I stood up and followed him into the hall.

*Where are we going?'

*We are not going anywhere. I am going to the docks to try to stop Grace Dillinger boarding, if she has not already done so. You are going to Marylebone Police Station to give this note in person to Inspector Pound. I hope I can trust you to get that small thing right.'

*But what if he is not there?'

*Then you must use all your severely limited charms to insist that he is fetched immediately. Tell them I said it is of the utmost urgency.' He rushed into the hall and ran up the flag. *Open the door to light up the entrance. They may not see the flag at this time of night. Stand in the doorway and wave your silly little hand, and squawk out to every cab you see until two stop. You will take the first. I may have to wait a little while yet.'

*But why?' I went to the door.

A cab was already pulling up.

*Because Molly has not yet responded to my urgent instruction,' he said. *Ah, here she is.'

At that Molly ran down the corridor, carrying his insulated flask.

64.

The Power of the Name *Marylebone police station, as quick as you can,' I called up to the cabby.

*Been a naughty girl, 'ave we?' he called back.

More naughty than you can possibly imagine, I thought as I clambered aboard.

There was not much traffic and we made good time. I paid the driver, gave a good tip and ran inside, pushing my way through the a.s.sembled rabble to reach the desk.

*Miss Middleton.' The desk sergeant looked up from a stack of paperwork. *You haven't been arrested for drunk and disorderly have you?'

*Not yet,' I said. *I have an urgent note here for Inspector Pound.'

The desk sergeant put out his hand. *I shall make sure he gets it first thing in the morning.' But I held on to the letter.

*I have to give it to him in person,' I said. *Now.'

The desk sergeant chuckled. *More than my job's worth to disturb him at this time of night.'

*It will be more than your life is worth if you allow a multiple murderer to escape because of your failure to act.'

The sergeant looked dubious and then horrified.

*Oh, for the love of Moses,' he said, and I turned to see an old woman vomiting copiously over the end of his desk. *Foster, get her out of here and get that mess cleaned up. She's done it all over the charge sheets.'

An old man toppled forwards and caught hold of the desk.

*If I puke can I go too?'

*Just get out.' The sergeant swept them away with a wave of his hand. *All of you. I'm blasted to h.e.l.l and back if I'm going to fill all those forms out again.'

*Fanks, Serg, you're a toff.' The old man weaved towards the door.

*What 'bout me?' a gaudily painted woman called from where she stood propped up in a corner. *I 'saulted one of your lovely big boys. That's got to be worf a night in a warm cell.'

*Get out.'

*It's on your 'ead if I 'ave to 'sault anovver hofficer,' she said, gathering her things in a piece of cloth as she marched off.

*Right.' The sergeant turned back to me. *You were saying.'

*This letter is from Mr Grice.'

*Frightened to show his face here, is he?'

I ignored the question. *Listen to me, Sergeant. There is a dangerous murderer on the loose.'

He rolled his eyes. *This is London, Miss Middleton. There are a million people within a square mile of this building and probably a hundred murderers out and about tonight, and not one of them as dangerous as Inspector Pound when he is dragged from his bed.'

A constable turned up with a bucket and mop, clutching a handkerchief over his mouth and nose as he swabbed the desktop.

*They have no stomach these days,' the sergeant said.

I remembered something my father had told me a to command the man you must know his name.

*You are Sergeant Horwich,' I said.

*I am.'

*Oh, thank goodness,' I said. *Mr Grice told me that you are the only man in this station capable of judging the importance of this case and taking the initiative to deal with it.'

*He did?'

The sergeant preened his moustaches and expanded his chest.

*I believe his words were: Sergeant Horwich is worth the rest of them put together. Trust him for he will know what to do.'

The sergeant tidied his mutton-chop whiskers.

*Beacon.' He struck the desk bell and a constable came from the back room, b.u.t.toning his jacket collar. *Run down to Inspector Pound's house, Beacon, and tell him there is an urgent message for him from Mr Sidney Grice about a ma.s.s-murderer on the rampage, and that he is to come to the station immediately.'

*What? Me?'

The sergeant waved a hand. *Go. And if you are not back with him in five minutes, I will put you on puke-cleaning duties with Foster for the rest of your short career.'

There was a black and brown mongrel snoring on a bench. It snarled when the constable prodded it with his truncheon and went back to sleep when he stopped.

*Thank you, Sergeant Horwich,' I said. *I shall wait in Inspector Pound's office.'

*But n.o.body is allowed in there, miss.'

*Good,' I said. *Then I shall not be disturbed.'

65.

A Matter of Conscience It was almost a quarter of an hour later, and the clock was striking midnight, before Inspector Pound appeared, slightly dishevelled, his hair and moustaches hastily combed. He was more than a little annoyed to be dragged in from his home.

*Miss Middleton.' He straightened his cuffs. *If I had known it was you I should have come a little quicker.'

I handed him the note and he read it carefully.

*I see.' He sat on the edge of his desk. *And there is no doubt about it?'

*None,' I said.

The inspector folded the note and slipped it back into the envelope.

*But why does Mr Grice wish me to join him?'

*To catch Sarah Ashby's murderer.'

*But Mr Grice has repeatedly a.s.sured me that we have already caught and hanged him,' Inspector Pound said. *There is nothing to be gained by casting further doubt on the justice of that. It upsets people's faith in the law. If, however, Mr Grice can prove that William Ashby murdered Alice Hawkins, I would be most grateful to have that case cleared. Sir Randolph died outside my patch and, as for James Hoggart, his death did not even make the evening papers. So, if Mrs Dillinger flees the country, so much the better. Her presence here can be nothing but an embarra.s.sment and we will be well rid of her.'

*Embarra.s.sment?' I echoed. *Is that all she is to you? This woman murdered her husband and her own daughter, and James Hoggart, and incited the murder of Alice Hawkins. She is a monster. Who knows who she will kill in Australia?'

The inspector flushed a little but only said, *Then that will be their problem. With any luck they will catch and execute her, and you will not have to worry about her any more.'

*So you are going to sit here and let her escape?'

Inspector Pound shook his head. *No, of course not. I shall go back to bed and let her escape.'

*I thought you were supposed to be on the side of good.'

*That would be nice,' he smiled grimly, *but my job is to maintain law and order in the metropolitan area, and it is my judgement that this is best achieved in this case by getting the criminal permanently out of the country and not by shaking the confidence of the people we are supposed to be protecting. Imagine what her defending lawyer would make of it a we were wrong about William Ashby, how can we be so sure about Grace Dillinger? Besides which, juries are always reluctant to break the necks of beautiful women.'

I picked up my handbag from the floor. *Then there is nothing more to be said.'

*Let me get you a cab.' He stood up. *In fact we can share one, for Gower Street is on my way home.'

I said, *But I am not going to Gower Street.'

*Where then?'

*Why, to the docks, of course. If nothing else, Mr Grice needs to be apprised of your indifference.'

The inspector put the envelope into his inside pocket and said, *You cannot go to the docks alone. It is not safe even in the day. I can send a message to Mr Grice.'

I stood up and said, *I shall not let that woman sail away, not while I can breathe.'

*I cannot let you go to the docks.'

*What?' I said. *Will you detain me, an innocent girl, when you will not detain the slaughterer of innocents?'

Inspector Pound crinkled his mouth and pinched the bridge of his nose. He stood up and opened the door and called down the corridor.

*Sergeant Horwich, get one of the men to bring a Black Maria. We are going to the docks. And find a blanket for Miss Middleton. She will freeze to death at this time of night.' He turned to me and said, *And I would not want that on my conscience.'

66.

The Aphrodite The horses nosed cautiously, stumbling through the thick stinking air.

*We are lucky there was a police vehicle free,' Inspector Pound told me as we sat up in the front seat next to the driver. *You would never get a cab to come here at this time of night.'

*Is it a dangerous area?' I asked.

*Very. You should not even be here.'

*Are there lots of foreigners?'

The street was so narrow that we sc.r.a.ped the walls as the van rocked from side to side.

*There is worse than foreigners here.'

*Is that possible?'

The inspector grunted. *I think you mock me, Miss Middleton, but there is many a man gone missing in this area only to be washed up on the Isle of Dogs with his wallet missing and a smile in his throat.'