The intermediary was nervous and confused. Not knowing quite what he should do, he tried to wrest the bag from Colbeck’s hands but he reckoned without the inspector’s strength and persistence. As the two of them struggled, a shot rang out and Colbeck’s assailant was hit in the head, causing blood to spurt everywhere, some of it over Colbeck’s new waistcoat. The man collapsed to the ground in a heap. The young woman on the hill let out a shriek of horror and ran down the long incline. At the same time, Tunnadine came into view over to the left with a pistol in his hand. He jumped over the hedge and sprinted towards the inspector.
‘That was madness, sir!’ yelled Colbeck, reprovingly. ‘You’ve killed him.’
‘Who cares?’ replied Tunnadine with a wild cackle. ‘I’ve rescued Imogen and saved the money. You’d have done neither.’ Arms wide open, he ran towards the approaching figure. ‘Come to me, Imogen. You’re safe now.’
But it was not his future bride who was tearing down the hill towards him. It was a pretty country girl with red cheeks. Ignoring the outstretched arms, she went past him and flung herself at the man on the ground.
‘Father!’ she cried. ‘What have they done to you?’
Colbeck was furious as he walked over to Tunnadine. ‘I’ll trouble you for that weapon, please, sir.’
‘What are you talking about?’ snapped Tunnadine.
‘You’ve just committed a murder.’
‘Use your eyes, man. I’ve just rid the world of a kidnapper.’
‘This man had no connection with the plot, sir. He and his daughter were suborned.’ He extended a hand. ‘I’ll have that pistol now.’
‘Damn you, Inspector! I’m not the criminal. He is — and so is the man at the top of the hill. Instead of bothering me, you should be chasing him.’
‘There’s no point, sir,’ said Colbeck. ‘The moment you fired that gun, he would have mounted his horse and ridden away hell for leather. By the time I climb that hill, he’ll be a mile or more away. You’ve ruined everything, Mr Tunnadine. Instead of rescuing Sir Marcus’s daughter, you’ve made it more likely that she’ll be killed out of spite.’ Tunnadine shook his head, refusing to accept that he’d made a mistake. ‘The kindest way to describe your actions is that they were an example of misplaced heroism. I view them as mindless stupidity.’
Colbeck reached forward to snatch the pistol from his hand. Tunnadine made no protest. He gazed down at the dead man and the weeping girl, realising that they were merely pawns used by the real kidnapper. The gunshot had brought the others out of hiding. Leeming was leading the way at a trot, with Tallis and Sir Marcus walking quickly behind him, breathing heavily from their exertions. Tolley came after them, his face a study in fear. Colbeck tried to comfort the girl but she was beyond sympathy. Utterly forlorn, she kept shaking her father as if expecting him to wake up.
‘What the devil happened?’ demanded Sir Marcus, taking the bag with the money from Colbeck.
‘We heard a shot,’ said Tallis. He saw the body. ‘Who’s this?’
‘He’s a local man paid to act as a go-between,’ said Colbeck. ‘Unfortunately, Mr Tunnadine decided to kill him.’
‘I thought he was the kidnapper,’ howled Tunnadine. ‘I acted from the best possible motives. I sought to rescue Imogen.’ He pointed to the girl. ‘I believed that this was her. I’ve seen that dress before. I know it belongs to Imogen.’
‘What about Rhoda Wills?’ asked Tolley.
‘She’s still being held with Sir Marcus’s daughter,’ explained Colbeck, ‘though the two of them may well suffer as a result of Mr Tunnadine’s folly.’
‘I only did what I felt was right,’ said Tunnadine, defensively.
Sir Marcus was seething. ‘You blundered, Clive.’
‘I saved your money from being handed over, Sir Marcus.’
‘What use is the blasted money without my daughter?’
‘I’ll find her, I promise. I’ll bring her back alive.’
Tolley wanted to ask if Rhoda would come back alive as well but it was not his place to do so. His earlier optimism had now darkened considerably. He skulked on the edge of the group and looked up imploringly at the heavens.
Tallis asserted himself. ‘What crime has taken place here, Inspector?’
‘A murder was committed.’
‘Were you injured in any way?’
‘Happily, I was not,’ said Colbeck, ‘but I might easily have been. I was wrestling with the man when the shot was fired. It could well have been me lying there on the ground.’
‘When I take aim at something,’ boasted Tunnadine, ‘I always hit the mark.’
‘What you hit was no mark,’ protested Leeming. ‘It was a human being. All you’ve done is to deprive this poor child of a father.’
‘I’ve heard enough,’ decided Tallis. ‘Sergeant …’
‘Yes, sir?’
‘Arrest Mr Tunnadine. He’ll be charged with murder.’
‘You can’t do that,’ bellowed Tunnadine, backing away. ‘It was an accident.’
‘When you aim at something,’ taunted Colbeck, ‘you always hit the mark.’
‘How was I to know who the fellow was?’
‘You’ll have plenty of time to reflect upon that while you’re held in custody. I fancy that he may choose to resist arrest, Sergeant Leeming. It will be another charge against him. Go on,’ urged Colbeck. ‘Do your duty.’
Leeming grinned. ‘It will be a pleasure, Inspector.’
Reaching under his coat, he produced a pair of handcuffs and moved in.
CHAPTER TEN
Clive Tunnadine was fuming. He would not allow someone from what he considered to be the lower orders even to touch him yet Leeming was threatening to put him under restraint. Pushing the sergeant firmly away, he tried to walk off, head held high in disdain. He did not get far. Leeming was on him at once, grabbing an arm and clipping a handcuff to the wrist before Tunnadine could resist. Securing the other wrist proved slightly more difficult because the prisoner swung round with his fist bunched. Leeming parried the blow then grappled with the politician for a few moments before twisting the man’s free hand behind his back and snapping the handcuff in position. Tunnadine went berserk, yelling obscenities and kicking out wildly at his captor.
‘Attacking a police officer is a criminal offence, sir,’ said Tallis, ‘and that foul language should never be used in front of a young female, especially one who’s mourning the death of her father.’
The rebuke stopped the outburst of violence but Tunnadine still simmered.
‘What shall we do with him, sir?’ asked Leeming.
‘He must be taken before a magistrate and remanded in custody,’ said Tallis.
‘You can’t arrest me,’ cried Tunnadine. ‘I’m a Member of Parliament.’
‘That doesn’t entitle you to kill someone,’ Colbeck pointed out. ‘If the Prime Minister himself had done what you’ve just done, he’d be treated the same.’
‘It was an accident, I tell you. I acted from the best possible motives.’
‘That’s debatable, Mr Tunnadine. A clever barrister may be able to commute the charge to one of manslaughter but you must face justice.’
‘Take him back to the carriage, Sergeant,’ ordered Tallis.
Tunnadine turned to Sir Marcus with a pleading note in his voice.
‘Are you going to let them do this to me?’
‘No,’ said the other, putting friendship before justice, ‘I’m sure that there’s an easier way to settle this. I’m sad for this girl, of course, but the fact remains that she and her father were aiding and abetting a kidnapper. They are the criminals here — not Mr Tunnadine.’
‘I’m glad that someone realises that,’ said Tunnadine.
‘He was too headstrong, I grant you, and he may inadvertently have complicated the situation that my daughter is in by his intemperate action. However, he is no killer. Let’s be reasonable, gentlemen,’ he went on, looking from Tallis to Colbeck. ‘In essence, this was a tragic accident. It’s the kind of thing that happens sometimes during a shooting party. One of the beaters is killed by a stray shot. It’s regrettable, naturally, but not something one should worry about overmuch. The widow — if there is one — is always given compensation.’