Behind The Horseman (The Underwood Mysteries Book 3) Read Free Page A

verbal or physical, but at this moment he would gladly have risked the gallows just to have five minutes alone with the man who had terrified and threatened his wife.
    “But the words he uses,” pursued the vicar remorselessly, never stopping to think how his comments might cut into his brother, who already felt wholly responsible for the incident, “that surely shows he is known to you.  He has some grudge against you.”
    Underwood drew in a deep breath and said, with infinite patience, “My dear fellow, do you have any notion how many people than encompasses?  It could be one of several hundred disgruntled students, who felt his life was ruined when he failed his finals at my hands, or who might have been sent down and blames me for it.  God knows there were enough in my twenty years at Cambridge!  If not a student, then anyone connected with the three murders I have investigated in the past two years, not to mention the dozens of minor felonies I dealt with prior to that.  The list is endless – and, more frighteningly, though the man claims to know me, it does not necessarily follow that I know him.  He may be acting for a friend or relation who feels their life has been adversely affected by actions of mine.  Gil, we have to face the unpalatable fact that Verity’s attacker could be anyone at all – and finding him will be like searching the proverbial haystack for a needle!”
    Gil, determined to protect Verity, refused to see sense or bow to Underwood’s logic, “But if he bothered to disguise his voice, he must be known to Verity too.  That must narrow down the list.”
    “Not at all.  It could simply indicate that he intends to make himself known to her in the future.  The population of Hanbury is a constantly changing one.  This man could have been watching our movements for days or even weeks.  He might be someone we know well, someone with whom we are barely acquainted, or someone whom we have yet to meet.”
                  Gil looked even more distressed, “Then what are we to do?  I feel I can never leave Verity unattended again!"
    “My dear Gil,” answered Underwood, not without a certain wry quality to his tone which was entirely lost upon his brother, “though I appreciate your concern, you really must try to recall occasionally that Verity is my wife – and my responsibility!  Pray leave her care in my hands.”
    “But, Chuffy …” 
    Underwood held up his hand, effectively halting any further protests, “Gil, I said leave it to me.  To begin with, I shall be asking Toby to reconsider his acceptance of employment with you.  If we are to move to Windward House, Toby will be coming with us.”
    Gil’s relief was palpable.  The mental vision of the tall, broadly-built black ex-pugilist, who adored Verity, was enough to inspire confidence even in the jittery vicar, “Yes, yes, of course.  It would be a brave man who took Toby on – and he would much rather work for Verity than for me.”
    “Bearing in mind that you had no work for him and created a position merely to keep him off the streets, I imagine it is a solution which satisfies all parties.”
     
                                                                                       
    *
     
    Underwood had slowly grown accustomed to being hailed loudly on the street.  It was something which had rarely happened to him in Cambridge, since it was mostly students who knew him, and who wouldn’t want to be seen talking to their tutor in public.  The rest of the Cambridge populace were of a rather more reticent demeanour than those who visited Hanbury.  He could only suppose it was the fault of the transitory lifestyle.  It seemed to release inhibitions, knowing that one was not going to be in a place for any great length of time.  The spinsters, the maiden aunts and chaperones tried hard to quell this distressing inclination