Hawke's Tor

by Thompson, E. V.

  Minions was a village at the heart of the copper mining industry despite being only a short distance from the peace and tranquillity of Trelyn. On the way there Tom brought his companion up-to-date on details of the inquiry into the murder of Kerensa Morgan, the mystery of her missing baby and George Kendall’s part in the affair. He also told Harvey what he knew of Kendall, including his propensity for violence and his reputation as a fighting man, especially when he had been drinking.

  ‘Has he ever been a Royal Marine?’ Harvey queried.

  ‘Not as far as I know. He was a gamekeeper on Colonel Trethewy’s estate before he went mining.’

  ‘Then he’ll be no match for two ex-marines,’ Harvey said confidently, ‘but if he becomes violent step back and leave me room to deal with him.’

  Having seen Harvey in action on a couple of previous occasions when his particular ‘skills’ had been called upon, Tom was happy to agree. The Cornwall Constabulary’s sergeant major was in a class of his own when it came to fighting. Tom would be ready to help in the unlikely event that his assistance was required, but until then he would be quite content to stand back and allow Harvey to dictate the action.

  On the return journey from Bodmin, in company with Harvey Halloran, Tom met Amos and Verity returning from North Hill. Jowan Hodge had not been at home and a neighbour had told Amos that the wealthy miner and his wife were absent looking at houses. In view of his success the miner-turned-adventurer and his wife were expected to move out of the area in order to pursue a life more in keeping with their newly acquired affluence.

  The neighbour also disclosed that Evangeline, Jowan’s wife, was the daughter of a Bible Christian minister who had recently been given responsibility for a large district in North Devon and was destined for higher office within the ministry. She wanted to be closer to her family in order to enjoy the success that had come to all of them.

  ‘Does that mean we are going to strike Hodge off our list of suspects?’ Tom queried.

  ‘Not until we have a positive lead in another direction, or Hodge can satisfy us he couldn’t have been involved,’ Amos replied. ‘This is the most wide open case we have ever had to deal with, Tom, and I don’t like it – but I mustn’t keep you, it’s something we can discuss at length later. If you don’t get to Minions soon there are likely to be other miners drinking with Kendall and however much he might be disliked by some of them, they’ll dislike policemen more. By the way, I have had a word with Sergeant Dreadon at Trelyn. I told him he can expect to have Kendall in his lock-up tonight. He pointed out that even if you find him right away it will be dark before you are ready to return to Bodmin – and it wouldn’t be safe to cross the moor in darkness. He’s going to double up his children in their beds and make room for both of you to stay at his house for the night. It’s a good idea because we need to question Kendall and I doubt if you’ll get any sense from him tonight. By morning he’ll be sober enough to answer questions, but too befuddled by drink to lie convincingly.’

  ‘That makes sense,’ Tom said. ‘I’ll take any money in Kendall’s possession to his wife tonight and after we’ve questioned him Harvey can return to Bodmin while I go back to Slippery Hill to see whether Zillah’s father has returned….’

  Aware of the reason for Amos’s quizzical look, Tom changed the subject hurriedly. ‘I’ll make quite certain Kendall isn’t released until he’s been given a stern warning about being violent towards his wife and she’s had time to spend some of his money on food for herself and the kids.’

  ‘Fine!’ Amos had not missed Tom’s sudden change of subject after mentioning Zillah and he added, ‘Be careful of your dealings with that gypsy girl, Tom. Sergeant Dreadon confirms what you have mentioned about her being attractive, but it seems she will not put up with any nonsense from men. He said that when one of the miners up at Sharptor took too close an interest in her she drew a knife on him. Apparently the miner only bled a little and was anxious to keep the incident quiet, so no action was taken by Dreadon, but she’s not a girl to take liberties with.’

  ‘I never thought for one minute she was,’ Tom replied indignantly, at the same time more pleased than he should have been to hear Amos’s testimonial to Zillah’s character. ‘But her father might be able to give us the first positive lead to our murderer. Knowing what we do about Jed Smith’s activities he might have been contacted in the middle of the night by someone who wanted to get rid of a baby in a hurry. If that was the case the baby could have been Albert Morgan.’

  ‘True. Do whatever you think is necessary, Tom – and the best of luck to both of you in your dealings with Kendall. I look forward to having a report from you in the morning, Harvey, but don’t be too rough with him. Remember, he’s the breadwinner for his family, albeit a reluctant one.’

  Arresting George Kendall at the Cheesewring Inn proved a much simpler task than had been anticipated, even though the unpredictable miner had already been involved in a fracas which had resulted in a rapid evacuation of the miners’ public house. Kendall remained in a belligerent mood and the publican, used as he was to dealing with drunken miners, did not try to evict him but continued to serve him with drinks in the hope he would eventually collapse in a drunken stupor and could be carried outside to sleep off his protracted binge among the fern and gorse of the surrounding moorland.

  However, Kendall was a hardened drinker and seemed to have an unlimited capacity, showing no signs of succumbing to the undoubted potency of the inn’s own brew. When Tom and Harvey entered the tap-room it was occupied only by Kendall and two elderly retired miners who had consumed enough to distance themselves from anything going on about them. When the two policemen entered the premises the landlord showed an unprecedented eagerness to assist the constabulary by pointing out their quarry.

  In response to Tom’s question as to his identity, George Kendall glared at him through bloodshot eyes and slurred, ‘What’s it got to do with you?’ Then, recognizing the uniform of Harvey, he demanded, ‘… and what’s he doing here?’

  ‘We’re here to ask you a couple of questions, that’s all,’ Tom replied in a placatory tone of voice. ‘If you co-operate it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.’

  ‘It’ll take less than that to throw you out of here,’ Kendall’s jaw was thrust forward belligerently. ‘I’m enjoying a quiet drink and have nothing to say to you … or any other Peeler, so sod off.’

  ‘I’ll go when you’ve answered my questions,’ Tom replied, more authoritatively now, adding, ‘and your money would be better spent on your wife and children than in here.’

  ‘Who are you to tell me how I should spend my money…?’ Kendall rose to his feet menacingly, albeit unsteadily. ‘I’ve had enough of people telling me what I should do today, and I’ll deal with you the way I did with them—’ Tom was suddenly pushed aside as Harvey confronted the drunken and belligerent miner.

  ‘My colleague has asked you very politely for your co-operation, so I suggest you sit down again and think very carefully before you do anything you’re likely to regret.’

  ‘It’s you who’ll do the regretting,’ Kendall growled. ‘Out of my way while I deal with him … then it’ll be your turn.’

  He moved to shove Harvey out of his way, but when his arm was pushed to one side he was suddenly galvanized into action with a speed which displayed why he was considered such a dangerous man, drunk or sober and lashed out at the large policeman.

  Unfortunately for Kendall, Harvey Halloran had been involved in far too many brawls to be taken by surprise in such a manner and the punch was brushed off almost casually.

  Letting out a bellow of rage, Kendall lunged at Harvey, but once again the policeman was too quick for him. Stepping back with a speed which belied his height and weight, he threw just one punch. It landed squarely on the other man’s chin – and it was enough.

  The drunken miner sank to his knees and then fell forward to land face down on the slate floor, unconscious.

  ‘W
ell, that was so easy it was hardly worthwhile my coming all the way here,’ Harvey said, regretfully. ‘I reckon you could have dealt with him yourself, Tom.’

  ‘I doubt that very much,’ Tom replied, relieved he had not needed to tackle Kendall on his own, ‘but when the landlord closes his mouth and looks intelligent once more, he can fetch a bucket of water to throw over Kendall to bring him round. The walk to the Trelyn lock-up should help sober him. He might feel more inclined to tell us what we want to know by the time we get there.’

  Contrary to Tom’s prediction, by the time the lock-up at Trelyn was reached George Kendall was out on his feet. Whether it was the drink he had consumed, sheer tiredness after his marathon binge, or a combination of the two, was impossible to tell, but it would be many hours before he was in a fit state to be questioned.

  Before being settled in his temporary lodging, the drunken miner was relieved of the sum of seven pounds and fourteen shillings, which Tom said he would take to Martha Kendall right away, commenting that when the drunken miner woke in the morning he would probably not remember whether or not he had spent the money on drink – and Tom doubted whether his long-suffering wife would enlighten him.

  Unfortunately the motive for arresting Kendall in the first place suffered a serious set-back. During a meal cooked for the policemen by Sergeant Dreadon’s wife, the Trelyn policeman said he had been speaking to two of the men who worked in the same pare – or ‘team’ – with the arrested man. They had confirmed he was working with them throughout the whole of the night of Kerensa’s murder and the disappearance of the Morgan baby.

  ‘Do you think they were telling the truth?’ Tom asked.

  ‘They had no reason to lie,’ Dreadon replied. ‘I wasn’t even questioning them. It came out in general conversation that George Kendall was working all night at the time in question and it was their casual observation that had he not been with them he would have been a prime suspect in view of his association with Kerensa and the threats he has made against her in the past.’

  ‘Thanks for the information,’ Tom said, trying to hide his disappointment that the man he considered the most likely suspect had been given an alibi, ‘but don’t mention anything about the murder to Kendall before I have an opportunity to speak to him in the morning. I also intend reading the Riot Act to him about the way he treats his wife and kids and warn him that Harvey won’t go so easy on him another time. Not only that, I will personally see to it he has nothing but a prison wall to vent his anger on for a very long time afterwards.’

  ‘Are you upset that Kendall is not the man responsible for Kerensa Morgan’s murder? I know you had a strong suspicion that he was the guilty man.’

  Harvey put the question to Tom later that evening after the money taken from the drunken man had been given to his grateful wife and the two policemen were preparing for bed in the room usually occupied by two of Sergeant Dreadon’s children.

  ‘I’m disappointed we haven’t found the murderer and, yes, Kendall fitted the bill very nicely. Of course, there’s always the possibility his friends are covering for him, knowing he would be top of our list of suspects. Miners would take on the world for one of their own. Still, looking on the bright side of things, if he is in the clear then we’ve ruled out one of our suspects, but it still leaves us with too many!’

  ‘My money is on this gypsy,’ Harvey said. ‘I was talking to Sergeant Dreadon’s wife while you were writing up the report about Kendall’s arrest and she was telling me it’s well known for miles around that he makes money from trafficking in unwanted babies.’

  ‘I don’t doubt it – but there has never been a shortage of such babies anywhere in the country. He has no need to kill to get hold of one, especially if it would involve the wife and son of an important man like Colonel Trethewy’s estate steward. Besides, everyone I’ve spoken to agrees that Jed Smith’s not a violent man.’

  ‘I suppose it could depend on who the baby was for and how much someone was prepared to pay for it.’ Giving Tom a quizzical look, Harvey added, ‘It’s not like you to rule out a possible suspect purely on hearsay, Tom. Don’t tell me this daughter of his has got to you? I’ll have to see if I can find some pretty young gypsy girl to give a ride to on my way back to Bodmin.’

  Tom made no reply, but the expression on his face told Harvey far more than words could have done. Realizing there was more truth in his half-joking remark than he had thought, he did not pursue the matter.

  Tom, too, was aware that Zillah was the reason he had defended a man he had never even met. He was relieved that Harvey said no more on the subject.

  When George Kendall was released from custody he seemed to have taken Tom’s strongly worded warning about his future conduct towards his family seriously.

  It was also evident he had been chastened by the ease with which Harvey had subdued him in the Minions public house and Tom felt almost sorry for him when the dejected figure left the Trelyn lock-up and headed off in the direction of Berriow Bridge, head down and suffering from a monumental hangover.

  Kendall had confirmed the story told by his fellow miners on the night shift at the Notter mine and by the time Tom returned to Bodmin he had reluctantly accepted that Kendall had not been directly involved in the murder of Kerensa Morgan.

  Chapter 16

  AS THE DAYS and nights passed without any news of her father, Zillah’s concern for him grew and, despite her assurance to Tom that she was perfectly safe in her wagon home, she was increasingly aware of her vulnerability.

  It was brought home to her in a frightening way one afternoon when she was hanging out some washing on the rope line stretched between two trees close to the spring that sprang from the hillside only a short distance from where the wagon stood. Most of the clothing she had washed belonged to her father and was already clean but it made her feel somehow closer to him and was a comforting thing to be doing in his absence.

  As she finished pegging the final shirt to the line she saw two men approaching from the direction of the lane that bisected the valley. It was the lane’s winter steepness that was responsible for the name of the valley farm and the tiny nearby hamlet.

  The two men wore clothing Zillah associated with mining and as the gypsy wagon was not parked close to any known route taken by miners going to and fro from their places of work she was immediately apprehensive. It was heightened when one of the miners looked in her direction, nudged his companion, and after laughing together, both men changed direction and headed towards her.

  Without appearing to hurry, but wasting no time, Zillah made her way to the wagon and, climbing the steep wooden steps, went inside, closing the bottom half of the stable-type door behind her and slipping the bolt into place.

  Once out of sight of the approaching men she hurried to a shelf situated behind the stove and took down a broad-bladed meat cleaver which hung from a hook by a short leather thong. Then, with the cleaver hidden from view behind her back she returned to stand in the shadows just inside the wagon door. Zillah hoped the men would pass by without incident but she was taking no chances.

  Her caution was well founded. The miners showed no intention of passing by and made their intentions clear immediately they reached the wagon. Stopping at the bottom of the steps, one of them called out, ‘Hello in there, girl. Word’s going around that your pa’s gone off and left you here on your own. We thought we’d come along to make sure you’re all right and give you a little company.’

  Without showing herself at the doorway, Zillah retorted, ‘I’m perfectly all right, thank you – and I don’t need any company.’

  ‘Well, seeing as how we’ve walked all this way ’specially, you can at least show your face. Better still, come out here and have a proper chat, then if we find we get along with each other we’ve both got money to spend and with your pa away you wouldn’t have anyone to share it with – and we’d never say anything about it.’

  Stung by the implications of his words, Zillah said, ‘I
’m sure you wouldn’t say anything to him. If he was here right now he’d ram your words right back down your throat and choke you with them.’

  ‘Now I do like a girl with spirit – especially a gypsy girl.’ This time it was the second miner who spoke and he added, ‘Let’s just come inside your wagon and have a little fun, eh?’

  There was the sound of a heavy miners’ boot clumping on the first step leading to the wagon door and, stepping forward quickly, Zillah showed herself – and the meat cleaver. Holding it menacingly in front of her she said, ‘You put a hand on this door and you’ll lose all your fingers – and that’s a promise!’

  The man on the step hesitated before saying, ‘You wouldn’t dare….’

  He threw his head back suddenly, losing his footing on the steps and stumbled backwards to the ground. Had he not done so the cleaver would have gashed his face and left him permanently disfigured.

  Visibly shaken, he cried, ‘You bitch! You could have killed me!’

  ‘Try me again and I won’t miss.’

  The other man took hold of his companion’s arm, ‘Don’t do it, Jim, I remember her now. She’s Jed Smith’s girl, her as stabbed Charlie Crago and put him off work for nigh on a month when she and her pa were living up by Minions. If she’d done as she said and cut off your fingers you’d never have worked again – and I believe she’d do it too.’

  The man who had just had a narrow escape hesitated and glared at Zillah, who was still standing behind the closed half-door grasping the meat cleaver.

  ‘All right … but there’ll be another time, girl – and that’s my promise.’

  He backed away from the steps but Zillah didn’t put down the meat cleaver until she had watched the two miners pass from view on their way to the lane. Then, suddenly shaking she sat down and came close to tears.