‘The honest answer is that there have been occasional moments of friction,’ he said, blithely ‘That’s what you wanted to know, isn’t it? You were wondering about my relationship with my bishop.’
Colbeck blinked. ‘How did you know I was going to ask that?’
‘It’s what most people think when they hear some of my rather eccentric opinions. They marvel why I’ve not been rapped over the knuckles and forced to toe the line.’
‘The Anglican church has many restraints.’
‘And I willingly abide by most of them,’ said Follis. ‘But I reserve the right to conduct my ministry according to my own promptings. I’m more concerned about the response of my parishioners than the strictures of the bishop or the dean. As long as I can preach to a congregation, I’ll continue to do so in my own way.’ He took a sip of tea. ‘Now, tell me, Inspector – what progress have you made?’
‘We’re still in the early stages of the investigation,’ said Colbeck, ‘but I have every confidence that we’ll catch the person or persons responsible for the crash. It’s only a question of time.’
‘That’s reassuring to hear.’
‘We already have some suspects in mind.’
‘It must be someone with a fierce hatred of trains.’
‘You could well be right,’ said Colbeck, unwilling to give any more information. ‘Even after all this time, railways are still not universally accepted. Whoever caused that crash wanted to inflict serious damage on the LB&SCR. He knew how calamitous the consequences would be.’
‘Journeys to London have been badly disrupted,’ remarked Follis, ‘and that’s a nuisance to those of us who go there on a regular basis. Not that I’ll be doing any travelling for a while,’ he went on. ‘I’ll have to wait until I begin to look more human.’
Colbeck sampled the tea. ‘This is excellent,’ he said.
‘Mrs Ashmore looks after me very well. Here in the rectory, I have everything a man could desire – peace, harmony, a selection of fine books and the loving care of a woman.’ He set his cup and saucer down. ‘In view of your well-deserved reputation, Inspector, I’ve every reason to accept your judgement but I have to point out that your view is not shared by everyone. All of the passengers still believe they were victims of an unfortunate accident.’
‘Until we catch the perpetrator, I’m happy for them to think that. There’s no need to spread alarm, especially when the survivors are hardly in the best condition to cope with it. No,’ said Colbeck, ‘the official view remains that of the inspector general.’
‘He puts the blame on the driver of the Brighton Express.’
‘That’s both wrong and unjust.’
‘Is he aware that you hold a very different opinion?’
‘Oh, yes,’ replied Colbeck. ‘Captain Ridgeon and I have already clashed once. I daresay that we shall do so again before long.’
Captain Harvey Ridgeon was in a purposeful mood when he called at Scotland Yard that afternoon. Demanding to speak to the most senior detective on the premises, he was shown into the office of Edward Tallis. After attending church early that morning, the superintendent had spent the rest of the day going through reports of the various cases that came under his aegis and making copious notes of the instructions he intended to give to his respective officers. He could see at a glance that his visitor had come to complain.
Once introductions had been made, Ridgeon was offered a seat. As former soldiers, they had similar attitudes, similar upright sitting positions and similar ways of speaking. What distinguished Tallis was that he no longer attached his military rank to his name, preferring the nomenclature conferred on him by the Detective Department.
‘What can I do for you, Captain Ridgeon?’ he asked.
‘I’d like you to remonstrate with Inspector Colbeck,’ said the other, coolly. ‘I find his interference both unhelpful and annoying.’
‘Then your argument is with the railway company itself. It was they who sought his assistance.’
‘I need no assistance, Superintendent. As my record shows, I’m perfectly capable of carrying out an inquiry into a railway accident.’
‘Nobody disputes that. The point at issue here, however, is that we are not dealing with an accident. Inspector Colbeck is certain that a heinous crime has been committed.’
‘The facts are open to that misinterpretation, I agree,’ said Ridgeon. ‘What surprises me is that the much-vaunted Railway Detective has misread them so wilfully.’
‘His report seemed convincing enough to me.’
‘The real fault lies with the driver, Superintendent.’
‘What about the bolts that were found in the bushes?’
‘They could easily have sprung clear when the locomotive first left the rails. Think of the force involved – the train demolished the whole track as it careered along.’
‘How do you explain the pickaxe found by Sergeant Leeming?’
‘That was the surest proof of your officers’ inexperience,’ said Ridgeon. ‘Both of them leapt to the same conclusion. Had they been as acquainted with the laziness of certain railwaymen as I am, they would have known that some of them conceal their tools under the bushes to save them the trouble of having to carry them to and fro.’
‘But no work had been done recently on that stretch of line,’ said Tallis, recalling the detail in Colbeck’s report.
‘Then the pickaxe was left there at an earlier stage and forgotten by the man who put it there. Or perhaps he’s no longer working for the company. There’s nothing sinister in that pickaxe. It’s not the first implement I’ve found concealed near the line.’
Tallis was irritated by the mingled authority and complacence in his voice. Unlike the superintendent, Ridgeon was not given to bluster and browbeating. He opted for a calm yet incisive approach. There was no doubting the man’s credentials. Only someone of exceptional talent would have been appointed to head the railway inspectorate. For the first time, Tallis began seriously to wonder if Colbeck had made a mistake in his assessment of the crash. His instinct, however, was to support his officers steadfastly so his expression betrayed no hint of this worrying thought. He stroked his moustache meditatively.
‘Well?’ asked Ridgeon after a long pause.
Tallis gave a shrug. ‘Well what, Captain?’
‘I’m waiting for a response.’
‘I put my faith in Inspector Colbeck.’
‘Does that mean you’re not going to reprimand him?’
‘Not without good reason,’ said Tallis.
‘But I’ve just given you that good reason,’ said Ridgeon. ‘The inspector has contradicted my findings and reached an alternative conclusion that is both mistaken and dangerous.’
‘Dangerous?’
‘If the newspapers hear that a crime is suspected, they will seize on the notion and give it wide publicity. Imagine how upsetting that will be for the survivors of the crash, not to mention the LB& SCR itself. Inspector Colbeck will have caused a lot of unwarranted panic.’
‘The truth is bound to come out sooner or later.’
‘We already know the truth. The driver of the Brighton Express was to blame. It’s the only explanation,’ said Ridgeon. ‘If the inspector had taken the trouble to speak to the fireman on the express, he would have discovered that there was no obstruction on the track.’
‘As it happens,’ said Tallis, quick to score a debating point, ‘the Inspector did interview John Heddle. While the fireman confirmed that he saw nothing obstructing the track, he was adamant that the train had not been going at an excessive speed. Driver Pike was apparently known for his caution.’
‘Even the best horse stumbles, Superintendent.’