The Thousand Faces of Night - Jack Higgins [63]
Marlowe pushed him in the chest, sending him staggering back against the wall. 'Sorry, Mac,' he said. 'This is my affair and I'll handle it in my own way. Look after Maria.' He gunned the motor and roared out of the barn before the Jamaican could argue any more.
It was growing dark as he entered the outskirts of Barford and the heavy rain made visibility even poorer. He found Dover Street without difficulty and an illuminated glass sign swinging over the pavement in the rain, indicated the Grey Goose.
As he approached he saw a familiar yellow van parked outside and Monaghan in the act of getting in. The van moved quickly away from the kerb and Marlowe increased speed and followed it.
He wondered where Monaghan was going. Perhaps to meet Jenny O'Connor, but somehow he didn't think so. It was more likely the Irishman was deserting the sinking ship while the going was good.
The van turned into another square and halted in front of the railway station. As Monaghan was getting out of the cab Marlowe parked behind him and jumped down from the cab. 'Going somewhere, Monaghan?' he said.
The Irishman was taking a suitcase out of the cab of the van. He turned and looked at Marlowe in alarm and his jaw dropped. 'What do you want?' he said.
'I want a few more facts from you, Monaghan.' Marlowe spoke softly. 'Mainly about Jenny O'Connor.'
The Irishman threw the suitcase at Marlowe's head and turned and ran for the station steps.
Marlowe ducked and went after him. Monaghan disappeared into the entrance and when Marlowe followed him in, he found that the booking hall was quite crowded. He glanced about him hastily. There was no sign of the Irishman.
He walked over to the ticket barrier and saw, from a notice chalked on a blackboard, that the next train was the London express leaving in five minutes. He quickly bought a platform ticket and passed through the barrier.
The train was standing at a platform on the far side of the track and as he passed over the footbridge, he caught a glimpse of Monaghan getting into a compartment about half-way along the train. He quickly descended the steps leading to the platform and hurried along, peering in through the windows of the compartments. As he reached the end of that particular coach, he saw Monaghan settling in a corner seat.
Their eyes met. A look of rage mingled with fear passed over the Irishman's face. He got up quickly and disappeared into the corridor. Marlowe moved to the nearest door, pushed an indignant passenger out of the way and entered the carriage.
As he turned into the corridor, he saw Monaghan disappear round the corner at the far end. Marlowe went after him, pushing his way along the crowded corridor, using his great size ruthlessly to force a passage. People were calling out angrily, somewhere behind him a woman screamed and then he pushed through the last door in the passenger section of the train and found himself in the guard's van.
As he entered, Monaghan was going out of the loading door on to the platform, pushing his way through the porters who were loading the van. Marlowe tripped over a suitcase as he followed and went sprawling on his face, hands outstretched to break his fall. He half-screamed in agony as pain coursed through his tortured hands and then he was on his feet and following Monaghan, who was running like a hare for the far end of the platform.
Slowly Marlowe overhauled him. The Irishman paused at the end of the platform and glanced back and then he turned and jumped down on to the track. There were several goods trains parked a few hundred yards away across a welter of tracks and he made towards them.
As Marlowe followed he heard the sound of an approaching train. He turned his head and saw a fast passenger train entering the station at the other end. Monaghan saw it also and redoubled his efforts to pass across the track, obviously hoping that the train would cut him off from his pursuer. Marlowe gritted his teeth and increased