Read Online 11 - Ticket to Oblivion by Edward Marston - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Edward Marston
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pretty dark already.’
In fact, there was still plenty of light in the sky but there was nobody about to contradict him. The two men traded a conspiratorial grin. If they abandoned what they saw as an aimless plod, nobody would be any the wiser. They were just about to give up and retrace their steps when the policeman caught sight of something in the long grass someforty yards or so ahead of them. He nudged his companion and pointed. The stationmaster saw it as well. It was the long, trailing hair of a woman. Convinced that they’d found one of the missing passengers, after all, they shook off their fatigue and ran towards her, their boots clacking on the hard wooden sleepers. The noise had an instant effect. A scantily clad woman suddenly came to life and sat up with the young man hiding in the grass beside her. When they saw the policeman’s uniform, they didn’t stand on ceremony. They snatched up their discarded clothing and fled the scene. The two men stopped to catch their breath.
‘Poor devil!’ said the stationmaster with a laugh. ‘We spoilt his fun.’
‘It’s a pity. She was a nice-looking girl with a lovely arse on her.’
‘Do you think we should report it?’
‘No, I think we should go home and forget all about it.’
‘What about Sir Marcus’s daughter?’
‘Let someone else find her.’
As they walked along the track in the opposite direction, they heard a train approaching in the distance. They jumped quickly aside and watched it come into view, hurtling towards them, then racing past so fast that they were forced back by the rush of air. They waited until its deafening tumult had faded.
‘I tell you one thing,’ said the policeman. ‘If Sir Marcus’s daughter jumped off the train at that speed, she’d be as dead as a door-nail.’
Emma Vaughan had been moping in her room for hours, praying fervently for the safety of her cousin and relivingthe horror of realising that she had simply vanished. When her father introduced her to the detectives, she was at first alarmed, thinking that their arrival meant that a heinous crime had been committed. It took Colbeck some time to calm her down and to offer a measure of reassurance. At the Master’s suggestion, they adjourned to the drawing room with his daughter. Emma was uneasy at being left alone with them and she found Leeming’s features disquieting. Colbeck’s charm and sensitivity slowly won her over.
‘You’re very fond of your cousin, are you not?’ he asked.
‘I love Imogen. She’s my best friend.’
‘How often do you see her?’
‘It was not nearly enough,’ she replied. ‘Imogen only came here twice a year but I stayed at Burnhope Manor three or four times.’
‘Which place did you prefer?’
‘Oh, it was much nicer when she came here. We could talk properly.’
‘Couldn’t you do that at her house?’
‘Not really, Inspector,’ she said. ‘Lady Burnhope always seemed to be there. I love my aunt, naturally, but I did get the feeling of being watched all the time. Imogen was forever apologising for it.’
‘Did she resent being under her mother’s watchful eye?’
‘Yes, she did.’
‘I can see why she looked forward to coming here where she had a little more freedom. Tell me,’ Colbeck went on, ‘about the arrival of the train from Worcester. You and your mother were waiting on the station, weren’t you?’
‘That’s right. I was so excited when it came in and soheartbroken when Imogen wasn’t on it. I was certain that she must have caught the train.’
‘Who got off it?’
‘Lots of people – every single carriage had been occupied.’
‘Mrs Vaughan mentioned a soldier,’ recalled Leeming.
‘Yes, I saw him as well. He had a bandage over one eye. Before I could take a proper look at him, I was bumped into by a little boy who leapt out of a carriage. Mother chided him for being so careless. But I do remember the soldier on the train,’ she said, ‘and the one who greeted
In fact, there was still plenty of light in the sky but there was nobody about to contradict him. The two men traded a conspiratorial grin. If they abandoned what they saw as an aimless plod, nobody would be any the wiser. They were just about to give up and retrace their steps when the policeman caught sight of something in the long grass someforty yards or so ahead of them. He nudged his companion and pointed. The stationmaster saw it as well. It was the long, trailing hair of a woman. Convinced that they’d found one of the missing passengers, after all, they shook off their fatigue and ran towards her, their boots clacking on the hard wooden sleepers. The noise had an instant effect. A scantily clad woman suddenly came to life and sat up with the young man hiding in the grass beside her. When they saw the policeman’s uniform, they didn’t stand on ceremony. They snatched up their discarded clothing and fled the scene. The two men stopped to catch their breath.
‘Poor devil!’ said the stationmaster with a laugh. ‘We spoilt his fun.’
‘It’s a pity. She was a nice-looking girl with a lovely arse on her.’
‘Do you think we should report it?’
‘No, I think we should go home and forget all about it.’
‘What about Sir Marcus’s daughter?’
‘Let someone else find her.’
As they walked along the track in the opposite direction, they heard a train approaching in the distance. They jumped quickly aside and watched it come into view, hurtling towards them, then racing past so fast that they were forced back by the rush of air. They waited until its deafening tumult had faded.
‘I tell you one thing,’ said the policeman. ‘If Sir Marcus’s daughter jumped off the train at that speed, she’d be as dead as a door-nail.’
Emma Vaughan had been moping in her room for hours, praying fervently for the safety of her cousin and relivingthe horror of realising that she had simply vanished. When her father introduced her to the detectives, she was at first alarmed, thinking that their arrival meant that a heinous crime had been committed. It took Colbeck some time to calm her down and to offer a measure of reassurance. At the Master’s suggestion, they adjourned to the drawing room with his daughter. Emma was uneasy at being left alone with them and she found Leeming’s features disquieting. Colbeck’s charm and sensitivity slowly won her over.
‘You’re very fond of your cousin, are you not?’ he asked.
‘I love Imogen. She’s my best friend.’
‘How often do you see her?’
‘It was not nearly enough,’ she replied. ‘Imogen only came here twice a year but I stayed at Burnhope Manor three or four times.’
‘Which place did you prefer?’
‘Oh, it was much nicer when she came here. We could talk properly.’
‘Couldn’t you do that at her house?’
‘Not really, Inspector,’ she said. ‘Lady Burnhope always seemed to be there. I love my aunt, naturally, but I did get the feeling of being watched all the time. Imogen was forever apologising for it.’
‘Did she resent being under her mother’s watchful eye?’
‘Yes, she did.’
‘I can see why she looked forward to coming here where she had a little more freedom. Tell me,’ Colbeck went on, ‘about the arrival of the train from Worcester. You and your mother were waiting on the station, weren’t you?’
‘That’s right. I was so excited when it came in and soheartbroken when Imogen wasn’t on it. I was certain that she must have caught the train.’
‘Who got off it?’
‘Lots of people – every single carriage had been occupied.’
‘Mrs Vaughan mentioned a soldier,’ recalled Leeming.
‘Yes, I saw him as well. He had a bandage over one eye. Before I could take a proper look at him, I was bumped into by a little boy who leapt out of a carriage. Mother chided him for being so careless. But I do remember the soldier on the train,’ she said, ‘and the one who greeted
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