That seemed to settle it. Hornbeam said: ‘Then they must be at my house. Obviously I misunderstood.’ But he did not often misunderstand things and he remained troubled. ‘I’m going home to check.’
‘I’ll come with you, if I may,’ said Drummond. ‘Just to be sure.’
They made their way out of the room slowly, for Hornbeam’s supporters wanted to congratulate him; but he was brusque with them all, shaking hands and thanking them but keeping moving, ignoring all attempts to engage him in conversation. Out on the cold street he quickened his pace, and Drummond had to hurry to keep up with Hornbeam’s long legs.
They reached Hornbeam’s place in a couple of minutes. The footman Simpson opened the door and Hornbeam said without preamble: ‘Have you seen Joe this morning?’
‘No, sir, he’s at Mr Drummond’s...’ Simpson spotted Drummond standing behind Hornbeam and tailed off.
‘I’m going to check his room.’ Hornbeam ran up the stairs, and Drummond hurried after him.
Joe’s bed had not been slept in.
Drummond said: ‘Now what the devil are those two up to?’
‘I hope it’s only mischief,’ Hornbeam said. ‘The alternative is that some accident has befallen them, or there has been a fight, and they’re lying in a ditch somewhere.’ He frowned, thinking. ‘Who else was involved in yesterday’s football match, do you know?’
‘Sandy mentioned Rupe Underwood’s boy, Bruno.’
‘Let’s find out if he knows anything.’
Rupe’s silk ribbon business had prospered and he now had a fine house in Cookshop Street. Hornbeam and Drummond hurried there and knocked at the door. They found the Underwood family just sitting down to their midday dinner. Rupe had once been one of Jane Midwinter’s many admirers, Hornbeam recalled, but he had married a woman who looked less pretty and more sensible thanJane, and she had evidently borne him the three healthy adolescents now sitting at the table.
Rupe stood up. ‘Alderman Hornbeam, Mr Drummond, this is a surprise. Is something wrong?’
‘Yes,’ Hornbeam said. ‘We can’t find Joe and Sandy. I believe your boy Bruno might have played football with them yesterday, and we’d like to ask him if he has any idea where they might be.’
A boy of about sixteen said: ‘I do know, sir.’
Rupe said: ‘Stand up when Alderman Hornbeam speaks to you, lad.’
‘Sorry.’ Bruno scrambled to his feet.
Hornbeam said: ‘So where are they?’
Bruno said: ‘They joined the army.’
There was a stunned silence.
Then Drummond said: ‘God in heaven have mercy.’
Hornbeam said: ‘The stupid fools.’
Rupe said to his son: ‘You didn’t tell me that, Bruno.’
‘They asked us not to say anything.’
Drummond said: ‘Why on earth did they do this?’
‘Yes,’ Hornbeam said. ‘What possessed them?’
Bruno answered the question. ‘Joe said he had a duty to help defend his country, and Sandy agreed.’
‘Oh, for God’s sake,’ said Drummond in anxious exasperation.
Bruno said: ‘The rest of us thought they were mad.’
Hornbeam said: ‘Where have they gone?’
