Inspector Abberline and the Gods of Rome

by Simon Clark

  For the first time in a while, Abberline asked a question, ‘And the other brothers who died?’

  ‘All down to me … well, to be frank, I enlisted the help of my younger brother. But the planning was all mine.’ Once more she set her gaze on William. His reaction, his shock, his horror fed some hunger in the woman’s evil mind. She smiled. ‘Mr Denby is appalled. So be it.’ Now she didn’t stop speaking. Words were now this monstrous creature’s weapon of hurt. ‘I planned certain accidents for the Denby brothers. My brother, Godfrey, became the instrument of my vengeance. Godfrey hid on a river-bank that John Denby favoured for fishing. I’d explained where Godfrey should conceal himself and what he should do. He struck John Denby from behind with a rock. The body floated over a weir where it sustained more injuries. The coroner never suspected that he’d been murdered. Mortlake Denby enjoyed riding. Eight years ago, Godfrey tripped the horse with a rope. Once more, a rock was used to administer the death blow. Once more the coroner’s verdict was accidental death. As a senior member of domestic staff I was permitted to attend the funerals. I watched Sir Alfred at every funeral. Each time, his grief eased my grief. His anguish at the loss of a brother was the lotion that soothed away my pain.’

  William’s face turned crimson with anger. ‘The woman is insane.’

  ‘Insane?’ echoed Abberline. ‘She has carefully planned the murders. They are spaced out over almost two decades. That requires a high level of intelligence, dedication and rational thought. No, not mad.’

  ‘I don’t expect you men to understand,’ said Miss Groom.

  Abberline nodded. ‘I agree … not many human beings could understand how anyone could commit murder in such a calculating way.’

  ‘I did so to heal my broken heart.’

  ‘Why did you poison Joshua Denby? Why didn’t you concoct another accident?’

  ‘Four years ago, my brother, Godfrey, caught a chill and died. I had to carry out the act myself. Joshua liked very strong coffee and, as housekeeper, I ensured it was just to his taste. All I need do was add small quantities of arsenic.’

  ‘Because you knew,’ Abberline told her, ‘that arsenic poison remains in the body, and that the perfect way to kill someone with the stuff is to administer small doses over several months, so it appears the victim has contracted an illness.’

  Thomas spoke up. ‘But Miss Groom moved to one of the other Denby houses a month or so before Joshua Denby died?’

  Abberline walked to the blackboard. ‘Joshua had ingested dozens of arsenic doses before Miss Groom left. He was desperately ill. In that weakened state, it only needed for him to catch a cold in order for life to desert him.’ He tapped the board. ‘The Marsh Test proved he’d been poisoned with arsenic.’

  William growled his next words, ‘You poisoned my brother, and then you began poisoning Edith.’

  Miss Groom gave a curt nod. ‘Edith has weak lungs. I read medical books; they told me camphor speeds up the heart, while slowing respiration. When I put small quantities of camphor in Edith’s medicine, which also contained camphor, it produced the effect I desired. I orchestrated, what appeared to you, to be a chronic seizure of her lungs.’

  Even though William tried to speak, the sheer power of emotion bound the words up inside his throat. He couldn’t even utter a snarl of anger.

  Miss Groom smiled. ‘Your anguish, when your daughter struggled to breathe, was my elixir of life. You were terrified that Edith would die. That terror made me feel wonderful. Moreover, I was in control. I decided when Edith Denby would be well and when she would be ill. I, a woman, a plain housekeeper, had power over Mr William Denby, the great scientist who could make men fly.’ She chuckled. ‘Oh … after my brother died I realized another ally would be useful. I visited taverns, drank brandy, and pretended to be a lonely and desperate woman – but one who knew where fabulous golden statues were hidden. I found Jack Durrkar here … he’d only just been released from prison. He had no home, no money … all he had was a talent for criminality. I spun him wonderful stories of gold that could be found in one of the country mansions that belonged to the Denby family.’

  Jack Durrkar gave a beast-like grunt. ‘You witch, you—’

  ‘Once he heard that there was treasure to be found, if only the Denby brothers were dead, he proposed marriage. I accepted.’

  ‘You claim that you tricked me.’ Durrkar gave her such an evil look. ‘I tricked you. Any man could tell you were mad through and through. A regular Bedlam case. I played along with your silly games with wedding rings, holding hands, secret meetings in the woods. All that sickening make-believe. But, believe me, you witch, once I had that gold I would have seen you off like that.’ He clicked his fingers. ‘I’d have put you in a sack and drowned you.’

  ‘You haven’t the brains to outwit me.’ Miss Groom shook her head. ‘Fools like you spend half their lives in prison.’

  ‘Ha. Even if my brain doesn’t equal yours, we’ll still hang the same.’

  Abberline opened a table drawer and pulled out two sets of manacles. ‘I take it, Durrkar, that you wanted to hurry the process? You didn’t see any point in killing the Denby brothers over several years when the job could be done within weeks. Miss Groom told you about Sir Alfred’s habit of firing a cannon every morning as signal to his estate staff to begin work.’

  ‘A lovely piece of invention, if I say so myself.’ Durrkar leered. ‘If the witch here can boast, so can I. I fixed up a pistol in the little closet where Sir Alfred kept his gunpowder. When he opened the door, a string pulled the trigger, and boom.’

  ‘You also travelled up to Scotland in order to kill Thaddeus Denby. This time you were so impatient to remove him you used a rifle.’

  ‘I won’t deny it – I’ll be wearing the hangman’s necktie before long, won’t I? But you won’t find a better man with a rifle in many a mile.’

  ‘Then you came here to Wales with the intention of assassinating Mr William Denby. With two surviving brothers overseas, and unlikely to return any time soon, the Denby mansions would be boarded up. That’s when you’d find the gold statues with your wife’s help. You’d be a rich man, Durrkar.’

  Miss Groom laughed. ‘The servants heard all those stories about the Gods of Rome. Everyone from kitchen skivvy, to maid, to gardener, to butler looked for them. You fools, if the statues were on Denby land, don’t you they’d have been found by now?’

  ‘You witch!’ Durrkar’s face turned white with shock. ‘You told me that they were hidden in one of the cellars. You said they were likely to be here. Now you tell me that there’s no gold! Damn you!’ He swung his arm at her face.

  Abberline caught the man by the wrist before the blow struck home and snapped on the manacles. The soldiers stepped forward to help him secure the other wrist to the chain.

  ‘You won’t find any treasure here, gentlemen.’ Miss Groom sat primly in the chair. She was enjoying this. ‘I, on the other hand, have my treasure. What I shall value most of all is standing on the gallows, knowing that Mr Denby will have to live with the grief of his daughter’s death. I have poisoned her. Yes. My doing, Mr Denby. Now she lies dying … or perhaps she is already dead. You will never know happiness or contentment again. My father’s death is avenged.’

  Abberline motioned Miss Groom to stand. He fastened one of the iron bracelets to her left wrist. ‘Mr Denby, would you tell Miss Groom about your daughter’s condition?’

  ‘Gladly. I want to cheat the woman of her sick gratification. Miss Groom–’ he spoke with icy calm –‘ Edith is upstairs. She is recovering. Her respiration is normal again. My daughter will live.’

  Miss Groom flinched when she heard those words. ‘I poured an ounce of camphor into the medicine. She must be dead now.’

  ‘Doctor Penrhyn acted quickly. He administered coffee, which helps dispel the effects of camphor poisoning. Also, my daughter is much stronger than you believed.’

  ‘No!’ Miss Groom struggled. ‘No … you will not cheat me of this.�
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  The soldiers held her arms as Abberline fixed the second bracelet to her other wrist. With both Miss Groom and Durrkar in chains, the detective nodded at the soldiers. ‘There’s a police carriage waiting out on the drive. Would you please take them down there? Everyone in this house will sleep better tonight knowing that these two are behind bars.’

  The soldiers took the two killers away. Durrkar had been sapped of any inclination to fight and went quietly. Miss Groom cursed and struggled, but she was in chains now. Her war against the Denby bloodline was at an end.

  The detective spoke softly. ‘Thank you for your hospitality, William. Thomas and I will be leaving at first light tomorrow.’

  William thanked him then withdrew. The man’s face was a happy one. No doubt he’d hurry upstairs to tell his wife everything. That, and to sit by his daughter’s bedside where he’d thank Providence that her life had been spared.

  ‘Thomas,’ Abberline began, ‘when you return to London tomorrow I daresay you’ll have plenty of writing in front of you.’

  ‘That I will, Inspector. This has been a fascinating experience. I’m grateful that you allowed me to become your shadow these past few days.’

  ‘You know, a telegram arrived yesterday. A new case is waiting for me back at Scotland Yard.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘You would be most welcome to join me again. To remain my shadow, as it were. Does that interest you?’

  Before Thomas could reply, a smiling Inspector Abberline picked up a cloth and wiped the blackboard clean of all that was written there.

  CHAPTER 37

  Six months later: October, 1890

  Thomas Lloyd and Inspector Alfred Abberline stepped into the conservatory at Newydd Hall in North Wales. The last time they were here the trees were just coming into leaf; those leaves had now turned from gold to red, and the tops of the mountains were crowned by the first fall of snow.

  William Denby, and his wife, Prudence, sat in cane chairs at either side of their daughter. Edith wore her hair in bright, red ribbons. She’d been reading to them from sheets of paper bound together in a homemade book with orange covers.

  William jumped to his feet, delighted to see his visitors. ‘Good morning, gentlemen. Wonderful to see you again.’

  The adults shook hands, exchanged pleasantries, and expressed their delight at being reunited. Thomas noted that Edith Denby watched them with those intelligent eyes of hers. Without a shadow of doubt, the ten year old would be memoriszng this scene.

  Thomas smiled at her. ‘Are you well, Edith?’

  ‘Quite well, thank you,’ she said brightly. With that, she stood up, and walked across the conservatory with her hand extended. ‘How was your journey from London?’

  Thomas shook her hand. ‘The trains were on time, which is a blessing.’

  Mrs Denby tut-tutted at her daughter’s forthright manner. ‘Edith, a nod of the head and a dip of the knee is a perfectly polite way for a young girl to greet a visitor.’

  ‘Mama, I know Thomas … is it all ight if I call you Thomas? Or would you prefer Mr Lloyd?’

  ‘We are friends, Edith.’ He smiled. ‘Thomas it is.’

  ‘Thomas, I would like you to see my book.’ She held out the volume to him. ‘I wrote about the case you and Inspector Abberline investigated here.’

  ‘Thank you.’ William took the book, the pages of which were covered with neat handwriting. ‘I should be very interested to read it.’

  Edith beamed with pleasure. ‘You will have seen that I am well again, thanks to you and the inspector. It’s true, I have weak lungs and always will, but it was the poison that Miss Groom put into my medicine that made the condition so much worse.’

  William smiled fondly. ‘Edith doesn’t need the wheelchair anymore. She can walk and run.’

  Mrs Denby added, ‘As long as she doesn’t over-tire herself.’

  Edith seemed to sparkle with happiness. ‘Will you look at my account of the investigation, Inspector Abberline?’

  ‘I’d be delighted to do so. Thank you.’

  ‘I have written the story from the day you arrived here. It’s all there: the exhumation of my uncle from his grave, and the cunning way you made Miss Groom reveal herself as the murderer. Oh, I’ve described the court case, too, and how that scoundrel, Jack Durrkar, cheated the hangman by cutting his own throat. Just imagine! The sharp edge of the razor; it would feel like a nettle sting … then oblivion … oblivion everlasting. Isn’t Miss Groom going to the gallows next week?’

  ‘Oh, child.’ Mrs Denby rolled her eyes in exasperation. ‘Why dolls aren’t of any interest to you I shall never know. Instead, you write about such horrors as tomb openings, suicides and hangings.’

  ‘That’s what happens in real life. Isn’t that so, Thomas? And after walking hand-in-hand with death for such a long time I am determined to become part of the world. One day I shall be a newspaper reporter, like Thomas here. Don’t look at me like that, Mama. Shall I ask the maid to bring our tea?’

  After they’d refreshed themselves with tea and had eaten the most sublime Welsh cakes, William strolled through the gardens with Abberline and Thomas.

  Inspector Abberline said, ‘Of course, the reason we are here is to tie up some loose ends regarding the investigation.’ He smiled. ‘We also have a secret motive for visiting you. Both Thomas and I wanted to see Edith with our own eyes now that she has recovered.’

  William nodded, smiling, too. ‘I’ve had the best medical men examine Edith. They say that she does have a weakness of the chest, but in her case the condition should slowly improve as she grows older. It was the excess of camphor that Miss Groom administered that caused the severest attacks of breathlessness and weakness.’

  ‘I’m glad to hear that she can look forward to a long life,’ Abberline said. ‘And, I hope, a happy and productive one.’ He paused to gaze at soldiers patrolling near the balloon sheds. ‘I must confess to one failing,’ he added. ‘The statues – the Gods of Rome – have yet to be found.’

  ‘Will they ever?’

  ‘Between you and me, I doubt if they ever will . My belief is that the British Government wishes to enter into treaties with Italy. Theft of the treasure soured relations between the British royal family and the Italian king, so if our government appears to be diligently searching for the statues in order to return them to Rome then a happier relationship would be restored.’

  Thomas pointed out, ‘Inspector Abberline is famous. So what should have been a secret investigation into the missing artefacts, and their link with the Denby family, would soon be widely known.’

  William nodded. ‘The Italian spy, the man in the yellow coat, he would have kept watch on you, no doubt, and reported back to his masters.’

  ‘Indeed,’ Abberline agreed. ‘Signor Cavalli would have reassured the Italian ambassador that the British were being true to their word, and that a senior detective had been assigned to find the treasure.’

  ‘The Curse of the Gods of Rome.’ William’s smile was wry one. ‘Perhaps part of the curse is that they will never be found.’

  ‘What’s more, Sir Alfred may have melted the figures down into ingots, which could then be sold to goldsmiths far and wide. A faint trace of the golden gods might even be found in the ring that Thomas wears on his little finger.’

  ‘What you did successfully find were my brothers’ murderers. For that, I offer my heartfelt thanks.’

  They walked along a wall that sheltered them from the cool breeze. Also walking there were two women. While the pair were still out of earshot, William murmured, ‘Ah, there’s Laura, Do you remember the girl who believed she had visions of the future?’

  ‘Indeed we do,’ Thomas said. ‘Has she recovered?’

  William sadly shook his head. ‘Doctors say that the affliction is permanent. She is lost in her own world now. When the weather is pleasant, a maid will take her for a stroll in the gardens.’

  ‘Then you are keeping her here?’ Thomas ask
ed.

  ‘My wife and I agree that we should care for Laura, rather than consign her to an asylum. Her parents are elderly and we still send them her wages.’

  ‘That is most generous,’ said Abberline.

  ‘In truth, we are grateful to her. Those visions that plagued her caused her to attempt to destroy the balloons in their sheds. This may seem strange to you, gentlemen, but I absolutely believe that Laura had a vital role in events six months ago. Without her stumbling across Franco Cavalli we would never have caught him. And, ultimately, Cavalli saved my life when he fired the rifle back at Durrkar and spoiled his aim. Laura, alas, will never know how important she is to my family.’

  Abberline nodded. ‘Laura may have been an unwitting participant, but she was the essential catalyst.’

  Thomas shivered a little, and it wasn’t due to the coolness of the air. ‘Or perhaps she did see more than we can understand?’

  ‘Another mystery for your pen, Thomas.’ William doffed his cap as the maid approached, walking arm-in-arm with Laura. ‘Ladies.’

  Laura’s face was pale. Her eyes had the look of someone gazing at a faraway object.

  She turned to Thomas. ‘Sir, I see your future. The fate of nations will rest upon your shoulders. Your words matter … they will light an ocean of fire.’ Laura’s large eyes ranged across the path ahead of them. ‘There are so many today. Our gardens are filled with shining people. They watch, listen, wait … I know that only I can see them … I shouldn’t detain you, sir, but … what I say is true. The safety of our world will, one day, depend on you.’

  Laura continued walking arm-in-arm with the maid. To Thomas, the young woman seemed more ghost than mortal now. An insubstantial wraith. A faint mirage of flesh and blood.