by Emily Organ
Chief Inspector Cullen stared at James but said nothing.
“More nonsense,” Mr Sheridan chipped in. “Is your story almost at its conclusion, Blakely?”
“Almost,” said James. “Murdering these men to keep them silent was always going to cause a stir, and that’s why you employed the services of Chief Inspector Cullen. I don’t know how long you’ve been acquainted, but you knew him well enough to judge that he might be persuaded to hush up the investigation in return for payment. In theory it was easy to hush up because the men doing the dirty work were merely men you employed. No doubt they were also persuaded, through a combination of fear and bribery, to remain silent when questioned by the police. I daren’t speculate on where they obtained a severed finger from, but we’ll get to the bottom of it.
“Poor Mr Mawson’s time on earth was always going to be limited. Although his superiors had found out what he was up to and he was duly returned to England, it would only have been a matter of time before the trail led back to you.
“As for Mr Holland, the man’s circumstances had taken an unfortunate turn and you assumed few people would miss him when he was shot dead at the opium den. However, you didn’t account for the bravery and determination of his sister, Miss Emma Holland, who did all she could to find out who had killed him. Fortunately, her brother had left some detailed diaries, which no one knew existed until Miss Holland mentioned them to Miss Green.
“Miss Green was also determined to find out who had killed Mr Holland, and in good faith she mentioned the existence of the diaries to Chief Inspector Cullen, who did what he needed to do to take them into his possession. I’m sure they contained all manner of incriminating evidence, which Cullen has presumably destroyed by now. Fortunately, Miss Holland had read some of the diaries and found out enough to enable Miss Green to make the connection between the victims. This, Mr Sheridan, is the reason you’re here with this imposter and your trusted legal advisor today. You wished to find out what Miss Holland knew. I don’t like to think what might have happened if Miss Green and I hadn’t arrived when we did.”
“I would have made sure the young lady remained unharmed,” said George shakily.
“Would you indeed?” said James. “Are you sure about that? As Mr Sheridan’s lawyer you surely had some idea what your client was up to.”
“I cannot be certain that your account is accurate, Inspector Blakely,” George replied. “Nothing has been proven at this stage.”
“It will be in due course,” said James. “In the meantime, I think you’ve been rather short-sighted in your choice of client. Or perhaps the money you were set to make from his lucrative contract with the India Office was enough for you to turn a blind eye?”
“Now that’s unreasonable, Inspector. I would never ignore actions that were clearly illegal.”
“It’s all nonsense anyway, Billington-Grieg,” said Sheridan. “Now, out of my way, Blakely.”
“I’m afraid I cannot do that. I must detain you, sir.”
Chief Inspector Cullen marched over and shoved James aside. “Let the man out of here!” he shouted. He pulled a revolver from beneath his jacket and pointed it at James.
Chapter 69
With a horrible lurch in my stomach I realised James was still unarmed.
“Thank you, Cullen,” said Mr Sheridan, opening the parlour door. “Come on, Billington-Grieg.”
I could see that George had no idea what to do. Following Mr Sheridan would mean that he was associating with a known criminal.
Emma leapt to her feet. “Put your gun away, Chief Inspector!” she shouted. “You have no right to brandish a weapon in my home!”
Chief Inspector Cullen turned to face her. “I would advise you to remain calm, Miss Holland.”
“Then put your gun away immediately.”
“I’m simply trying to prevent one of my officers from making a mistake.”
“I don’t think he’s making a mistake at all. From what I read in Alfred’s diary Inspector Blakely’s theory sounds entirely plausible.”
He pointed the gun at her. “You know too much, Miss Holland.” He exchanged a glance with Mr Sheridan that made my blood run cold.
“No!” I said. “No, you mustn’t harm her!”
Mr Sheridan gave Chief Inspector Cullen an almost imperceptible nod. Emma ducked down, as if trying to avoid the shot which was sure to come. I looked at the revolver in Cullen’s hand, knowing that if I made a swift move toward it he could shoot at any one of us before I reached him.
Emma stood again and I saw that she also had a gun in her hand. It was pointed at Chief Inspector Cullen. I could only guess she had kept it in a stocking holster.
“Miss Green will recall me telling her that I was determined to defend myself after my brother Alfred was murdered. I always feared that the man who killed him would also come after me. How right I was.”
The senior officer was startled. “Put the gun down!”
“No, this is my home! You drop your gun.” She took a step toward him.
“Just do the right thing, Cullen,” said Mr Sheridan. “We agreed it, didn’t we?”
A deafening shot rang out and I saw Chief Inspector Cullen crumple to the floor. James leapt over to him and I heard the injured inspector cry out.
Emma had a wide smile plastered across her face, still pointing the gun at him. “I got him!” she said. “I aimed for his leg and I got him!”
I was relieved to see James wrenching Chief Inspector Cullen’s gun from his hand. He lay on the floor groaning with pain, blood beginning to seep through his trouser leg. Emma turned her attention to Mr Sheridan, who had frozen beside the door with a look of horror on his face. George was quivering beside the bay window.
Emma pointed the gun at Sheridan. “You killed my brother,” she snarled.
Sheridan turned and ran out of the room, but Emma immediately gave chase.
“Miss Holland!” shouted James, following her into the hallway. “Put the gun down!”
Mr Sheridan was already at the front door.
“Let me arrest him, Miss Holland, and he’ll be put on trial,” pleaded James. “Let a judge and jury try him!”
“Give him a chance, you mean?” she cried. “He didn’t give my brother a chance!”
She was gripped with anger and I could understand her yearning for revenge, but I knew this wasn’t the right way to exact it.
“Put the gun down, Emma!” I cried, running toward her.
Mr Sheridan had opened the front door and was descending the steps with Emma in hot pursuit.
“No, Miss Holland!” said James, still giving chase. “You might harm an innocent person!”
I heard another gunshot and winced. I prayed that Emma and James were both all right. Then I heard laughter.
I stepped outside to see Mr Sheridan writhing in pain on the pavement.
Emma was laughing gleefully. “I got him, too! Now I just need to finish him off!”
“Please, Miss Holland,” said James. He handed me Chief Inspector Cullen’s gun and began to wrestle with her. “You’ve done enough. Give me the gun!”
“No! I won’t rest until he’s dead!” she shrieked.
“He’ll be punished, you wait and see,” said James.
There was another loud bang and James staggered backward.
“No!” I screamed. “Stop!”
“Just let me do this!” snarled Emma, her eyes black with fury.
I could see that James was unhurt but had placed himself between Mr Sheridan and Emma. “I forbid you to shoot this man,” he called to her. “He needs to face the law courts!”
Sheridan lay on the ground, groaning and clutching at his stomach.
“Get out of my way!” shouted Emma.
“Emma, please,” I said as calmly as I could manage. “Please stop this now.”
I glanced down at Cullen’s gun in my hand. Should I threaten her with it?
Emma sensed my movement and pointed her gun at James
.
“Don’t!” I screamed.
“I told him to get out of my way, but he refused,” she replied in a flat-sounding voice.
She pressed her finger down on the trigger.
Chapter 70
I squeezed my eyes shut and a heavy wave of despair washed over me.
There was nothing more I could do.
I prayed that James would leap out of the way, or that Emma would miss her shot. But just as I had finished preparing myself for the worst I realised nothing had happened.
I opened my eyes again and saw Emma still trying to pull the trigger, which appeared to be jammed.
As I stepped forward and snatched the gun from her she gave me a startled, bewildered look, as though she hadn’t noticed me there.
“Well done, Penny,” James said, swiftly arriving at my side.
I handed both guns over to him.
“You almost got yourself killed!” I cried. “Why try to defend an evil man like him?” I pointed toward the prostrate form of Sheridan, who still lay moaning on the ground.
“I understand why Miss Holland is upset, but she cannot act as judge, jury and executioner,” said James. “I told her this man needs to go to trial, as does Cullen.”
I turned to face Emma. “You were about to kill James after everything he’s done to help!”
“I didn’t mean to… I didn’t want to, but he wouldn’t get out of the way. I’m sorry, I…”
Tears began to pour down her cheeks and I turned away in anger. Both James and Emma had acted foolishly, and for some odd reason I also began to cry.
“Penny,” James said, resting a hand on my arm. “It’s over. Everyone’s still alive.”
“Everyone apart from Emma’s brother,” I said. “And the Forsters. And Mr Mawson.”
“Sheridan will pay for his crimes,” said James, “and so will the gang he hired. We did it! Now let’s find a doctor to tend to these injured men.”
“I don’t think we should be in any great hurry to do so,” I replied.
Chapter 71
“I hope you don’t mind us calling in on you unexpectedly, Penny, but I wanted to thank you personally for all your help,” said Charlotte Jenkins. Her blue eyes were bright and smiling, and she clung to James’ arm as the pair of them stood in Mrs Garnett’s hallway. “Without you I don’t know whether I would have seen James again.”
“I think you’re exaggerating a little, Charlotte. I didn’t exactly rescue him.”
“You encouraged me to see through Cullen, Penny,” said James. “I trusted him and you didn’t. You were right.”
“I’m sure you would soon have realised.”
“You must accept our gratitude,” said Charlotte, “there is no need for modesty. You were of great comfort to me while James was missing and did everything you could to find him again. And here he is!” She looked up at him and beamed.
I forced a smile, knowing I had sought James for my own sake rather than Charlotte’s. However, it seemed that I could no longer do any wrong in her eyes.
“I shan’t let you out of my sight between now and the wedding!” she said to James.
He gave her an awkward smile. “I’ll still have to go to work, Charlotte.”
“Then I shall come too!” she said with a giggle. “Either that, or we’ll have to stop you doing this dangerous police work altogether. Perhaps you could find yourself a nice quiet job.”
“Such as working in a library?” suggested James, giving me a knowing glance.
“Yes, a library. That would be perfect!” said Charlotte. “Penny, would you like to join us for dinner this evening? There are some pleasant supper rooms on Fore Street, if I recall, and my mother will accompany us. She’s waiting outside in the carriage.”
The thought of spending an evening watching James being simpered over by his fiancée left me feeling cold.
“Thank you for the invitation, Charlotte, but I’m rather tired. Perhaps another time.”
“Of course, I understand. We will most likely be married by then!”
The sympathy I had felt for Charlotte during James’ disappearance had evaporated. I found myself disliking her smiling, apple-cheeked face and her dark green satin dress with a renewed intensity.
James and I held each other’s gaze for a brief moment and I wished I could tell him what a grave mistake he was making. I felt angry as he stood in front of me, his arm linked through Charlotte’s as though he were quite devoted to her.
“Enjoy your evening,” I said curtly, “I need to get some rest.” I turned to ascend the stairs.
“Goodbye, Penny,” said James.
I turned around to look at him and saw that his brow was creased with concern. His eyes silently conveyed that there were countless words he wished to say.
You’ve made your choice. Those were the only words I had for him now. I hoped my eyes expressed the sentiment.
“Goodbye, James.”
I turned on my heel and climbed the stairs up to my room.
Chapter 72
“You haven’t told anyone that George is staying with his brother, have you?” whispered Eliza as we strolled beneath our parasols beside the Serpentine in Hyde Park.
“No.”
“His parents must not find out. We just need a short while to fully understand what has happened, as he really didn’t know what he was getting himself mixed up in. He’s terribly upset about the whole affair, but I still don’t know what to make of it. To think that he consorted with a man as evil as Mr Sheridan! It’s terrible, it really is. George has always been such a law-abiding individual, and I’m terribly shocked that he could be associated with a murder case. Do you remember those beautiful Cantonese vases Mrs Lennox admired at our meeting? It transpires they were a gift to George from Mr Sheridan. It’s disgraceful! I’ve asked the housekeeper to remove them, and I cannot bear to have George in the house at the moment. I feel so angry and ashamed.”
“There’s no suggestion that George knew about the murders Mr Sheridan orchestrated,” I said.
“No, but it doesn’t look good, does it? The police are still talking to him. In fact, Inspector Blakely has been talking to him. You will ask James to go easy on him, won’t you? George simply isn’t used to being questioned by the police and I’m worried he’ll say something he’ll regret.”
“I’ll speak to James when I see him next, but I don’t know when that will be. Besides, George is quite capable of looking after himself. He’s a lawyer.”
“You’re right, I suppose he is. But he isn’t at his best when he feels wrong-footed.”
“Perhaps he should be more discerning about the clients he does business with, in that case.”
“Oh Penelope, have some sympathy!”
“I have sympathy for you, Ellie, but none for your husband, I’m afraid. He got himself into this and he’ll need to get himself out of it again. I have every confidence that he’ll manage it. He has friends in all the right places.”
“Oh, he does, yes. Particularly at the Colthurst Club.”
“There you go, then. In the meantime, look after yourself and the children.”
“To think that Mr Sheridan bribed a senior officer at Scotland Yard!” continued Eliza. “I would never have thought that possible, would you?”
“Nothing surprises me about Chief Inspector Cullen,” I said. “I’m looking forward to reporting on his trial even more than Mr Sheridan’s.”
“By the expression on your face, Penny, I’d say that you were gleaning some sort of distorted pleasure from seeing these men punished.”
“Not distorted, Ellie, it’s a natural pleasure. I enjoy seeing people pay for their crimes. I think I finally understand why James risked his life trying to keep Mr Sheridan alive.”
We caught up with Francis at the boathouse.
“All the boats are out at the moment,” he said. “The chap thinks it will be about a ten-minute wait.”
He wore a pale grey suit and a straw boater hat.
The summer sunshine had given him a light dusting of freckles across his nose and cheekbones.
“That doesn’t matter,” said Eliza. “We can continue our walk for a little while and return here later. Does that sound all right, Penelope?”
“I’m happy with that, Ellie.”
Francis and I exchanged a smile. This was the first time I had seen him since Chief Inspector Cullen had abducted me from the street close to the British Library. Although it had only been a week since then it seemed far longer. I thought he looked quite handsome and felt pleased to have this opportunity to deepen our acquaintance a little.
He gazed out over the lake and fidgeted with his collar.
“Are you all right, Francis?” asked Eliza. “You seem rather preoccupied.”
“I am a little, if truth be told. I wonder if I may… This slight pause in proceedings gives me an opportunity to…” He turned to face me. “Penny, may I speak with you alone for a moment?”
“I suppose so, yes,” I replied.
I glanced at Eliza, who gave me a hopeful smile.
“Eliza, I do apologise,” said Francis. “I hope you don’t consider me rude wishing to speak to Penny alone, but there is something I should like to say and it will only take a moment.”
“Take all the time you need, Francis,” she said with a grin. “I shall walk another lap of the Serpentine.”
“Oh, we shan’t be that long,” said Francis.
“There’s no hurry!” Eliza called over her shoulder as she strode off.
Francis watched as she walked away, and I noticed him swallowing nervously.
Now mark my words, Eliza’s voice sounded in my head. As soon as Inspector Blakely is married Mr Edwards will surely propose.
I also swallowed nervously, realising the moment had arrived, albeit a few weeks earlier than she had predicted.