There was so much news for Colbeck to hear that it wasn’t until the train arrived, and she sat opposite him in an empty compartment, that he noticed how pale his wife was.
‘Are you unwell?’ he asked in concern.
‘No, no, I’m just tired after the journey. Trying to keep up Lydia’s spirits has put a lot of strain on me. I do hope that the effort was worthwhile.’
‘She obviously has great faith in you.’
‘I don’t think she’d have come back without me.’
‘I’m glad that you were able to offer her support, Madeleine. The murder of a father — even if one dislikes him — is bound to have a profound impact. She needs to be with the rest of the family at such a time.’
‘Only if they want her there,’ she pointed out.
He peered at her. ‘You’re wearing a new hat.’
‘I bought it the day you left. I needed something to cheer me up.’
‘It’s wonderful to see you again,’ he said, beaming.
‘I had no idea that you’d be in Nottingham today, Robert.’
‘It’s a case of happenstance, my love.’
‘What stage is the investigation at now?’
‘After my visit this morning,’ he explained, ‘it’s moved forward in the right direction. But there’s still a long way to go.’
‘In your first letter, you mentioned that Mr Haygarth was a possible suspect.’
‘He still is, Madeleine.’
‘If he’s the acting chairman of the Midland Railway, you ought to ask him why Nottingham isn’t on the main line. Lydia told me that her father had plans to make it easier to reach by train.’
‘Quayle was a man with vision. Haygarth is merely a man with a vision of power and monetary gain. The one loved railways for their own sake and the other loves them for what they can deliver to him.’
‘Lydia spoke very harshly of Mr Haygarth — but even more so of her father.’ She pursed her lips. ‘Oh, I do hope that she’s reconciled with her family.’
‘What will happen if she isn’t?’
‘Then she’ll try to join me in Derby. Having come this far, I wasn’t going to miss the chance of seeing my husband. I know it was presumptuous of me but I hoped I’d stay with you at the Royal Hotel.’
‘I can’t think of anything nicer, Madeleine.’
She saw his brow corrugate. ‘Is there a problem?’
‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘and I’ve just remembered it. But it’s an obstacle we can circumvent. Superintendent Tallis turned up out of the blue. You can imagine how Victor and I feel.’
‘Doesn’t he trust you to run the investigation?’
‘He always thinks he can do our job better than we can. Stay at the hotel with me, by all means,’ said Colbeck, ‘but be on your guard. With the superintendent on the prowl, you may have to play a game of hide-and-seek.’
Lydia Quayle was so touched by the warm reception she was given that she burst into tears. Her brother Lucas was the most demonstrative of her siblings, putting an arm around her to shepherd her into the house. Agnes rose to a kiss on the cheek and even Stanley, aloof though he was, abandoned his earlier hostility and raised no objection to her return. The domestic servants who glimpsed her were thrilled to see her and rushed off to spread the news of her return. But the major test was the reunion with her mother. Having heard from the others how poorly the old woman was, she went upstairs on her own and tapped on the door of her mother’s bedroom. Since there was no response, she let herself in and heard a gentle snore. Not wishing to disturb her mother’s sleep, she sat beside the bed and waited, noting the bottles of medicine and boxes of tablets on the bedside table. Her mother was even older and feebler than she remembered.
The others had insisted she went into the room on her own. Though Lydia had been grateful at first, she now wished that they’d been with her so that her mother would awake to see familiar faces instead of one she had learnt to forget. It might have been better if Lydia had been seen as part of the family again instead of as a lone visitor from the past. The longer the wait, the more uncomfortable she became and the greater the urge to tiptoe out of the room to summon help. When she tried to move, however, she seemed to be bolted to the chair. There was no escape.
It was half an hour before Harriet Quayle stirred. She opened watery eyes.
‘Is that you, Agnes?’ she whispered.
‘No, Mother, it’s not. It’s me — Lydia.’
‘Who?’
‘It’s Lydia, your daughter,’ she said, putting her face closer. ‘I came back.’
Harriet was confused. ‘Am I dreaming?’
‘No, it’s me and I’m here with you.’
‘Agnes usually sits beside the bed.’
‘She wanted me to come in here instead,’ explained Lydia, softly.
‘Oh, I see.’
The old woman drifted off again and Lydia thought that she’d gone to sleep but the eyes opened after a few moments and struggled to focus. It took time and patience. Eventually, Harriet was convinced that her elder daughter had returned to the fold. She began to sob quietly.
‘Don’t cry, Mother,’ said Lydia, leaning forward to kiss her. ‘I wanted you to be happy. That’s why I came.’
‘I am happy. I’m very happy.’
‘Is there anything I can get you?’
‘I have all that I want,’ said Harriet. ‘I can die in peace now.’
When the cab arrived outside the hotel, Colbeck first slipped inside the building to make sure that the coast was clear. Relieved to see no sign of Tallis, he came out to collect her. Even though Madeleine was his wife, he felt embarrassed having to smuggle her into the building and up to his room. Once they had real privacy at last, they were able to embrace properly.
‘What will you tell the management?’ she asked.
‘I’ll say that this room will have double occupancy tonight.’
‘Won’t they be suspicious?’
‘Oh, I think they’ve learnt to trust me,’ he said with a grin. ‘I don’t anticipate having to dangle your wedding ring in front of them. My only regret is that I can’t stay long. I have an appointment.’
‘Please don’t worry about leaving me, Robert. I feel quite exhausted. To be honest, I’d relish the chance of a nap. I’d much rather you stayed, of course,’ she added, ‘but I realise that work comes first. Where are you going?’
‘I’m about to indulge myself, Madeleine. Why come to a railway town without taking full advantage of the fact?’ He reached for his hat. ‘I’m going to have a tour of the Derby Works.’
Donald Haygarth went through the agenda for the next board meeting. They were quite happy to work on a Saturday. He and Maurice Cope discussed each item at length before moving on to the next. Anxious to be confirmed as the next chairman of the company, Haygarth wanted to leave nothing to chance. Covertly, the other man had been acting as his campaign manager.
‘You’ll have more than enough votes,’ he assured Haygarth.
‘That’s largely your doing.’
‘Thank you, sir.’
‘I always reward good service.’ He consulted his watch. ‘What time are you seeing the inspector?’
‘He should be here at any moment.’
‘I can’t see the point of traipsing around the works. You’d never get me doing that. The noise is deafening and there’s grime everywhere. I’m surprised that a dandy like Colbeck would risk soiling his fine clothes. However,’ he continued, ‘it’s what he asked for and we must be seen to be helpful.’
‘It does mean that I’ll be there to watch him,’ said Cope. There was a tap on the door. ‘That will be the inspector now, I daresay.’
In fact, it was a secretary who entered the room to say that Superintendent Tallis was requesting an interview with Haygarth. The acting chairman asked for him to be sent in and was soon shaking hands with his visitor. He introduced Cope, who remained standing when the others sat down.
‘We were expecting Inspector Colbeck,’ said Haygarth.
‘Yes, I know. It’s one of the reasons I came. I’m hoping that I might join him in his perambulation around the Works.’
‘Do you have any idea why he wishes to have a tour of inspection?’