ added Madeleine, ‘he’s a very long way away.’

  Mauro Moscardi had offered to find them accommodation somewhere in the camp but the detectives instead chose to spend the night at a public house in Fourstones. Though its comforts were few, Colbeck thought that it would be a better option than the circus where they’d have to endure the constant noise of the animals and the penetrating reek from their quarters. With all its faults, the Station Inn was nevertheless able to give them a room each, edible food and the privacy they needed to discuss the case. They were just finishing their breakfast when they had their first encounter with Tapper Darlow, a short, plump, lively old man with a ruddy face decorated by grey side whiskers. He took off his hat to reveal a gleaming bald pate.

  ‘Heavens above!’ he cried. ‘What on earth are you doing in this place? I left word that you should stay at the White Hart in Hexham at the expense of the NCR. I’m the chairman of the company,’ he continued, grandly. ‘My name is Tapper Darlow and yours, I fancy, is Inspector Colbeck.’