‘Of course not, but someone did and one of those women might well be able to point us in the direction of the murderer. Name them for me, Bessie, and tell me why it is they dislike her so much.’
‘It’s the same reason with every one of them – Kerensa played fast and loose with their husbands. Mind you, they’re only the ones folk knew about – not that Kerensa ever cared overmuch about keeping her goings on secret, not even from her own husband, so perhaps you ought to be speaking to him instead of raking up old scandals that are best forgotten.’
‘They probably would have been forgotten had someone not murdered her and stolen her baby, so if you tell me the names of these women, Sergeant Churchyard and I will be on our way. Horace Morgan has more than enough to cope with at the moment and we have spoken to him on a number of occasions, the last only this morning. I would like to leave him in peace until we have some information for him. As for raking up old scandals … We are not out to break up anyone’s marriage, Bessie, we’ll be as discreet as is possible given the circumstances, but we do need to talk to them.’
For some moments Bessie thought over what Amos had said. Arriving at a decision, she nodded her head vigorously. ‘It might not hurt to have some husbands reminded of their shortcomings. I’ll tell you of a couple of Kerensa’s affairs that everyone knew of. One was with George Kendall who lives down by the bridge at Berriow, just below the village here. He’s a nasty piece of work who used to be a gamekeeper up at Trelyn until Morgan came along and gave him the sack – possibly because he’d heard about what had gone on between Kendall and his wife. Kendall went to work up at the Notter mine then but he’s well known for being handy with his fists, especially where his own wife is concerned. She had two black eyes the day I went to deliver her fifth – another girl – less than a year ago, and she’s due her sixth any time now. His affair with Kerensa was the talk of the village for a long time and he wasn’t very happy when she upped and married Morgan.
‘Then there’s Jowan Hodge. He’s a miner, a hard worker and one of the few to make and keep his money when he was working up at the Phoenix mine. He bid for a pitch that turned out to contain a very rich lode and used his earnings to buy shares in the mine. They paid off handsomely and he’s worth a bob or two now. That’s probably the reason Kerensa latched on to him. Gossip had it they were planning to go off together – and this was after she’d married Morgan. Fortunately, Jowan came to his senses and settled down again with his wife who is a good, sound woman. She comes from a Christian family and goes off preaching when the call comes to her.
‘That’s two of ’em for you to be getting on with … but you should have a word with Alfie Kittow too. He’s landlord at the Ring o’ Bells, right here in the village. Kerensa worked for him – and again, this is just rumour – it might not have been only Alfie’s customers she kept happy. If Florrie, Alfie’s wife, was at the pub she’d tell you a different story. She and Alfie have always been a close couple, but Florrie hasn’t been there for a while. She’s lost a few babies in the past, most being stillborn and she’s desperate for a child. She went away a while ago and Alfie spread word she was expecting again and had gone back to her family, somewhere outside Cornwall so they would be around to help when her time came, but his story never convinced me. She never looked very pregnant – and I should know a pregnant woman when I see one! I think she might have another reason for going away, but no doubt you’ll be able to get to the bottom of it.
‘Anyway, you wanted some names and now you’ve got ’em, so you can get on your way before I get a bad name for talking too much to policemen.’ Tom had been taking notes while Bessie was talking and now he shut his notebook gratefully eager to be first out of the door.
Once outside he took in a deep breath, saying, ‘It’s good to be out in the fresh air. I don’t think I would want Bessie delivering a baby for anyone in my family!’
‘I agree, Tom, but she has given us more to go on than anyone else we have spoken to.’
‘So, what do we do now?’ Tom queried.
‘We’ll go to the Ring o’ Bells and see what the landlord has to offer by way of food. While we’re eating we can have a few words and see if there’s any truth in the rumours about him and Kerensa, although I have a feeling he’ll prefer telling us more about the other men she met while she was working for him. Either way, it will be worthwhile I don’t doubt.’
Chapter 7
IN NORTH HILL’S Ring o’ Bells public house, an effusive landlord showed the two policemen to a private room away from the public bar where perhaps half-a-dozen men wearing the garb favoured by miners were drinking.
‘You’ll be here looking into that terrible business up on the moor,’ he said, as they seated themselves at one of three tables in the room. ‘The whole village is shocked. We’ve never had anything like it around here before and I still can’t believe it! Do you have any suspects yet?’
‘One or two,’ Amos replied, laconically. ‘I believe the victim used to work here for you?’
‘Yes, Kerensa was a very cheerful girl, the customers liked her.’
‘From what we’ve been hearing she liked them too … perhaps a little too much?’
‘I wouldn’t say that, but she was a single girl and fancy free.’
‘And so she might have been, but most of your customers aren’t!’
‘Well … this is a small village. Those who live here thrive on rumours and the like. She did her job well enough and I had no cause for complaint.’
The Ring o’ Bells landlord was inclined to be less garrulous now, but Amos persisted.
‘From what I have heard very few men complained, although it might have been a different story where the women were concerned. Did your wife like her?’
Now Alfie Kittow was clearly uncomfortable, ‘They had very little to do with each other. Kerensa’s place was down here in the bar and Florrie rarely comes down, she says the atmosphere doesn’t agree with her.’
‘We would like to speak to her, so perhaps you’ll take us up to see her after we’ve eaten?’
‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible, she’s gone away for a while. She’s expecting, you see and … well, she’s had a number of miscarriages and lost babies before. She blames the sort of life we lead here, at the Ring o’ Bells, so has gone off to her family. If everything goes well and the baby’s all right she’ll stay there until it’s a bit stronger, then she’ll either come back here or I’ll sell up and join her there – but I’d rather you kept that bit of information to yourself.’
Perspiration glistened on Alfie’s upper lip now but Amos had not finished questioning him. ‘When is the baby due?’
‘She’s probably had it already, but I haven’t heard from her for a while. I keep telling myself I must try to find out what’s happening, or go up and see her – and the baby. Trouble is, I’m not much of a writer.’
‘We’ll need to get in touch with her, so we would like her address, please.’
‘That’s another problem. I haven’t got it written down and my memory has never been very good for names at the best of times. I can’t remember the exact address, although it’s in Wiltshire. I could take you there if I had to, but why do you want to speak to Florrie, she wasn’t even here when Kerensa was murdered?’
‘We need to follow up every possible line of inquiry, speak to anyone who knew Kerensa Morgan.’
‘Then you’re going to be kept busy enough right here in Cornwall without gallivanting off to Wiltshire. We’ve had half the miners on Bodmin Moor in the Ring o’ Bells at some time or another and they all knew Kerensa. She was a very popular girl.’
Amos thought Alfie was more confident now he believed they had accepted his story about his wife and he said, ‘We’ll be busy, certainly, but I intend calling in as many of my policemen as necessary to help – and if I think going to Wiltshire to interview your wife will be helpful then either Sergeant Churchyard or myself will go there. Of course, if we can narrow dow
n the list of suspects right here in Cornwall that won’t be necessary. That’s why we’re here talking to you now. We thought there might perhaps be someone in particular who seemed close to Kerensa … or who caused trouble because of her. I’ve heard the name of Jowan Hodge mentioned, do you know him?’
It was quite apparent Alfie was being deliberately vague about his wife because he did not want her to be interviewed. Amos had no intention of allowing the matter of her whereabouts to remain a mystery, but for now he hoped the Ring o’ Bells landlord might be more forthcoming if he believed he could divert their attention away from her by giving them something else to concentrate on. The ploy worked.
‘There was talk about her and Jowan Hodge at one time, but I’m sure it was no more than talk. He’s happy with his wife, and she’s strict chapel so wouldn’t put up with him playing around. If Kerensa set her cap at him it was because when he struck it rich up at the Phoenix he came in here buying drinks for everyone. She was never one to pass up an opportunity with someone who was generous with his money.’
He looked at Amos hoping he might have diverted attention from himself and his wife, but he was met with an expression that told him nothing.
For a moment, Alfie faltered before saying, ‘There is someone else who was smitten with Kerensa and caused trouble in here because of it – even though he’s a married man – and that’s George Kendall.’
‘His name has been mentioned,’ Amos said, nodding approval at Tom who had his pocket book out, taking notes. ‘Tell me more about him.’
‘Well, I don’t like talking about my customers, but Kendall isn’t one of them anymore and hasn’t been since before Kerensa met up with Horace Morgan. He’s always been violent, even when he was a boy, and I pity that poor wife of his, she’s had more black eyes than any prize-fighter. It’s fairly certain there was something going on between him and Kerensa, but she put a stop to it when she and Morgan started going out seriously together. She didn’t stay here for long after that, but Kendall wouldn’t accept it was over between them and before she left he came into the Ring o’ Bells more than once threatening what he’d do to her if she didn’t change her mind. The last time he’d already had too much to drink somewhere else and mouthed off at her, as usual. One of the miners who was in here drinking told him to leave her alone and a fight broke out. It took a half-dozen of the miner’s friends to better Kendall and throw him out. I warned him then never to come back in the Ring o’ Bells again and he never has. I believe he caused more trouble for Kerensa once or twice after that, but it wasn’t inside here so it was none of my business. Thinking about it, he’s got to be one of your main suspects.’
‘Thank you.’ Reserving his opinion on why Alfie Kittow might be so keen to throw suspicion on someone else for Kerensa’s murder and the abduction of Albert Morgan, Amos asked, ‘Where might we find this George Kendall?’
‘He lives down at Berriow Bridge, but he won’t be home again until tomorrow. A couple of the miners who work with him up at the Notter mine were in here last night. Kendall and the men he works with have struck a profitable lode and are working double shifts to clear as much of it as they can before their pitch comes up for auction again.’
Amos knew little about mining, but he was aware there was a bidding system on a great many mines where at set intervals particular working places would be auctioned off, the bidding miners agreeing the percentage they would retain of the mined ore’s value. It seemed that George Kendall had been fortunate enough to come upon a promising lode on his particular pitch.
Satisfied their visit to the Ring o’ Bells had not been entirely wasted, Amos and Tom settled down to enjoy the meal that was sent in to them by the landlord of the Ring o’ Bells, ‘compliments of the house’. While they ate the two men chatted over what they had learned so far from their visit to North Hill.
Tom was still not convinced that Horace Morgan was not implicated in some way in Kerensa’s murder and declared he intended finding out more about the estate steward’s past. He agreed with Amos that it seemed unlikely he would have done anything to harm his baby son and pointed out they had no evidence that the baby had been harmed. At the moment he was merely missing.
The two policemen also decided there were flaws in the story given to them by the landlord of the inn where they were eating that his wife had gone away to have a baby. Both men were sceptical about his claim that he was unable to remember the address where his wife was staying.
‘I might be able to find out where she is,’ Tom said. ‘Alfie Kittow mentioned having received letters from his wife and any letter delivery man worthy of his calling will read the postmark on letters he carries. We know the local man was aware a letter he delivered to Horace Morgan came from the East India Company offices – he will probably remember the postmark on the letters Kittow received from his wife. That should help us.’
‘Good thinking,’ Amos said. ‘If Kittow announces to all and sundry that his wife has had a baby boy and he gives up the Ring o’ Bells to go and join her, then no one will query it – but it could possibly explain the mystery of what has happened to baby Albert Morgan! A number of gaps remain to be filled in before we have any chance of making a case against him, but he is certainly very worried about something. We’ll go into it further, but not until we have spoken to both the men Alfie has told us about. Even if they have nothing to do with the case they might have their own ideas on why he has been so eager to divert attention from himself. There is also this gypsy, Jed Smith. We need to speak to him. He might be able to throw some light upon the disappearance of baby Albert, but I think we have a long way to go with this case yet, Tom.’
Chapter 8
RIDING BACK TOWARDS Bodmin across the moor later that day, Amos and Tom were talking of all they had learned to date. They were forced to admit they had made little real progress and, as yet, there was no single suspect. The afternoon had proved particularly frustrating as neither of the men mentioned by both Bessie Harris and the landlord of the Ring o’ Bells was at home.
As Alfie had informed them, George Kendall was working a double shift on the Notter Mine and Jowan Hodge and his wife had not been at home when they called.
It had become increasingly apparent that Kerensa had been altogether as promiscuous as they had been led to believe and, as a result, the list of possible suspects was growing instead of reducing, as they had hoped it would when they had ridden to North Hill earlier in the day.
‘There can’t be many homes in the area where the man of the house isn’t fearing he’ll be next to have us knocking on the door,’ Tom commented.
‘No, and most will no doubt behave much as Alfie Kittow did and try to divert attention from themselves by giving us even more names of men we will need to question.’
‘Do you think Alfie had an affair with Kerensa Morgan?’ Tom asked.
‘He certainly wasn’t happy having us asking him so many questions, especially when we were inquiring about his wife. Bessie Harris believes his wife could have left him as a result of an affair with Kerensa and not because she was having a baby and wanted to be somewhere quieter than a busy and sometimes rowdy public house.’
‘If he wanted his wife back do you believe he might have been desperate enough to murder Kerensa to get her out of the way?’
‘It’s possible and if he did he might – quite literally – have been able to kill two birds with one stone. He hinted he might give up the Ring o’ Bells and go off to join his wife if her baby was born safe and well. What if he killed Kerensa, and had baby Albert taken to his wife, perhaps by this gypsy, Jed Smith? If Alfie’s wife is seen with a baby at some later date it would arouse no suspicion as long as the baby isn’t brought back here – at least, not until it has changed beyond recognition, as babies do. Besides, for all we know Alfie might even be the baby’s real father. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility.’
‘It’s an interesting theory,’ Tom agreed, ‘So what do we do … go off to f
ind Alfie’s wife and check on her?’
Amos shook his head. ‘It is only a theory. I don’t think the chief constable would agree to pay for one of us to travel all the way to Wiltshire, where Alfie claims his wife is, unless we have something more to go on. A lot depends on what we get from this gypsy, Jed Smith. He might want to tell us something if he took a baby to Alfie’s wife and realizes it’s likely to involve him in a murder investigation….’
Looking up at the sky, which had become overcast since they began their journey, Amos said, ‘Anyway, let’s speed up a bit. I promised Talwyn I would try to get home early for dinner tonight – our visitor was due to arrive today and you’re coming to dinner, remember?’
‘Who is this visitor, you said it was no one you know?’
‘That’s right, she’s a nurse who will be with us for a night or two. She is in Cornwall trying to recruit new nurses from girls attending schools here. She served with Florence Nightingale in the Crimea before going on to India where she must have been kept busy during the mutiny there. If she’s anything like the nurses I met when I was in Miss Nightingale’s Scutari hospital, she’ll be something of a ‘battleaxe’. I think Talwyn suggested I bring you home to dinner for support. We couldn’t really refuse to take her in; she is related to the man who funds the school where Talwyn teaches. Unfortunately, he and his family are away from Cornwall during her visit so he asked Talwyn to take care of her while she is here. In view of the money he puts into her school she could hardly say no.’
It had been a hard day and although Tom welcomed the opportunity to enjoy Talwyn’s cooking, he would rather have spent the evening talking with just Amos and his wife about the events of the past few days. Talwyn was a very intelligent woman who had been of considerable help to Amos when he first came to Cornwall from Scotland Yard on a murder investigation, and both men were appreciative of her acumen.
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