A Forgotten Shadow, page 16
“Uh-oh, he’s heading our way. Let’s make a move,” Maggie whispered, but they were too late.
“Hello there, you two,” Bob said loudly as he walked a little unsteadily towards them. “Fancy seeing you here. Had any winners?”
“Not placed a bet yet. How about you, Bob?” replied Shadow.
“Oh, I’ve been here every day this week. I’m about breaking even at the minute,” he said, which Shadow mentally translated as meaning he’d lost a packet. “But I’ve got high hopes for the third race. I’ve just stuck two hundred quid on Kirkdale Legend.”
“Two hundred!” exclaimed Maggie. Shadow consulted the odds up on the television screens in the bar.
“It’s a hundred-to-one shot,” he said in disbelief.
“If it comes in, I’m taking the wife on a cruise to the Caribbean.”
“If it doesn’t, I wouldn’t bother going home,” said Maggie under her breath. Bob, swaying slightly, leaned forward and beckoned the two of them to listen closely.
“I reckon it’s a cert,” he whispered. “I was behind that Lord Eastwold in the queue for one of the course bookies. He put a grand on it to win. I asked around and he’d done the same with a few of the other bookies. So, I thought if it’s good enough for a toff like him, it’s good enough for me. I heard his brother-in-law owns the horse. The posh lot always stick together. Why don’t you put a couple of quid on too before the price goes down? I’ll see you later. I’ve got a pint with my name on it.”
He staggered off, leaving Shadow frowning and Maggie rummaging for her purse in her handbag.
“What are you doing?” Shadow asked.
“Going to put a bet on.”
“You’re not seriously taking a tip from Bob, are you? If he really knew what he was doing, do you think he’d still be cleaning windows?”
“Oh, come on where’s your sense of adventure? It’s fun to have the odd flutter,” she teased. “Who knows maybe I’ll end up in the Caribbean too.”
She tottered off to the nearest bookie, leaving Shadow behind still frowning. Siobhan had called Kirkdale Legend a liability and even Jimmy’s grandfather had questioned why he was running in such a prestigious race. Had Eastwold heard some inside information or was he so desperate financially that he needed a big win on an outsider? Was he that reckless? What had he said as Shadow had helped him out of the restaurant? “All his problems would be solved after the weekend, in a heartbeat.” Shadow glanced down at the race card. The name of the next race was the Heart of Yorkshire Cup. At that moment, Jimmy and Sophie reappeared.
“You on your own, Chief?” asked Jimmy.
Shadow nodded, still a little distracted. “Against my advice, Maggie has gone to place a bet on a hundred-to-one outsider in the next race.”
“What made her do that?” asked Sophie.
“A tip from Bob, would you believe,” sighed Shadow and briefly recounted the conversation he’d had with the window cleaner. No sooner had he finished than Sophie was heading out of the bar too.
“Not you as well?” said Shadow in exasperation.
“Are you sure, Soph?” asked Jimmy a little nervously.
Sophie turned back, grinning at the two detectives.
“At a hundred to one it’s got to be worth a fiver,” she said with a shrug.
“How much do you think Eastwold has put on in total?” asked Jimmy.
“I don’t know, but he’s not going to be very popular with the bookies if Kirkdale Legend does win,” replied Shadow.
“Who’s the favourite?”
Shadow turned and squinted at the screen again.
“Wantage Whisper. The other FitzAllan horse. He’s at two to one with the odds shortening.”
Jimmy fixed his eyes on the screen too.
“Look, Chief, Kirkdale Legend’s dropped to ninety to one now.”
“I’m not surprised. God only knows how many people Bob and Maggie have spoken to by now,” replied Shadow, shaking his head.
Chapter Nine
Down 7. Snug is the last thing you feel when they go bang! (4 letters)
A few minutes later, Maggie and Sophie returned looking very pleased with themselves.
“Come on let’s go and see the horses before they go down to the stalls,” said Sophie.
“Shall we?” asked Shadow offering Maggie his arm. The four of them left the bar and made their way through the crowds. They sauntered over to the paddock where the horses were beginning to parade. Jimmy consulted his race card as two black horses went by, flaring their nostrils and tossing their manes. One had a white mark on his nose, but both jockeys were wearing the purple and gold silks of the Duke of Kirkdale.
“Hey look, there are the two horses from the FitzAllan stable: Kirkdale Legend and Wantage Whisper.”
“Which one is which?” asked Sophie.
“Kirkdale Legend is the one without the white mark on his nose,” replied Jimmy.
“He’s magnificent. Definitely looks like a winner to me,” said Sophie confidently as, the horses passed by once again.
“According to his trainer, he’s a liability,” replied Shadow, who was still trying to work out why Eastwold would place such a large sum on the horse.
“If he was mine, I think I’d call him Lloyd,” said Jimmy.
“Just Lloyd?” queried Shadow, thinking such a simple name was uncharacteristically understated for his sergeant.
“Yep, like the bank. You know it’s got the black horse for a symbol. I love their adverts. That one when the horse is with the soldier in the First World War, then he’s delivering milk to the little girl and at the end he’s running along the beach.”
“Oh, I love that one too,” agreed Maggie. “I don’t know why, but it always makes me cry.”
“I read somewhere they had to use five horses to film all the sequences,” said Sophie.
“How did they find five that looked exactly the same?” asked Jimmy.
“I guess to most people a black horse is, just a black horse,” she said taking another sip of her champagne.
“We’re having a similar problem with a chestnut horse,” sighed Jimmy, as the last horse left the parade ring. The party of four made their way to the steps in front of the grandstand. The horses were all in their stalls, under starters orders, and suddenly they were off. The crowd roared their approval, but while everyone’s attention was focused on the race, Shadow turned to look at the stand behind him. He had borrowed Jimmy’s binoculars, raised them to his eyes and focused on the box belonging to the Duke of Kirkdale. His Grace and all his guests were out on the balcony. There was Sir Charles, Lord and Lady Eastwold, Annabel and Sybil, and Siobhan FitzAllan had joined them. Almost all of them looked animated as they shouted and cheered on their horses. Only Annabel turned away and Siobhan stood silently with her jaw tensed as she followed the race through her own binoculars.
Shadow replayed what Sophie had said in his head and lowered his binoculars. The crowd around him suddenly went wild. Sophie and Maggie were both screaming their heads off. Kirkdale Legend had done it. He’d won. Shadow glance back up at the box. The duke and Eastwood were spraying each other with champagne. Siobhan was staring out across the course. She didn’t look remotely surprised by the result. By now Maggie and Sophie were jumping up and down and hugging each other.
“Congratulations,” said Shadow. “Are you two going to collect your winnings or come to the winner’s enclosure and see the duke receive the cup?”
“I think we should go and cash in before Lord Eastwold gets there,” said Maggie. “He might clean them out.”
“Then we’ll see you back in the champagne tent,” said Shadow as he motioned for Jimmy to follow him.
“Not the result the bookies were expecting, Chief,” commented Jimmy as they pushed their way through the crowds.
“Not the result anyone was expecting except Siobhan by the look of things,” muttered Shadow. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked impatiently as Jimmy limped along by his side.
“It’s these new shoes, Chief. They’re killing my feet,” Jimmy replied with a grimace as he glanced down at his shiny brogues. “I’m only really used to wearing trainers, but Soph insisted on proper shoes today. She said it would be good practice for the wedding.”
Down at the winners’ enclosure there was much cheering as Kirkdale Legend arrived, covered in sweat and with nostrils flaring. Siobhan was there to greet the horse and jockey, and a few seconds later the duke arrived grinning wildly. Looking even more pleased with herself was Lavinia trotting along behind him, but there was no sign of either of their spouses. The duke shook Siobhan and the jockey by the hand before striding over to the be presented with the Heart of Yorkshire Cup by the Lady Mayoress of York. Then they all posed next to the horse before he was led away. A loud whooping sound to his left caught Shadow’s attention. It was Bet, cheering for all she was worth as the duke lifted his trophy for another photograph.
“She must have had a bet on Kirkdale Legend too,” whispered Jimmy.
Shadow nodded, but his mind was elsewhere as he watched the black horse leave the enclosure.
“While everyone is distracted by the next race, let’s go and have a look at the stables,” he whispered. The two detectives slipped away and made their way back towards the parade ring and on to the saddling enclosure. Behind the enclosure was the weighing-in room and the stables. It was a hive of activity as everyone prepared for the next race. Trainers were shouting instructions, grooms were saddling up horses and jockeys were lining up to get weighed in.
“Where are we going, Chief?” whispered Jimmy.
“I want to have a closer look at the FitzAllan horses. Something isn’t right, and I want to find out what’s going on,” Shadow replied. “Now follow me and try and look like you belong.” Shadow strode purposefully through the stables with Jimmy, attempting to look nonchalant and whistling, close behind him. They stopped suddenly when they spotted the young stable lad Siobhan had berated back in at her yard in Kirkdale. He and another groom were checking the bridle on a chestnut filly, who kept rearing up. Neither of them noticed as Shadow and Jimmy edged past and around the corner to the next stalls. Inside were two black horses, covered in blankets with the FitzAllan logo and still sweating from their race.
“We’ve found them,” whispered Shadow. “You go and see if there’s anything strange about either of them.”
Reluctantly Jimmy snuck into the first stall. The inhabitant turned his head and snorted loudly at him.
“Shush now, good horsey,” said Jimmy softly. “He’s got a white mark Chief, so it’s Wantage Whisper.”
A roar from outside told them the next race had begun.
“Hurry up,” hissed Shadow. “And try not to get kicked or bitten.”
“I’m not really sure what I’m looking for, Chief,” he replied.
I should have brought Sophie instead, thought Shadow impatiently as yet again Jimmy ducked out of the way of the horse who was inquisitively trying to nudge him with his nose.
“Let me try. You stand watch.”
With a look of obvious relief, Jimmy stepped out of the stall and Shadow took his place.
“There now, steady lad,” Shadow said quietly and gently laid his hand on the horse’s left flank. Very slowly he reached forward with his other hand and delicately stroked Wantage Whisper between his eyes and along the length of his nose. Then just as slowly, he raised his palm. It was covered in a white creamy substance and the small white mark on the horse’s nose was now smudged.
“What is it?” asked Jimmy. Shadow gingerly raised his hand to his nose and sniffed.
“I’m not sure, I don’t recognise the smell,” he said offering his hand to his sergeant. Jimmy leant forward and sniffed too.
“I do,” he said with a smile. “It’s the stuff you use to whiten old trainers.”
Shadow shook his head in disbelief. “How on earth did they expect to get away with it? If a vet had carried out an examination, he would have spotted it straight away.” At that moment, the horse pawed the ground with his front hoof sending bits of loose straw flying towards Shadow. He took this as his cue to leave and slowly edged back out of the stall.
“You stay here,” Shadow ordered. “I’ll go and find the clerk of the course. Do not let those two horses out of your sight and try not to upset them.”
Shadow hurried out of the stables and through the crowds to the county stand, where the private boxes and offices for the course officials were situated. A burly security guard blocked his way.
“I’m sorry, sir, this entrance is only for those in a private box.”
“I need to see the clerk of the course. It’s urgent,” said Shadow, putting his hand inside his pocket for his warrant card only to remember he’d left it in his old wax jacket.
“I’m sorry, sir, I can’t let you through,” repeated the guard firmly, but politely. Then over his shoulder Shadow spotted Sir Charles Richmond striding along the corridor. He did not look a happy man.
“Sir Charles!” Shadow called out. He remembered the MP was also on the board of the racecourse. The politician stopped when he heard his name and held up his hand in recognition when he saw Shadow.
“Let him through, let him through,” he ordered, and the six-foot-three security guard meekly stepped aside. Shadow hurried past.
“Sorry to interrupt you, Sir Charles,” he began politely, but the MP shook his head.
“No need to apologise, I’m having a shocking day anyway. Just lost a packet on Wantage Whisper. Bertie and Eastwold backed Kirkdale Legend, but I thought they were crazy when I saw the odds. Why are you here? Is this about FitzAllan and his stable lad?”
“Yes, I think I’ve found a connection between their deaths and the bet you have just lost. I have reason to believe that two horses from the FitzAllan stable have been switched with each other,” Shadow explained. The MP’s mouth opened in astonishment as Shadow continued, “I have left my sergeant in the stables, but I need to see the clerk of the course.”
Sir Charles immediately turned to the security guard. “Radio the clerk of the course and tell her to meet me at the stables and send two of your colleagues too,” he ordered before turning back to Shadow. “Lead the way, Chief Inspector.”
Shadow headed back towards the stables closely followed by Sir Charles. The clerk of the course, a smartly dressed woman in her mid-thirties, and two burly security guards were waiting for them at the entrance. Jimmy was still standing next to the two snorting and sweating horses and looked relieved to see them all.
“One of Siobhan’s grooms asked me what I was doing here,” he said. “I told him I was one of the course vets, but I don’t think he believed me.”
“What’s going on, Shadow?” asked Sir Charles.
“The identities of these two horses have been switched. Wantage Whisper has had his white blaze hidden and Kirkdale Legend has been given one instead,” Shadow explained.
Sir Charles stared at him incredulously.
“So Wantage Whisper, the favourite, actually won?” he asked.
“Yes,” confirmed Shadow, as the clerk of the course opened the door of the nearest stall and calmly approached the horse inside. She began gently stroking his nose, while making reassuring noises, then lifted up the palm of her hand and showed it to Sir Charles. It was covered in a black powdery substance.
“I did the same to the other one,” explained Shadow showing his own palm covered in white.
“What the hell do you think you are doing?”
They all turned around. Siobhan was standing behind them with her hands on her hips and a look of blind fury on her face.
“I could ask you the same, Siobhan,” replied Sir Charles coolly.
“Get away from my horses,” Siobhan demanded, pointing at the clerk of the course who had now turned her attention to the other horse. Shadow stepped forward.
“Siobhan FitzAllan, I am arresting you for…”
“The hell you are,” she snarled, then before anyone could stop her, she pushed over a stack of straw bales, knocking both Shadow and Sir Charles off their feet as she fled towards the entrance.
“Get after her!” yelled Shadow from the stable floor. Jimmy and the two security guards leapt over the straw and chased her out of the door, while Shadow got to his feet and helped Sir Charles up.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Fine,” replied the MP. “You go after them. I’ll sort things out here with the course authorities.”
Shadow hurried after Jimmy and the security guards. As soon as he was outside, he paused and looked around, but he couldn’t see them anywhere, then he turned and spotted several figures running through the car park. He dashed after them and arrived out of breath, but just in time to see Jimmy catch up with Siobhan as she tried to climb into her horsebox.
“It’s okay, Chief,” his sergeant shouted. “We’ve got her, and I’ve called for backup. A car should be here soon.”
“Then I’ll go and see what the duke and Eastwold have to say about all this,” replied Shadow. Jimmy gave him a thumbs up, then began to read Siobhan her rights as she continued to struggle and swear at the security guards who were helping to detain her.
At a slightly more sedate pace, Shadow headed back to the main area of the course. He noticed several worried-looking men wearing official badges heading to the stables as an announcement was broadcast over the tannoy system, declaring there was to be a stewards’ inquiry into the result of the last race. This caused uproar amongst the punters who had torn up what they thought was a losing ticket and the bookies who had already begun paying out.
This time when the security guard saw Shadow, he stepped aside without being asked. Shadow climbed up three flights of stairs to the top floor where the private boxes were situated. The first person he saw was Tom, dressed in a pristine white waiter’s uniform and balancing a stack of empty plates and glasses on a large tray.
“What’s going on, sir? The duke and Lord Eastwold weren’t very happy when they heard there’s a stewards’ inquiry. I don’t think they’ve collected all their winnings yet. Eastwold dashed off in a real state,” whispered Tom nodding towards the nearest door bearing the name Kirkdale.
