by S G Read
Clarence was on his way to Exeter early the next morning and this time Peterkin was with him in case of trouble. He found the thief taker in his little office comparing the writing and both he and Peterkin chose to look at the work. They soon agreed that Edgar had indeed written the note to send Jenkins off on his wild goose hunt. The thief taker unlocked the cell which he was in and released him.
‘We can take you where you want to go.’ Clarence offered.
‘I have nowhere to go with my mistress in hospital and her son in there.’ Jenkins answered.
‘What about Hugo, should you not look after for him?’
‘Hugo neither heeds what I say, nor is he very rarely indoors. I would first have to find him and then follow him. It does seem odd that if Edgar is hanged then Hugo becomes Lord Dymonds but if it happens then I will serve him as best I can. For now I will seek a place of shelter until it is clear what is happening.’ Jenkins walked out a free man.
‘Are you acting for Edgar?’ The thief taker asked when Jenkins had gone.
‘I cannot for the life of see why I should but if things change and I do; I will do my best to free him despite him being a complete oaf.’ Clarence answered and he left with Peterkin following.
Tom was still in the cart waiting when they came out and as ever he was glad to be driving away from the thief takers office.
An hour later a summons from the hospital found the thief taker looking at Lady Dymonds who was now well and truly dead; she had a carving knife sticking out of her chest and well as the ball still lodged in her brain. Next to the bed and covered in blood was none other than Hugo.
‘I will leave you to draw your own conclusions.’ The doctor, who had found the two like it, said candidly. ‘But no one saw him come in at all and no one came in with a carving knife that we saw.’
‘The trouble is that questioning him is going to be a very noisy affair.’ The thief taker answered. ‘I will try to get him to go with me as quietly as possible.’
In the end they carried Hugo out screaming and shouting, encased in a straight jacket; one they just happened to have nearby. He was thrown into the cell next to Edgar who voiced his own opinion on their actions.
Clarence arrived back at the cottage, all prepared to depart in the morning for London, as his work his was now complete. Rosemary was glad it was all settled and started to pack, with help from Lily and Bolton. Alice on the other hand wanted to stay longer just to make sure Andrew did not forget about the operation for Tom’s ankle.
Andrew oversaw the work in the washroom which was a thing he seldom did but he wanted to make sure that the children could cope with the extra work, before trying to get more washing coming into the orphanage. They worked well and he spoke to Ezekiel, who now had his name embroidered on his jacket. He had not put it there, Eliza had sewn it on for him. Seeing Eliza reminded him about her baby and its parentage. When all was quiet he walked over to the cottage and found Clarence sitting on the rear porch smoking a cigar.
‘Have a seat Andrew.’ Clarence said amiably, indicating a nearby chair and holding out his cigar box.
Andrew sat and did not refuse a cigar.
‘The matter of Shepherd against Harston is still to be resolved, so I will speak with Eliza before I go.’ Clarence declared. ‘Did you think I had forgotten?’
‘You never forget anything father, merely push it further back on you to do list.’
‘A good thought but age is catching up with me and things are starting to slip from my memory that is why I need two aides now. I will see her in the morning, away from the throng, to find out what went on and when but it will be privileged information.’
‘Whatever you say father.’ Now Andrew lit the cigar and sipped the brandy Bolton had placed next to him.
An hour later Andrew walked back to the orphanage and found Beth getting ready for bed. All was quiet and they slipped into the warm bed and snuggled up together but there was no love making. Later Andrew woke to hear Beth breathing heavily and sighing. It went on for some time before he turned the lamp up.
‘What is troubling you Beth.’ He asked when she looked over to him.
‘There is something I feel I should have told Mr Melhuish about the writing we were looking at.’ She said with a deep sigh. ‘I do not think either Edgar or Hugh has the skill to mastermind such a plot and there is one other who might have written the note.’
‘Who?’
‘I will tell you in the morning when we go to see Mr Melhuish.’ Ten minutes later Beth was fast asleep.
Andrew turned the lamp down and was soon asleep as well.
When he awoke Beth was no longer in bed. She was upstairs arranging things with Beth and Eliza when he found her; so that she could go to Exeter, without disrupting the lessons.
‘Eliza my father will need to talk to you today at some time.’ He said, to forewarn her.
‘Have I done something wrong Mr McDay?’ She asked.
‘Not at all, he will just ask you some questions, which you must answer honestly.’
‘Yes Mr McDay.’
Soon after Beth and Andrew started for Exeter, with the talk of new information and feigning not wanting to disrupt things while Beth was gone Clarence did not elect to go with them. Beth and Andrew rode their horses but with a pistol readily available.
‘Sit down Eliza.’ Clarence said softly.
Eliza sat down but did not relax.
‘This is about what the last beadle did to you and the one you used to call the whip.’
‘What my punishment?’
‘Yes what they called punishment for you. How often did it happen to you and who punished you in that way, the most?’
‘Well the whip didn’t do it as much as the beadle, he found out about the whip and made him stop. I was grateful for that because when the whip did it; it always hurt. Not only that, the beadle sometimes couldn’t do it at all, as it stayed little.’
‘So how long ago did the whip stop doing it to you?’
‘A year.’
‘A year. So was the beadle the only one doing the same thing to you for that last year?’ Clarence asked and knew the answer by Eliza’s reaction without her answering. ‘Come now I need you to be honest.’
‘I told number six what they did and how and we did it together when all the others were asleep.’
‘How many times do you think the beadle actually manage to complete the punishment in the last year?’
‘Not many. I had to help him get it bigger and it often squirted before he could get it in, he couldn’t move very well.’
‘So it is fair to say that number six was the only one who did it to you for the last nine months?’
‘I reckon so, inside me any way.’
‘Thank you Eliza you may go now.’
‘What was it all about?’ She asked a question, something which she would not have done a short while ago, for fear of being punished.
‘I was trying to find out who was the father of your baby.’
‘Does that have any thing to do with my baby coming then?’ Eliza asked.
‘It has everything Eliza, that is how babies are made and we now know that the baby’s surname is Savery.’
‘What Ezekiel is my baby’s dad?’
‘Just that Eliza.’
‘He will be tickled pink; can I tell him?’
‘If you want to Eliza.’
Eliza was out of the parlour in seconds looking for number six to tell him.
Beth and Andrew rode on until a man in a mask rode out in front of them his pistol raised.
‘Stand and deliver.’ He boomed.
‘You or me husband?’ Beth asked Andrew coolly.
‘Both of you of course.’ The highwayman declared irately.
‘Well I have the money wife.’ Andrew pointed out and started fiddling with his coat to get his large purse out.
It drew the highwayman’s eyes to the purse, he did not perceive Beth as a threat. Beth took the chance and
shot him dead.
‘I know this is going to sound odd but I think I should carry the gun you used and claim I killed him.’ Andrew said as he climbed off Hopscotch.
‘I think it is very wise actually, I do not want Mr Melhuish to think I can shoot a pistol, now do I?’
Andrew threw the dead man onto his horse and, keeping hold of the other horse’s reins he climbed back onto Hopscotch.
‘At least we have something to keep his mind off of you as a highwayman.’ He said as the rode on.
Beth passed over the pistol she had used and Andrew passed one of his unfired pistols back.
‘Just in case we meet another one.’ He said with a wink.
‘I’ll be reported to the highwayman’s guild at the rate.’ Beth replied.
‘Well their punishment could not be any worse than Pip’s.’
When they arrived in Exeter, with the dead highwayman on the horse trailing behind, it drew a crowd. The noise of the crowd brought Pip out of his office.
‘Good day Andrew, Mrs McDay, got another one have you?’
‘Yes he tried to rob us and I had to stop him to save the orphanage’s money.’
The thief taker lifted the man’s head and saw the hole between his eyes. ‘Right between the eyes, you are keeping up your standards I see Andrew.’
‘One tries.’ Andrew answered.
The thief taker pulled of the man’s mask. ‘John Bray; he has been spending more money recently. Will they never learn?’
‘Obviously not.’ Beth answered.
‘Did you hear the news?’ The thief taker asked.
‘No, what news?’ Andrew answered.
‘Lady Dymonds is dead.’ The thief taker declared.
‘Well she was living on borrowed time with that ball in her brain.’ Andrew replied.
‘This time it was a Dymonds carving knife in the chest, which helped her past the winning post.’ The thief taker exclaimed.
‘Someone did have it in for her then.’ Andrew declared.
‘I might be able to shed some light on that Mr Melhuish.’ Beth said quietly.
‘No need, we found Hugo leaning over her with the knife buried up to the hilt in her chest, so we put two and two together and locked him up.’ The thief taker explained.
Beth slipped off her horse and to the ground nimbly. ‘We will see, I have information for you which may or may not be pertinent, so I will tell you and let you decide for yourself.’ Beth answered.
The thief taker threw the reins to his helper who was hovering nearby. ‘Get rid of him Henry and sell the horse to settle any debts he may have.’ Then he walked inside followed by Beth and Andrew.
He sat at his desk to listen to what Beth had to say, leaving them to seat themselves.
Andrew pulled out a chair for Beth and she sat down but Andrew preferred to stand.
‘When you asked me about the writing on the note I told you what I did, without thinking about something I had seen, just before I left Dymonds Manor.’ Beth explained.
‘Which was?’ The thief taker asked.
‘Do you still have the work?’ Beth asked.
‘I do, it is over there until the trial and hanging.’ The thief taker answered.
Beth looked at Andrew and without a second thought he carried the box with the work in it, over to the desk. Beth rummaged in the box until she found a piece of written work which she gave to the thief taker.
‘I have already seen this.’ He said as he held it.
‘Look on the back.’ Beth ordered.
The thief taker did as he was told and saw someone had tried to copy the writing which was on the front, on the back but badly.
‘This is badly written.’ The thief taker commented.
‘It is.’ Beth agreed and rummaged some more. ‘This is a much older piece of work and badly written in itself but look on the back again.’
The thief taker looked on the back but this time with more interest. ‘This is about as good as the writing on the front.’
‘But it is not a copy of what is on the front is it; it is another copy of that piece of work that you just looked at.’ Beth declared.
The thief taker looked at both pieces of work. ‘I have to agree there Mrs McDay but what does it mean?’
‘It means that someone who could not write at all, when the first piece of work was written was trying to learn and as it could not have been Hugo, Edgar or Lady Dymonds in must have been Jenkins.’ Beth explained.
‘So Jenkins was learning to write, without anyone knowing?’ The thief taker said rhetorically. ‘But for what reason?’
‘Who knows?’ Andrew answered. ‘To better himself, to plan an audacious crime and make sure he was implicated before being freed. He would know about old Rowan so he made sure he stopped close to his hovel and discarded the note so that the old man would see.’
‘So he shot Lady Dymonds between the eyes, hid the jewels in the boys play room, before riding away to await arrest in Plymouth. It is a very ingenious plan for a dogsbody!’ The thief taker declared. Now his interest was aroused he sorted through the paper and this time taking the time to look at what was on the back. ‘His writing gets better and better but he does have trouble with his Rs. Do you see how he starts the round bit too high and has to add a bit whereas the others start theirs well below the top?’ He fished out the letter. ‘Just like that I would say.’ He added and held out the letter for inspection.
Both Beth and Andrew nodded.
‘We have a clever dogsbody but one who was not clever enough.’ The thief taker declared.
Now I must go and arrest Simon Jenkins again but will I end up letting the two boys go?’
‘How do you mean?’ Beth asked but continued before he could say anything. ‘As much as I despise Edgar I do not think he had anything to do with killing his mother and Hugo doted on Lady Dymonds and I know he would not have killed her.’
‘So I let Jenkins go with him knowing that she was still alive and within two hours, she was dead having been stabbed to death this time.’ The thief taker declared.
‘At least some good came of it then.’ Andrew replied and meant it.
‘It did indeed, I did not like Lady Dymonds myself and I do not think I was the only one. As we found Hugo leaning over his dead mother with a knife sticking out of her chest, I think he is going to be worse than he ever was.’ The thief taker said quietly.
‘Well he is Edgar’s problem now and he is now Lord Dymonds.’ Andrew exclaimed. ‘I wonder what he will do about him.’
‘As you say, he is his problem now. When I let them out but first I have a dogsbody to arrest; will you come along and help me as Dymonds Manor, is on your way home?’
‘We are going that way, so I cannot see why we should not, as long as my wife is kept out of harm’s way.’ Andrew answered, causing Beth to give him a caustic stare but she said nothing.
The man in charge of the cart brought it round so that they could bring the prisoner back in it. A little later a group of men and one woman, made their way towards Dymonds Manor.
‘Will he be in there?’ The man driving the cart asked.
‘I think so.’ The thief taker answered. ‘He has an empty manor to live a luxurious life in, until after the trial and they were hanged. I think when we turn up with the cart, he will be a little surprised to say the least.’
It was a slow journey out to Dymonds Manor with the cart coming along behind but no one chose to go on ahead.
Jenkins saw them, as they all rode down the drive, with the cart in full sight behind them and knew he was in trouble. Two men went round the back in case he ran for it and the rest searched from room to room, with Beth forced to sit outside on her horse.
‘He is on the roof.’ she cried when she saw Jenkins look over the parapet but no one heard her. ‘Why did you do it Simon?’ She called up, when there was no reply to her call.
‘She found out I was learning to write on her paper, using her ink and sacked me.’ Simon an
swered from above. ‘After all I had done for her, she just sacked me! I was told I had to go in the morning, to give her chance to find someone to sit outside of her door while she was asleep the next night. So I sat out there and hatched a plan to get my own back. How did they find out?’
‘Your writing I am afraid Simon and those troublesome Rs.’ Beth answered loud enough for him to hear and she saw another head appear further down the roof.
‘Well, I almost did it.’ He answered with a sigh and looked round at the men who were closing in on him. ‘But I’ll not hang.’ He added and climbed onto the parapet.
‘You may not hang yet Jenkins.’ The thief taker declared. ‘You did the country a service.’
‘Yes I did and they will still hang me for it.’ Jenkins answered and jumped.
There was no scream just a quiet fall until he hit the ground with a thud. Beth did not go and see if he was still alive, there was no need she could see blood pouring out of his head where it had hit the stones.
A group gathered round the dead dogsbody.
Chapter 10
‘I’ll take that as an admission of guilt.’ The thief taker declared. ‘It means I will have to release the two boys but I don’t know what is going to happen to them.’
‘There is an aunt in London somewhere, you could find her and send them to her.’ Beth said from her horse.
‘Now that sounds like a really good idea.’ The thief taker replied. ‘She can have them there and look after them!’
The body was thrown into the cart and chained up but Andrew and Beth did not follow them back they just watched them go.
‘Why did they chain up that dead body?’ Andrew asked before they started back to the orphanage.
‘I understand it is a custom.’ Beth answered.
Andrew merely shrugged and the headed towards the orphanage.
Clarence saw them return and walked over, leaving Bolton loading the luggage onto the carriage.