Vic laughed. “Let me guess, those involved in the thefts were not charged false banking fees.”
“That is correct, and why Inspector Leaks was able to locate the thieves sooner than he had originally expected,” Barns replied.
“Did your net capture the diamond thief, or did he escape?” Vic asked.
Barns smiled. “He did not escape. We have ample proof to charge him. And not surprisingly, the first thing he did, was insist he had proof that it was I, not him, who was involved in this theft. The proof being, of course, the account I never knew of.”
“Since you are smiling, I must assume you could prove otherwise.”
“I contacted my father’s man of business and told him I would see him in jail unless he could explain how this account came to be. He confessed that several months ago, Mr. Roberts had come to him and said I wished to have a new account opened, but it had to be done in a hush-hush fashion. When the man objected to doing something illegal and said he would have to speak to me first, Mr. Roberts threatened his family, declaring that if he did not get the document signed by me and sent to the bank by the end of the day, his family would die before the night was over. Fearing for his family, he forged my signature and presented it to Roberts at once.”
“What he didn’t realize was that I was away working on the Litchfield disaster in which Jacko had been falsely charged with murder and Tubs was wrongfully accused of running the business of murder and blackmail.”
Barns chuckled. “That happened to be the most well-documented time in my entire life. Thus, I handed the documents to Leaks, and a few hours later, the data was quietly provided to a judge and I was cleared of any wrong doing.”
Vic clapped with happiness.
“Thank you, Vic.” Barns stated.
“So, what is to happen to Seth Sojourn?” Vic asked.
“He is currently in jail, awaiting trial.” Barns replied.
“He’ll break out,” Xavier warned.
“Not from our jail, he won’t!” Barns insisted.
“Yes, he will.” Xavier replied, then turned to Vic. “Will you call Samson and tell him what we discussed and that he and his brothers need to go to the back of Scotland Yard and kill Seth Sojourn as he attempts to descend the wall? Once they verify he is dead, they should toss him in the Thames.”
Vic ran from the room.
“Xavier!” Barns yelled.
“I apologize, Barns, but I have to pull rank here. I had not anticipated you acting so quickly, and I’m most pleased, but I am tasked to ensure the Crime Lords behave.”
“I am aware of that. However, stealing money does not warrant a man’s death.”
“That is true. Seth Sojourn is going to die because yesterday afternoon, he sent one of his men, calling himself Mr. Roberts, to keep us distracted trying to save a non-existent wife and children, while three of his men attempted to abduct my mother, and possibly my great-grandmother as well.
“I refuse to allow my mother to be used as a pawn, being raped and sodomized, so Sojourn can control my every action. I have already received clearance from those above. Seth Sojourn dies today.”
“I apologize, Xavier. Of course, your mother and great-grandmother should be protected at all cost. Are they all right?”
Xavier’s brow furrowed. “Had my mother not proven to be a very fine shot, this could have gone badly. The guards I had hired had not yet arrived. However, when Seth’s men attempted to climb the fifteen-foot gate, my mother shot all three of them from her second story window, two in the head and one in the chest.”
“Thank God!” Barns said. “I have to confess, I didn’t even know you had a mother and I only learned of the man who claimed to be your father a few days ago.”
“That is because I have had no contact with them for twenty years, exactly for this reason. However, before dying, Daniel offered a trade to three of our foreign Crime Lords. They wanted my mother, so that they could control me. But fortunately, I interceded in time. Somehow, Seth Sojourn heard about it and set about to acquire my mother, so he could control me.”
Vic returned. “I checked the room Seth is in. It’s on the fifth floor. I expect he will go through the ceiling and down the back. Samson and Hercules will be at the back. Lion is going to stay around the corner in case he breaks through the wooden panels there. There are currently sufficient officers about to stop him from doing anything during the day. I expect him to attempt to escape tonight, when there are fewer officers.”
“I can order more men in, if you want,” Barns said.
“No, we need one of Samson’s brothers to take credit for this kill. That’s the only way they’ll be able to claim his territory.”
She focused on Xavier. “Are we all in agreement that Samson’s brothers will split Seth’s territory?”
“We are.”
Barns smiled at Vic. “I think it’s brilliant, replacing bad Crime Lords with good men. It will certainly make my job easier.”
“Excellent!” Vic said. “I need to buy Maddy some normal girl’s clothes and some boy’s pants that actually fit her. Tubs and I will return in a few hours.”
Once Vic left, Barns spoke. “Allow me to apologize again. I should have known that if you wanted Seth Sojourn dead, it would be for the greater good. Your ability to control the Crime Lords would have been destroyed if any of them got hold of your mother.”
Xavier sighed. “Just so you know, the External Affairs Minister had the first three men executed since they were all foreign. However, he could not touch Seth, so he told me to do what I felt was necessary to keep this country safe, since I am responsible for the Crime Lords.”
Barns smiled. “So, you did not get permission from the Internal Affairs Minister?”
“No, I have asked to speak to him on several occasions, but an audience has never been granted.”
“That will change soon, since he is one of the twenty-six being arrested tomorrow. Today, we arrested the criminal elements since they are most likely to run. Tomorrow, we will arrest the well-to-do criminals who believe themselves above the law.”
“You do realize a judge can be bribed,” Xavier warned.
“I do. I have done my best to select judges who will not accept bribes.”
“And how did you choose these judges?”
“Well first, I removed the judges my father liked. Then I recalled the court cases in which a guilty man was set free and removed those judges as well. That has left me with a pool of twenty judges. Fortunately, there is at least one judge for all the burrows, since I would be challenged if the judge did not represent the burrow in which he lived.”
Xavier stood and gripped Barns shoulder. “I see you are making good use of your amazing memory.”
“Yes, Vic has been a great help in this matter. He constantly scolds me for failing to use my gift. For example: I should have been able to identify Mr. Roberts as the criminal who took away the diamonds from my father’s house. Only I allowed a fancy suit to distract me. But when I went into the interrogation room, the interrogator had stripped him down to his long johns, he stank to high heavens, and his hair was a tangle. I recognized him at once as the fellow who originally took the diamonds from my father’s house.”
Xavier rose and patted his back. “I am very impressed with your new maturity. Keep this up, and you may become the finest Director of Scotland Yard that we have ever had.”
Xavier then walked him to the door and wished him a grand day. As he closed the door, he sensed someone behind him. He turned to face a grim butler. “My apologies, Gregory. I had just given Barns a fine compliment, and I wished it to be the last words on his mind. So, I let him out.”
“Excellent sir! Now the ladies have invited you over for tea.”
“Bloody hell. I don’t even like tea.”
“I’m certain they will provide you something stronger if you ask them. After the excitement of yesterday, I believe they are presently bored.”
“Utter nonsense!
When is Vic expected to return? I’m not going without him.”
“I expect them to be back within the hour. If you need something to do before then, there is always your office.”
“Yes, my office. I can check up on Stone, then determine what jobs Pete has penciled in. Excellent idea, Gregory. Then once Vic returns, we will go check on the ladies.”
When Xavier entered the office, Pete was carrying a tray of tea to Stone. Xavier peeked in to see if the tea was for him or a client.
Stone was sipping his tea when he noticed Xavier at the door. “Come in if you have the time.”
“I have a few minutes,” Xavier admitted and sat down. “I hope you are not too bored. Unfortunately, our clients tend to show up at the worst times.”
“I always had the same problem with criminals. We would go for days without a major crime, then suddenly, criminals would be falling over themselves.”
Xavier eyed the typed paper on Stone’s desk “I see you are still receiving a copy of Scotland Yard’s prior day’s crimes.”
“Honestly, when I worked there, I never had time to read this. Some of the complaints are most amusing, such as the fireworks at your house recently.”
Xavier sighed. “Barns and I have already had this conversation.”
“He’s very young to be the director, so allow him to make a mistake or two.”
“Actually, once I told him the true reason why Seth must die, he apologized and agreed with my decision.”
Pete knocked on the door, then opened it, stepping in and closing the door behind him. “Sir? Do remember the old lady who gave me the screeching dog?”
“No, I never met her. Why? Is she here demanding her dog back?”
“Yes, sir.”
“The dog is yours, Pete. But if you wish to give the horrid creature back, then do so.”
“It is behaving very badly now. I swear it sounds like it is saying “I hate you!” over and over. Perhaps I should give it back to her.”
“Sounds like an excellent idea. You could always take Arroo out for a walk in the park and let her meet other dogs. You might even get a puppy out of your efforts.”
“But Arroo is a boy, is he not.”
“No, Arroo is a girl. But don’t tell Cannon or Ham. They would be devastated.”
“I think I’ll give the lady her dog back and see if Arroo can give me a pup. Thank you for the advice. It will take me an hour to get the dog and bring it back to Mistress Julian. Any chance you could make her a cup of tea while she waits?”
“Neither Stone nor I know how to make tea. Send her over to Gregory. In fact, take her to the grand dames living in the house behind mine.”
“You mean your mother and great-grandmother’s home?”
“Yes, they would love the company while you retrieve the dog.”
***
Xavier opened the door an inch and listened to Pete assuring the old woman she could have her dog back. “I am most willing to give him back to you, but you do realize he’s grown into a large dog now. He’s not a puppy anymore.”
“You are most generous. My husband died, so now I can take my puppy back.”
“Ma’am, he’s not a puppy anymore. He’s a really big dog.”
“Yes, I know that. But he’ll always be a puppy to me,” the old lady explained.
“Let me take you across the street, so you can visit Xavier’s mother and great-grandmother, while I go home and retrieve the dog for you.”
“Yes, I wouldn’t mind having some company while I wait. I’ve been very lonely without him.”
Pete had thought this a good plan until the security guards refused to let him enter through the back door of Vivian and Charlotte’s home.
“But I need to leave this lady in their care.” Pete insisted.
“She’s not on the list. She’s not coming in.”
Pete sighed. “I’ll leave you with Vic’s butler, Gregory. I’m sure he’ll make you a cup of tea.”
He returned to Vic and Xavier’s home, and found Gregory. Pete explained he had tried to take her to the nice old ladies, only the guards said she wasn’t on some list and thus could not come in.
“Absolute nonsense!” Gregory declared. “Pete, I will handle the matter. Hurry home and retrieve the dog at once.”
Pete scampered out the door and ran full speed to his house.
Gregory then walked the old lady to the back door of the ladies’ home and knocked. The guard opened the door. “I’ve already told the boy the lady cannot come in.”
“And why on earth not?”
“She’s not on the list!”
Jonas hurried to the door. “Gregory, what is wrong?”
“What is wrong is these men do not seem to know their place. You are the butler. You outrank them!”
“I do?”
“Yes! You answer only to Vivian and Charlotte.”
“Thank you for clarifying that.” He then focused on the old woman. “Have you come to visit the ladies?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Do you possess a calling card?”
“I do indeed,” she stated and dug about her purse, then pulled out a card.
“Please have a seat in the parlor and I will let the ladies know you are here.” Jonas then hurried upstairs and let Charlotte and Vivian know they had a guest.
“No one should know we are even here!” Charlotte exclaimed.
“Gregory brought her over. He thought you would like the company,” Jonas explained.
Vivian spoke at once. “Excellent. We will be right down.”
The ladies entered the library to discover no guest. Charlotte was about to call Jonas, when he led the woman to the library.
“Are you a friend of Victor’s?” Vivian asked.
“Well, I like the young man a great deal, but I believe he thinks of me as a client.”
“I see. Do you live nearby?”
“I live in the West End. I used to have this adorable puppy, only he was a bit odd, so my husband insisted I get rid of him. So, I brought him to Victor and he found a new home for the pup with a young boy named Pete.”
“Is this Pete who works across the street?” Charlotte asked.
“Yes! He fell in love with my pup the moment he saw it. So, I gave my darling pup to him.” Her eyes watered. “I didn’t want to give him up. It was my husband or the dog. Since my husband had control of all my money, I had no choice but to give the pup away.” She pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. “I’ve missed my pup every day since.”
“Men can be so brutal at times,” Charlotte stated.
“Yes, he was most unreasonable!” She then smiled. “He died yesterday, so I returned and asked Pete if I could have my puppy back, and to my surprise, he said yes.”
“Pete is a very good young man, so I’m not surprised that he would do right by you.” Vivian rose and pressed the button near the door. “I’m in the mood for a light meal and tea. Charlotte?”
“Yes, please,” she stated.
“Tea sounds lovely,” the old woman stated. “I’m Julian Blage, by the way.”
“Your name seems familiar...”
“I was a grand heiress of a fortune at the age of three. The papers even wrote an article about me.”
“Now, I recall it. Your parents both died in a tragic accident and your uncle took charge of your estate and you married your uncle’s nephew.”
“Not by choice,” she stated flatly. “My uncle said I could marry his nephew or die in an accident. So, I married him.”
“How outrageous!” Vivian declared. “I am glad you are an independent woman now. So are we.”
“You are most kind. I must say, neither of you look old enough to be a great-grandmother.”
“That is me,” Vivian admitted. “I was married at thirteen.”
“As was I,” she replied. “But I made sure I never gave him a child. My children were puppies, the last being my favorite. He was such a cute little husky. Only when he wou
ld get excited, he would screech loudly, which is painful to most people, but to me his screeches sounded like words of love.”
Jonas entered with a plate of small sandwiches and tea. “The young man who brought you over has returned with an overly exuberant large husky.”
Juliane rushed from the room and ran out of the house followed by the other two ladies. When they reached the backdoor of Victor’s home they all rushed in.
Upon seeing Juliane, the dog rushed to her, stood on his back feet and wrapped its front paws around her neck, screeching what sounded like ‘take me home’ between all the licks upon her face and neck.
“We’ll go home together. It’s just you and me from now on. You’ve grown up so magnificently.” She then smiled at Pete. “Thank you for taking care of him when I could not. And thank you for returning him now that I can.”
She turned to the ladies. “Thank you for the tea. But I must get home now and care for my handsome fellow.”
Pete walked her back through Xavier and Vic’s house and to the lady’s carriage. The dog who had pulled against the leash all the way here, now behaved with perfect manners. As the carriage pulled away from the curb the dog stuck out its head and seemed to screech ‘thank you’ as the carriage pulled away.
Pete waved goodbye to Screecher. After work, he would take Arroo out for a walk and see if he could find a good mate for her: a nice quiet male, small like her, and very smart.
Chapter 21
At the stroke of midnight under cloudy skies, Seth Sojourn placed his chair upon the cot, pushed a ceiling tile up and out of his way, and with his long arms, grabbed hold of the pipes secured to the inside of the roof and pulled himself up. One of the pipes was dripping now, but not sufficiently to gain the guards’ attention before he was long gone. Once he was outside, he intended to pay Xavier back by shooting his mother and Vic in the head. While Director Barns had taken credit for his arrest, he knew damn well Xavier was behind this. No doubt as revenge for attempting to abduct his mother.
He removed a loose board from the overhang and located the rope he had long ago enticed an officer to leave there. He had wisely killed the fellow when the fool had arrived to receive his fortune, ensuring the rope’s presence would remain a secret that only Seth knew about. He placed knots in the rope every three feet. It was time consuming, but Barns had made him remove all his clothes, then gave him prison garb to wear, so he had lost his fine leather gloves. Once he paid back Xavier, he’d pay back the ‘child director’ as well.
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