Peril on the Royal Train Read online

  Having seen her through the window, Andrews opened the door to greet her.

  ‘I wasn’t expecting you, Maddy,’ he said, giving her a kiss.

  ‘I thought I’d surprise you.’

  ‘You’ve certainly done that.’

  They went inside the house and sat down. The familiar surroundings enveloped her in a warm hug. Her father had made a few changes to the parlour. New ornaments had appeared on the mantelpiece and he’d rearranged the furniture but the room remained essentially the same.

  ‘I came to apologise, Father,’ she began.

  ‘Whatever for?’

  ‘I was too sharp with you yesterday.’

  ‘You weren’t sharp enough, in my opinion,’ he said, penitently. ‘I should be the one saying sorry to you, Maddy. It was wrong of me to want money for what I did. I can see that now.’

  ‘It shocked me at the time.’

  ‘I feel ashamed for having such thoughts. When I got back here, I remembered all the times when you helped Robert in an investigation. Yet you never asked for a brass farthing in return.’

  Madeleine smiled. ‘I got the reward I wanted,’ she said.

  ‘Can you forgive me?’

  ‘I’d rather forget the whole thing, Father.’

  ‘So would I.’

  ‘The matter is closed.’

  ‘It would be nice to think that, Maddy,’ he said, ‘but it’s not true, is it?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Well, when I went to bed last night, I lay awake thinking about it. I must have spent hours going over and over it. I had this dreadful thought.’ He swallowed hard before speaking. ‘What if I was wrong?’

  ‘I don’t follow you.’

  ‘It was only a guess, after all. When you told me what Mrs Renwick had said to you, I was too quick to jump to a conclusion. That burglar may have had no interest in the timetable of the royal train. He went there after money. It could be that I started a panic for no reason at all.’ He reached out to pick up a letter from the table. ‘Think how red my face will be if I made a mistake, Maddy. This letter from Superintendent Tallis will have to be thrown away. When he knows that I’ve misled everybody, he’ll send me a much nastier letter.’

  ‘You’re talking nonsense, Father,’ she said.

  His face creased in concern. ‘Am I?’

  ‘They found that burglar,’ she reminded him. ‘He’d been murdered. Robert was certain that he’d been killed because he knew too much. Then there was the dead man’s servant. He talked about two strangers hiring his master.’

  ‘But he said nothing about them asking for details of that timetable,’ insisted Andrews. ‘If the servant had heard about that, Robert would have told us.’

  ‘Robert didn’t interview him. It was Victor Leeming and the superintendent who did that and they were left in no doubt that Patrick Scanlan had been dragged into a plot to assassinate members of the royal family.’ She went across to put a hand on his shoulder. ‘Sleep soundly tonight, Father,’ she said. ‘You weren’t wrong at all. So you can keep that letter from Superintendent Tallis. It’s a rarity. According to Robert, he’s very frugal with praise yet you’ve got whole paragraphs of congratulation out of him. That’s very unusual.’

  ‘Thank goodness you came, Maddy,’ he said, beaming. ‘You’ve taken a load off my mind. As for this,’ he went on, holding up the letter, ‘I may even frame it.’

  After breakfast at the hotel, Colbeck and Leeming scoured the local ships’ chandlers in search of a telescope. They eventually found what they wanted. Leeming was struck by its weight.

  ‘This could be used as a weapon,’ he said.

  ‘We bought it for a more peaceable purpose, Victor.’

  ‘My children would love to look through it.’

  ‘Perhaps they will one day,’ said Colbeck.

  They were seated side by side in a cab that was taking them back to the Strathallan Hotel. Their meeting with Craig on the previous evening had given a whole new slant to the investigation.

  ‘At last we have some idea why the Caledonian was chosen,’ said Colbeck. ‘There’s a direct link between the railway and the military. It transported several regiments on their way to India but there was a special connection with the Black Watch. Mr Craig’s brother holds a senior rank in it. No wonder they saw the regiment off in such style.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Leeming. ‘The Caledonian treated them like returning heroes before they’d even left. They spent a lot of money on that farewell.’

  ‘Someone clearly resented that. I think it was a soldier.’

  ‘Could it be that deserter you talked about?’

  ‘It’s more than likely. Everyone in the regiment would have known that their lieutenant colonel’s brother was the general manager of the Caledonian. It was the reason the Black Watch was given preferential treatment by the company.’

  ‘Why did the soldier desert?’ asked Leeming.

  ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘And why turn against the Queen he vowed to fight for?’

  ‘That, too, is a mystery.’

  ‘Deserters are usually cowards, aren’t they? There were newspaper articles about them during the Crimean War. When they saw how dangerous it was on the battlefield, they ran away in fear. The army executed every one of them caught.’

  ‘People are not only motivated by fear,’ said Colbeck. ‘The horrors of warfare can disgust them so much that they become pacifists. Or they can be seized by a religious fervour. They might even sympathise with the values of the enemy. It’s wrong to brand them all as cowards, Victor. There’s a degree of bravery in an action that renders one liable to be hanged summarily if arrested.’

  ‘Cowards are cowards in my book, sir,’ said Leeming, brusquely.

  ‘Remind me what Ned Layne said about the two men who hired his master to break into Mr Renwick’s house. Could either of them have been a former soldier?’

  ‘It’s possible. The one who spoke was a hefty man in his thirties with a full beard. He had a Scots accent, apparently. I suppose that he could easily have once belonged to a Highland regiment.’

  ‘What about the man who didn’t say a word?’

  ‘He was short, slight and older – oh, and he was a little swarthier.’

  ‘Did he look foreign?’

  ‘No,’ replied Leeming. ‘Not according to Layne, anyway – though he did say that there was something peculiar about him even though he couldn’t put a finger on what it was.’

  Colbeck’s smile was bleak. ‘I look forward to meeting this gentleman.’

  George Hibbard was pleased with the hiding place. It had been well chosen. The three of them had spent the night in a clearing in the middle of the wood. Because it was set on a hill, they had a good view in all directions. It was safe and secluded. Davey Ure had been responsible for choosing the location. He’d erected the tent and brought in food supplies. A nearby stream provided water and he’d even managed to catch a few fish there. Since they were related, there was a faint resemblance between Ure and Callum Matthews and both were muscular. Hibbard, by contrast, was slim and sinewy. He had a European cast of feature but, in the morning sunshine, his dark complexion was exaggerated. He was the acknowledged leader of the trio.

  As they ate breakfast, they discussed their plans.

  ‘Everything has gone well so far,’ said Matthews, smugly.

  ‘No, it hasn’t,’ countered Hibbard. ‘We weren’t able to kill Scanlan’s servant. That was a bad mistake. He saw us and will be able to give the police descriptions of you and me.’

  ‘What does it matter? They might search for us in London but they’d never dream of looking here. We’re safe, George. Ye made sure that the servant didn’t hear ye speak.’

  ‘I’d still like to have shut his mouth for ever.’

  There was a sing-song lilt to Hibbard’s voice that partially contradicted his appearance and he made an effort to moderate it. Though brought up by his Indian mother, he’d taken on
the name of his English father when he left the country. The older George Hibbard had held a senior position in the East India Company, and – to stave off the boredom of a stale marriage – had strayed outside it. Ure and Matthews made no moral judgements about his parentage. The three of them were united by a common purpose. That was enough.

  ‘D’ye miss the army, Davey?’ asked Matthews.

  Ure snorted. ‘I miss it like a bad tooth that’s been pulled out. My army days are over, Callum. Mind you, they taught me a lot. That’s why ye spent a comfortable night under canvas. I learnt how to pitch a tent properly.’

  Matthews smirked. ‘Did they teach ye to steal as well?’

  ‘Tha’s a gift that comes naturally.’

  ‘It’s served us well,’ said Hibbard. ‘You stole the gunpowder from your old regiment and just about everything else we needed. Most important of all, I think, was your advice about the royal train.’

  ‘I knew that there was a rigid timetable,’ explained Ure, ‘because I stood on Perth station more than once waiting for the royal train to arrive. We were soaked to the skin on one occasion because they made us stand out in the rain. To be fair,’ he added, ‘the train was always on time.’

  ‘It makes our task easier,’ said Hibbard. ‘We know more or less exactly when our target will come into view.’

  ‘The pilot train will come first, George. The one we want will be fifteen miles behind it, so we’ll have fair warning of its approach.’ He munched some bread. ‘What will ye do when it’s all over?’

  ‘I’ll sail away from this damned country as soon as I can. I want to go home. What about the two of you? There’ll be a lot of money coming your way,’ Hibbard continued. ‘I honour my promises. You could both afford to go abroad, if you wish.’

  ‘I’m no’ doing this for the money,’ said Ure, quickly. ‘I’m doing it because of what I saw when I was in Lucknow. I don’t want to be part of an army that straps men over the end of cannon guns and blows them to bits.’

  ‘And ye’ll never get me to leave bonny Scotland,’ attested Matthews. ‘I’m one of many people here who want to shake off English tyranny. Scotland has been in subjection for far too long. The difference between me and the other rebels is that I’m ready to do something aboot it – at whatever cost.’

  Hibbard patted him on the back. ‘You’re a good man, Callum,’ he said. ‘And so is your cousin. I found that out when Davey and I travelled together from India. We didn’t come all this way to fail,’ he declared. ‘Thanks to your help, we can set off an explosion that will be heard all over the British Empire.’

  Tallis read the report with interest and gratitude, fascinated by its contents and thankful that it had been sent to him and not directly to the commissioner. Being the first to see it gave him a sense of importance. Colbeck had been economical with detail but his advice was clear. Since he’d identified the site of the threatened attack, he would be able to prevent it happening. The royal train should leave on schedule, confident that it would meet with no obstruction north of the border. Tallis took the report straight to the commissioner and handed it over. After studying it, Mayne slapped the top of his desk in approval.

  ‘Well done, Colbeck!’ he said. ‘I knew that you’d save the day.’

  ‘There’s still an element of risk,’ argued Tallis. ‘I’d feel happier if there were more than the two of them.’

  ‘They know what they’re doing, man. You trained them, after all.’

  ‘That’s true, Sir Richard. I taught them to temper daring with caution.’

  ‘Judging by this report, they’ll need both.’ He held up the letter. ‘This must be seen by Prince Albert as soon as possible.’

  ‘Will it be enough to convince him to keep arrangements in place?’

  ‘I’m sure that it will.’

  ‘Then I’ll leave everything with you, Sir Richard.’

  ‘Wait!’ said Mayne, checking his pocket watch. ‘I don’t have the time to go now. I’m dining with the Home Secretary. We have important business to discuss and Mr Walpole doesn’t like to be kept waiting.’

  ‘We can’t delay sending this report.’

  ‘I’d never suggest that. Someone else must take it to Buckingham Palace and you are the ideal person to do so. Give my compliments to Prince Albert and tell him that I endorse Inspector Colbeck’s advice. But before you go, Superintendent,’ he added, reprovingly, ‘take a moment to brush that cigar ash from your waistcoat.’

  The reproach went unheard. Tallis had been given the responsibility of delivering an important document to Buckingham Palace. Taking the report from Mayne, he straightened his back, glowed inwardly and marched out as if on his way to have a private audience with Queen Victoria herself.

  When the day finally came, they caught the train in Glasgow and headed south. Their banner was hidden in a valise and their objective was listed on the poster in Tam Howie’s pocket. It was an advertisement for the forthcoming visit of the Queen and her family to Scotland. The timetable for the royal train was laid out with clarity. It gave the sabbatarians an opportunity too good to miss. A full compartment made it impossible for them to discuss what lay ahead. When they alighted and set off in a hired trap, however, nobody could overhear them. Howie drove the vehicle.

  ‘This was a brilliant idea of yours, Tam,’ said Dalton.

  ‘I read an article somewhere about the Queen’s proposed visit to Balmoral. It’s been at the back of my mind for weeks. If the royal train is brought to a halt,’ said Howie, ‘everyone will see our banner fluttering on the hillside.’

  ‘The beauty of it is that nobody gets hurt.’

  ‘Yet we’ll reap a harvest of publicity,’ promised Flora. ‘Her Majesty is a God-fearing woman. In her heart, she’ll applaud our defence of the Sabbath.’

  ‘She’s more likely to complain that the train is late.’

  ‘What’s a little inconvenience compared to the desecration of Sunday by the very railway company on whose track she’s travelling? It will make her think.’

  ‘It will make everyone think,’ said Dalton.

  ‘Yes,’ agreed Howie, ‘and that includes Gregor Hines.’

  ‘Has he been badgering you again, Tam?’

  ‘He let me know that he has his suspicions.’

  Flora huffed. ‘That man was born with suspicions.’

  ‘He’s watching us, Flora, waiting for us to make a blunder.’

  ‘Then he’s going to wait a long time.’

  The three of them laughed. Turning off the track that meandered up the hillside, they drove in the direction of the place they’d selected on their earlier visit. The thick grass slowed them down and the bushes gave them only intermittent glimpses of the railway line below. No human being was in sight. All that they could see was a flock of sheep dotted indiscriminately over the hillside. Eager and confident on the surface, each of them harboured doubts but kept them well hidden, talking continuously to bolster their spirits. Howie had told Gregor Hines that they’d be going on a picnic and they’d brought food and drink with them. Anyone seeing them would assume that they were out on an excursion of some sort. There was an air of collective pleasure about them.

  When Howie finally brought the trap to a halt in a glade, they got down to proceed on foot. There were hours to go yet but they wanted to be in position. Besides, they needed to gather brushwood to light the fire that would bring the royal train to a juddering halt and cause the passengers to look through the windows. What they would see on one side of the line was the huge banner that Flora had painstakingly created. GOD BLESSED THE SEVENTH DAY AND SANCTIFIED IT. Their message would make the royal family itself take heed.

  After tethering the horse in the shadows, Howie tried to lead the way on. Before the Sabbatarian had gone ten yards, however, a burly man in a shepherd’s smock and a battered hat stepped out to block their way. Howie was livid.

  ‘Stand aside, my man,’ he ordered. ‘We have somewhere to go.’

  ‘So do
we,’ said Davey Ure, pointedly. ‘Ask my friends.’

  Callum Matthews and George Hibbard emerged from the bushes either side of the three Sabbatarians. Both were dressed in the rough garb of shepherds and both had pistols levelled at the newcomers. Flora was alarmed and Dalton began to tremble. Howie stepped forward to confront Ure.

  ‘We mean no harm,’ he said, ‘so you can tell your friends to put their weapons down. If we are trespassing, we’ll pay you well to overlook this intrusion. We had to come here, you see. The royal train will pass close by.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Ure, seizing him by the throat. ‘We know.’

  Colbeck and Leeming had also used disguises. Dressed as farm labourers, they looked far less conspicuous in the countryside. Though they were not issued with firearms, there were times when Colbeck felt the need of them and this was one of them. Both he and Leeming therefore carried loaded pistols and a supply of ammunition. Using the telescope to establish that nobody had yet arrived at the place where the gunpowder was hidden, they crept up on it and concealed themselves nearby. All that they had to do was to watch and wait for the moment to surprise the conspirators. Somewhere further down the line, the royal train was on its way north with the most important people in the realm on board. The detectives were determined that it would steam past them unhindered and proceed to Perth.

  After the first hour, they merely felt the discomfort. When a second hour slipped by – and when nobody turned up – Leeming’s nerves began to fray.