The Railway Detective Collection: The Railway Detective, the Excursion Train, the Railway Viaduct (The Railway Detective Series) by Edward Marston Read Free Book Online Page A

eliminate him from our inquiries. Now,’ he said, softly, ‘I realise that this is a difficult time for you but I must press you on the matter of his whereabouts.’
    ‘I told you, Inspector. I don’t know where he is.’
    ‘You must have some idea, Mrs Ings.’
    ‘None at all.’
    ‘When did he leave?’
    ‘Last weekend.’
    ‘Did he offer you no explanation?’
    ‘William simply packed a bag and walked out of the house.’
    ‘He must have had somewhere to go to,’ insisted Colbeck, watching her carefully. ‘Somewhere – or someone.’
    Her cheeks reddened. ‘I don’t know what you mean, Inspector.’
    ‘I think that you do.’
    ‘William is not that sort of man.’
    ‘Your husband is a trusted employee at the Post Office,’ he told her, calmly, ‘a man with access to important information. On the eve of a serious crime that may be linked to his place of work, Mr Ings not only pleads illness and stays away, he leaves his wife and children to fend for themselves while he goes elsewhere.’ He fixed her with a piercing stare. ‘I think that we have rather more than a curious coincidence here, Mrs Ings. Don’t you?’
    Maud Ings was in a quandary. Wanting to protect herhusband, she was deeply hurt by his treatment of her. Refusing to accept that he could be involved in a crime, she came to see that the evidence was pointing against him. She wrestled with her conscience for a long time but Colbeck did not rush her, recognising that her situation was already exerting almost unbearable pressure upon the woman. She was the discarded wife of a man who might turn out to be involved in a major crime. It took time for her to adjust to the full horror of her predicament.
    Eventually, she capitulated and gabbled the information.
    ‘I don’t know the woman’s name,’ she said with rancour, ‘but I think that she lives in the Devil’s Acre.’

CHAPTER FOUR
    Superintendent Edward Tallis was just finishing another cigar when there was a knock on the door of his office. It was late but he rarely left his desk before ten o’clock at night, believing that long hours and continual vigilance were required to police a city as large and volatile as London. He cleared his throat noisily.
    ‘Come in,’ he called, stubbing out his cigar in an ashtray.
    Robert Colbeck entered. ‘Good evening, sir,’ he said.
    ‘I was wondering when you’d deign to put in an appearance.’
    ‘Sergeant Leeming and I have been very busy.’
    ‘To what effect?’
    ‘I believe that we’ve made slight headway, Superintendent.’
    ‘Is that all?’
    ‘There’s still a lot of intelligence to gather,’ said Colbeck, ‘but I wanted to keep you abreast of developments. Is this a convenient time?’
    ‘No,’ said Tallis, grumpily, ‘it most definitely is not. My head is pounding, my bad tooth is aching and I’m extremely tired. This is a highly inconvenient time, Inspector, but I’ll endure it with good grace. Take a seat and tell me what youhave to report.’
    Colbeck chose a leather armchair and settled back into it. Relying solely on his memory, he gave a concise account of the progress of the investigation and drew a periodic grunt of approval from the other man. He took it as a good sign that Tallis did not even try to interrupt him. Colbeck just wished that the cigar smoke were not quite so acrid, mingling, as it did, with the stink from the gas lighting to produce a foul compound.
    ‘Where is Sergeant Leeming now?’ asked Tallis.
    ‘Questioning senior figures at the railway company,’ said Colbeck. ‘I left him to do that while I called at the home of William Ings.’
    ‘But the cupboard was bare.’
    ‘The man himself may not have been there, Superintendent, but I feel that I gathered some valuable clues. I strongly advise that we keep the house under surveillance in case Mr Ings should chance to return.’
    ‘Why should he do that?’
    ‘To give his wife money and to see his children.’
    ‘The complications of