Dark-haired and elfin-faced, Eve was still the same petite beauty as ever. Two children had robbed her of none of the bloom that came into view as she removed her hat. Her brother, on the other hand, was showing even more obvious signs of dissipation. He was of medium height with a sallow complexion and with dark bags beneath his watery eyes. At thirty, he was four years younger than his sister but he looked much older. He, too, was in full mourning wear, sweeping off his top hat as if it were an imposition and handing it to Mrs Withers.
‘It’s been a long journey,’ he said. ‘We’ll need refreshments.’
‘I’ll see to it at once, sir,’ said Mrs Withers.
‘I’d have been here earlier,’ explained Eve, ‘but my husband is abroad at the moment and I had to wait for Adam to come for me.’
‘I’m so sorry that this has happened, Mrs Doel.’
‘When I read your letter, I was in despair.’
‘So are we all.’
‘Everyone has to die sooner or later,’ remarked Tarleton.
‘Adam!’ reproved his sister.
‘Well, it’s true. I’d have preferred it to have been by natural means, of course, but he had other ideas and he’s left us to face the scandal. That was typical of him.’
‘I dispute that, sir,’ said Mrs Withers, loyally.
‘I thought you were fetching refreshments.’
‘Colonel Tarleton always tried to spare people any trouble. He was a very considerate man.’
‘We can do without your opinion, thank you.’
‘Excuse me.’ Hurt by his manner, the housekeeper went out.
‘There’s no need to be so rude to her, Adam.’
‘I hate the way that she dithers.’
‘She’s served the family faithfully and she’s as distressed as any of us over what happened to Father.’
‘He was never my father, Eve.’
‘That was your fault. You never accepted him.’
‘He kept badgering me to go into the army. Why? I loathed the very idea. If I’d been stupid enough to agree, I’d probably be in the Crimea right now getting shot at by those bloodthirsty Russians.’
‘At least you’d have done something honourable.’
‘We can’t all marry and have children the way that you did. I value my freedom and our so-called father let me have very little of that in this house. I’ll not weep for him.’
‘That’s a terrible thing to say.’
‘I’m only being honest, Eve. I never understood why Mother consented to marry him in the first place and I still think that he had something to do with her disappearance.’
‘Adam! You can’t believe that, surely?’
‘I’d believe anything of him.’
‘You’re so cruel,’ she said, holding back tears. ‘He was mortified when Mother went missing. You should read the letter he sent me about it. He said that it was the worst thing that ever happened to him. He was paralysed with fear.’
‘Yes, he was afraid that the truth would come out.’
‘I won’t let you sneer at him like this.’
‘I’m not sneering, Eve. I simply don’t see the point of being a hypocrite. He and I never saw eye to eye. Why pretend to mourn his passing when I’m glad that he’s gone?’
She was stunned. ‘You’re actually glad that he died in such a dreadful way? How can you be so callous? If that’s how you feel, why did you bother to come here today?’
‘I came for Mother’s sake,’ he replied. ‘I want to find out exactly what happened to her. Since we must accept that, after all this time, she’s dead, I’ll admit that something else brought me here as well.’
‘What was that?’
‘I came to seek my inheritance. You married a wealthy merchant and live in a fine mansion. I’ve had more modest accommodation. Well, not anymore,’ he added with a sweeping gesture. ‘This house will have been left to me. If I put it on the market, it will bring in the sort of money that I deserve. At long last, I’ll be rich!’
CHAPTER SIX
‘Was the stationmaster right about that room at the Swan?’ asked Colbeck. ‘Did you have to contend with cobwebs and beetles?’
‘They were the least of my worries,’ complained Leeming. ‘The place was draughty, the mattress like a board and I saw two mice scurrying about. There was also an empty keg in the room so I had to put up with the smell of stale beer. Then, of course, there was the noise from above. Every time someone moved about, the floorboards creaked.’
‘We’ll have to find you better accommodation, Victor.’
‘It was the superintendent’s decision to put me there.’
‘If we can persuade him to return to London,’ said Colbeck, ‘then you can have his room at the Black Bull. They looked after us very well there.’
The two men were travelling by rail to Northallerton. It gave Colbeck the chance to describe the frosty confrontation with Frederick Skelton, the obdurate rector, and it allowed Leeming time to moan about his unhappiness.
‘I miss my wife dreadfully,’ he confessed. ‘It’s not the same when Estelle is not there. When can I go back to her?’
‘Not until this mystery is solved.’
‘Well, I think that it already has been. I didn’t take to that self-important railway policeman but I fancy that he may be right. The colonel’s wife ran away from him.’
‘Then whom did she run to, Victor?’ asked Colbeck. ‘That’s what puzzles me. The obvious person to go to would be her daughter yet that’s not what happened. Mrs Tarleton would hardly just take to her heels without any idea of a destination.’
‘She could be in hiding somewhere.’
‘I doubt that. The suicide has had widespread publicity. It will even be in the London newspapers. Were she still alive, the colonel’s wife would surely have seen the news by now. With her husband dead, there’d be no need for her to conceal herself. No,’ he went on, ‘I incline to the view that she was murdered and that her body is still in the vicinity. We have to stay here until we can find it.’
Leeming groaned. ‘That could take ages, sir.’
‘Estelle will have to do without you for a little longer.’
‘Wait until you’re married. Then you’ll understand how painful it is to be without the woman you love.’
‘Oh, I’ve already found that out,’ said Colbeck, resignedly.
Northallerton was a long-established community with a population of around five thousand. It was a thriving market town, a parliamentary borough and the administrative centre of the North Riding. Though he’d already been there, Leeming had only touched the outskirts and he was interested to see the busy streets, fine houses, churches, public buildings, suites of offices and the countless shops at the heart of the place. The bank was situated in a prominent position in the High Street and, once they’d introduced themselves, they were conducted to the manager’s office.
Bertram Reader gave them an effusive welcome.
‘I’m so relieved to see you, gentlemen,’ he said, shaking their hands in turn. ‘This whole business needs to be sorted out once and for all. Do sit down.’
‘Thank you, sir,’ said Colbeck.
While he and Leeming settled into an armchair apiece, the manager returned to the high-backed chair behind his desk.
‘The North Riding has everything that one could desire,’ he went on, ‘but in one instance, it is glaringly deficient. It has, as yet, no county constabulary.’
‘Then it’s one of the last places in England to be without one,’ said Colbeck. ‘In the wake of a Royal Commission over fifteen years ago, an Act was passed enjoining all boroughs to examine the possibility of reorganising their police forces. Most have complied.’
‘I have high hopes that we will follow their example in the near future,’ said Reader. ‘What’s held us back, I need hardly tell you, is the fear of great expense.’
‘It’s more expensive to let crime go unchecked,’ said Leeming.
‘I couldn’t agree more, Sergeant. However, let’s forget our shortcomings with regard to law enforcement. We’re honoured to have two detectives from Scotland Yard to help us at this time of trial.’ He spread his arms. ‘Please feel free to ask me anything you wish.’