Blood on the Line by Edward Marston

servants. Couldshe delegate the shopping to one of them? It was a moot point.
    She had a moment of slight panic when she realised how her existence would be transformed by marriage. There would be so much for her to learn. Yet Colbeck had already brought about many major changes in her life. Until he came into it, she could never have envisaged a relationship with such a highly intelligent member of the middle class. Her father had wanted her to marry another railwayman and it was from his circle of friends that her admirers necessarily came. Colbeck had altered all that. Madeleine had been able to educate herself by means of his extensive library and to improve her talent as an artist so much that her work was now in demand. She had, in more than one sense, emancipated herself from her class. As Mrs Colbeck, she would be a very different person from Miss Andrews.
    Her first thought returned with greater urgency and it posed a burning question. When she left home after the marriage, who would look after her father?
     
    Disguise was an established part of Colbeck’s armoury. There were parts of London where he would never dare to venture in his usual attire because it would make him stand out. To merge with the denizens, he had to look as if he belonged. For his visit to Deansgate, therefore, he changed into the rough garb he’d brought with him, wearing a large, battered cap and a pair of old boots. When he entered the district, he even adjusted his walk. Instead of his usual measured gait, he adopted a furtivescuffle. It meant that nobody gave him a second glance.
    Having located Adnam’s address, he first went to the nearest pub, reasoning that anyone who lived in such a depressing place would need the support of alcohol. The Eagle and Child was a dark, evil-smelling establishment filled with shabby characters hunched around the rickety tables. For the price of a pint of beer, Colbeck bought the landlord’s attention and gained some useful information about Silas Adnam. One fact was particularly significant.
    ‘Silas was in here last night,’ said the landlord, ‘drinking himself into a stupor. I reckon his daughter must have been to see him again because he had money to spend.’
    ‘Do you know the daughter’s name?’ asked Colbeck.
    ‘Yes – it’s Irene.’
    ‘Have you ever seen her?’
    The landlord shook his head. ‘She’s too good for the likes of us.’
    After finishing his drink, Colbeck walked the short distance to the house and banged on the door. He had to pound it again before it was opened. The whiskery face of Silas Adnam confronted him.
    ‘What do you want?’ he snarled.
    ‘I’ve come to talk about your daughter.’
    ‘She’s not here.’
    ‘I know,’ said Colbeck, ‘but she has been and that means you and I must have a conversation.’
    Pushing the door open, he stepped into the house and ignored the protests from the old man. When Colbeck explained who he was, Adnam’s tone became defensive.
    ‘Irene is a good girl,’ he said. ‘She takes care of me.’
    ‘Then she might have found you a more comfortable place to live, Mr Adnam. She could certainly afford it.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘Irene has a lot of money.’
    ‘No, she doesn’t,’ insisted Adnam. ‘She’s a governess at a big house in London. Part of her wage comes in board and lodging. It takes her some time to save up money for her father.’
    ‘Why did she come here yesterday?’
    ‘She wanted to see me, of course.’
    ‘Yes,’ said Colbeck, ‘but why then of all days?’
    Adnam shrugged. ‘Does it matter?’
    ‘As a matter of fact, it does. How long did she stay?’
    ‘That’s none of your business, Inspector.’
    ‘It’s important for me to know.’
    ‘There’s no law against seeing my daughter, is there?’
    ‘None at all, sir,’ agreed Colbeck.
    ‘What happened between us is our affair.’
    ‘Under any other circumstances, it might be. As it is, the timing and duration of her visit are of