‘We dig them out by the root.’
‘Some will already have propagated.’
‘I treat those with a herbicide,’ explained Burns. ‘Horticulture is a science that is constantly changing and you have to keep up with the changes. The Americans have done a lot of research on herbicides but I get my inspiration from the Germans.’
‘What do they recommend?’
‘It used to be sodium chloride but some scientists experimented with sulphuric acid and iron sulphate. As it happens, I prefer a herbicide that uses both.’
‘May I see it, please?’ asked Colbeck.
Harriet Quayle had rallied enough to be able to sit up in bed and to talk with more coherence than she’d earlier managed. Watching her with concern, her younger daughter and her younger son sat either side of the bed.
‘Where’s Stanley?’ asked Harriet.
‘He’s gone to Nottingham,’ replied Lucas.
‘Why?’
‘He didn’t say, Mother.’
‘He should be here, mourning with the rest of the family.’
‘I agree,’ said Agnes. ‘Nothing is more important than that.’
‘Stanley is attending to business somewhere,’ said her brother. ‘That’s the one certain thing I can tell you. It proves what I’ve believed all along. He doesn’t feel things the way that the rest of us do. Stanley has no heart.’
‘Let’s have no backbiting, Lucas,’ warned his mother.
‘It’s just an observation.’
‘Where could your brother have gone?’
‘We honestly don’t know, Mother.’
‘He was driven off in the landau,’ said Agnes. ‘That’s all I can tell you.’
‘It’s so inconsiderate of him,’ scolded their mother. ‘Stanley was my firstborn. He was such a delight as a baby. He had such a pleasant disposition.’
‘There’s no sign of that now,’ said Lucas under his breath.
‘In fairness to Stanley,’ said Agnes, ‘he’s taken responsibility for things that neither Lucas nor I really wanted to do. We should acknowledge that.’
‘I agree, Agnes. He’s borne the brunt.’
Harriet went off into a trance for a few minutes and the others waited in silence, communicating by looks and gestures. Their mother finally spoke.
‘If he went to Nottingham,’ she said, ‘he might have been going to the undertaker because the premises are in the town. Stanley may have gone somewhere else, of course, and I’d like to know where.’
‘There’s no need to do that, surely,’ he said.
‘I’m curious.’
‘Then wait until Stanley comes back and ask him.’
‘I want to know now,’ Harriet told him. ‘If Cleary took him to the station, he might know what Stanley’s destination was.’ She clenched her fists and the veins stood out on the backs of her hands. ‘My elder son should be here. I want to know where he is and what he’s doing there.’
Victor Leeming had arranged to meet Colbeck back at the hotel so that they could compare notes but, when he got there, the sergeant saw no sign of him. He was not long without company. As soon as Leeming went into the lounge, Stanley Quayle rose from an armchair and came across to him. He was still in black garb.
‘Superintendent Wigg told me I might find the inspector or a Sergeant Leeming here.’
‘That’s me, sir.’
‘I’m Stanley Quayle.’
‘I guessed that you might be,’ said Leeming.
‘Where’s Inspector Colbeck?’
‘I’m not entirely certain, sir, but he’ll be collecting evidence somewhere.’
‘Then I’ll have to talk to you, I suppose.’
There was a note of resignation in his voice that Leeming did his best to ignore. Working all the time in Colbeck’s shadow, he was used to being undervalued and disregarded. Quayle resumed his seat and Leeming took the chair next to him.
‘First of all,’ said the other, ‘I must apologise for being so uncooperative when the inspector called at the house.’
‘I understand, sir. You were distracted.’
‘That doesn’t excuse my rudeness.’
Though the words were trotted out smoothly, Leeming couldn’t hear a vestige of sincerity in them and the expression of disdain on the other man was unmistakable.
‘Your brother came to see the inspector, sir. He was very helpful.’
‘It was my brother’s visit that prompted this one. I wanted to correct any misleading statements he made.’
‘That’s a matter between you and your brother, surely.’
‘It has a bearing on this investigation,’ said the other. ‘Lucas may have given you the impression that we were a disjointed and unhappy family. It’s a travesty of the truth, Sergeant. Most of the time, I can assure you, we live in perfect harmony with each other. If my brother and I were not on such amicable terms, we could not run the coal mines so efficiently together.’
‘I thought that you ran the business and that your brother merely assisted.’
‘Lucas has clearly misled you on that score.’
‘I never actually spoke to him, Mr Quayle. I’m only going on what the inspector told me.’
‘Then I must correct some misapprehensions.’
Stanley Quayle was still unwilling to divulge any new information about the family that might assist the investigation. He simply wanted to portray it in a more favourable light than his brother. He spoke of a loving father who’d imbued his sons with the aspirations that drove them on. While conceding that his brother had been wayward at times, he insisted that Lucas was now following in the Quayle tradition of enterprise. The other reason for coming to Derby was to find out if there had been any developments in the case. Leeming was succinct, explaining that they’d made some encouraging progress but were in no position to make an arrest as yet.
‘What we really need to know is where your father was on the day when he was murdered. Didn’t he keep a diary?’
‘Yes,’ said Quayle, ‘and he filled it in scrupulously. If we could find it, a lot of things would become clearer, but it’s disappeared. You’ll have to manage without it, I fear.’ He sighed. ‘But you do have suspects in mind, I take it?’
‘There are people at whom we’re looking more closely, sir,’ said Leeming, guardedly. ‘That’s all I can tell you.’
‘Mr Haygarth is one of them, I hope. And then, of course, there’s …’
Quayle drew back from mentioning the name of Gerard Burns.
‘That gentleman has been interviewed, sir,’ said Colbeck.
‘He was no gentleman, Sergeant.’
‘But he was a good cricketer, I’m told.’
‘I don’t want to talk about that,’ said the other, curtly. ‘We indulged the fellow in all manner of ways and he repaid us with …’ He gestured with both hands. ‘My brother will have told you about the betrayal we suffered.’
‘We’ve heard about it from all sides, Mr Quayle.’
‘Don’t believe a word that Burns told you.’
‘Yet his version of events was supported by your sister.’
‘What?’ cried the other, aghast. ‘You’ve seen Lydia?’
‘Yes, sir, we did. We tracked her down in London.’ There was fury in the other man’s eyes. ‘Your sister had a right to know what was going on, sir,’ argued Leeming. ‘After all, it’s her father as well as yours.’
Stanley turned away. ‘I don’t want to hear any more.’
‘Your sister has no intention of coming home.’
‘No more!’ snapped Quayle. ‘We have enough problems without getting embroiled in that one again. As far as I’m concerned, my elder sister does not exist.’
‘Your brother takes a different view.’
‘Lucas will do what he’s told.’
‘Don’t you wish to know where Miss Quayle has been since you parted?’
‘The subject is closed, Sergeant, and so is this conversation. I’m sorry that I was unable to see the inspector instead of having to put up with your impertinent questions.’ He got up. ‘I’ll bid you farewell.’
‘One moment,’ said Leeming, also on his feet. ‘There’s another name that’s come to our ears and it’s a most unlikely one. We gather that this person might bear ill will against your father.’