A Fête Worse Than Death (38 page)

‘It nearly went wrong at the outset. She noticed a footprint at the cellar entrance, but I fobbed her off with a tale of peasants looking for free bricks. She was as jumpy as a cat all the way down. She sensed someone was watching. And honestly, Ashley –' here Haldean broke off to gaze severely at his friend – ‘I could have done without all the scuffling in the cellars as we were going down the steps into the tunnel.'

‘We were getting ready,' said Ashley. ‘I half-expected her to whack you over the head and shut the trap-door on you.'

‘Yes . . . it occurred to me as well. However, I insisted she went first because the thought of her behind me was not pleasant. Once in the tunnel I wanted to get the layout. Once I'd seen that, put together with what I already knew and suspected, it was clear what had happened to you, Mr Tyburn. It gave her a real shock when I made the accusation. She'd gone from being wary of me to thinking I must be loopy. I kept up a flow of inane chatter, which she could be forgiven for wanting to murder me for, to tell everyone where we were. At one point I let rip with a shout to tell you we were coming, Greg.'

‘I heard it,' he said with a grin. ‘That was the signal to get my head down.'

‘And, as you know, she confessed all. She was perfectly safe, you see. As far as she knew, there weren't any witnesses for miles and it must have given her some considerable pleasure to boast about how clever she'd been. She'd already decided I was going to have an accident. The ethylchloride took me by surprise. I hadn't realized at that stage she must have drugged you in the barn, Mr Tyburn. I thought she'd simply thumped you with the spade. I should have known she'd want to be a lot more certain than that. She couldn't shoot me, of course. My body was almost bound to be recovered, even though she intended to chuck a bomb at me to bring the house down. However, I believe she was caught in the act of clubbing me with the butt-end of her gun.'

‘I've never moved so fast,' said Rivers. ‘I'd come as close as I dared to hear what she was saying, but you went out like a light and she raised that damn gun . . . It was a nasty moment, Jack.'

‘It was,' agreed Haldean warmly. ‘But you gave her a nastier one. When you rose up in front of her, I thought she was never going to stop screaming. She must have really thought the dead had walked. And, although I don't want to be vindictive, I can't help thinking it served her right. After all, she'd helped to kill them.'

‘They were my men,' said Tyburn sombrely. ‘I shall have their bodies brought out and decently buried. It seems the least I can do. I'd like to think they had a proper memorial and a grave. They were good men. Decent men.'

‘That's the most any of us can hope to be,' said Haldean quietly. He raised his glass. ‘To the dead.'

They drank the toast in silence, then Tyburn raised his glass once more with a broad smile. ‘You can't drink this, Haldean, or you, Superintendent Ashley, or you, Captain Rivers. Because this is for you. I've got two priceless things returned to me which I thought were gone for ever; my reputation and my daughter. What was the toast of the RFC?'

‘My favourite one was “Happy landings”,' said Haldean.

‘Happy landings,' repeated Tyburn. ‘It's been a tough flight. But here's to the pilot.'