‘Don’t look at me,’ said Ross. ‘I’m a loner, not officer material. But I hear there’s a job going in traffic control for a recently demoted sergeant. No experience required.’
‘Don’t joke about it,’ said William, as Danny drove onto the motorway.
By the time they reached the level crossing, Ross had asked several insightful questions, and added one or two of his own ideas. William was quickly discovering why The Hawk held him in such high regard.
‘Once Faulkner had seen you and Danny running towards the station, he would have had two choices,’ said Ross. ‘Turn back or carry on over the level crossing.’
‘He carried on,’ said Danny.
‘How can you be so sure?’ asked Ross.
‘I didn’t reach the train in time, so I had to return to the car. While I was crossing the bridge on the way back, I saw the barrier rise and a dark blue Mercedes drive through.’
‘Why didn’t you follow it?’ asked Ross.
‘The driver was wearing a chauffeur’s hat, so I assumed Faulkner was on the train. My first responsibility was to make sure there was a welcoming party waiting for him at the next station.’
‘And there was, but Faulkner wasn’t on it,’ said William. ‘It was some time before I cottoned on to the fact that his chauffeur had taken his place. From now on, let’s start thinking like Faulkner. If I was driving over the level crossing, where would I head for?’
‘He wouldn’t have carried on into Limpton,’ said Ross, ‘because by then he would have realized there would be several ushers waiting for the groom.’
‘There’s only one other turning off the road before Limpton,’ chipped in Danny.
‘Then he must have taken it,’ said William, as they approached a crossroads.
Danny ignored the signpost to Limpton, turned right and put his foot on the accelerator.
‘Slow down,’ said William. ‘Keep a steady pace. Faulkner wouldn’t have risked breaking the speed limit and being pulled over.’
‘How long do you think he would have carried on for before he ditched the car?’ asked Ross.
‘Not for too long,’ said William. ‘He would have known that once we realized he wasn’t on that train, every patrol car in the county would be on the look-out for a dark blue Mercedes.’
‘Assuming it hasn’t already been picked up, or stolen,’ said Danny. ‘We’d have a better chance of finding it if we’d been able to use the Met’s helicopter rather than this ancient Austin Allegro.’
‘I don’t think the commander would have authorized that,’ said William, as Danny drove slowly through a small village before stopping at another crossroad.
‘Help,’ said Danny. ‘Right, left or straight on?’
‘Straight on,’ said William. ‘He wouldn’t have turned left to Limpton. If we don’t come across anything in the next fifteen minutes, we’ll turn back.’
William became more and more pessimistic with each passing mile, but as they approached the next village, Danny shouted, ‘Bingo!’ and screeched to a halt beside a dark blue Mercedes.
Ross was about to get out of the car when William said quietly, ‘Wrong number plate.’
No one spoke as Danny turned the car around and put his foot on the accelerator. He slowed down only when he was back at the crossroads. This time, he turned left and followed the signpost to Sevenoaks, being careful to keep his speed below thirty.
William couldn’t help wishing he’d stayed in New York and was now visiting the Frick, rather than roaming around the countryside searching for an abandoned car.
‘What in hell’s name are they up to?’ said Danny, when he spotted a couple of youths unscrewing the bolts on the wheel of a car. He threw on the brakes, but the two lads had fled in different directions long before he got out of the car, one of them with a wheel under his arm.
‘Do you want me to go after him, boss?’
‘No,’ said William, staring at the number plate. ‘They’ve left a far bigger prize behind. Call Inspector Thomas, tell him to send a tow truck, and to keep the car under wraps until I get back in touch with him.’
While Danny was on the radio, Ross, who had circled the car several times, was now looking over a nearby hedge. ‘Over here, sir,’ he shouted.
William quickly joined him. They clambered through the hedge and into a muddy field, where William used a small branch to carefully pick up a chauffeur’s hat.