‘There is a way you can stay out of prison, Doll, and probably keep many of your friends and family out too. I don’t carry enough rank to make a decision on it myself, but Superintendent Hawke does. I can’t promise he’ll even want to help you, but I’ll discuss it with him.’
‘Bless you, Tom. You always were the best of our bunch. If you hadn’t gone off to sea when you did, you and me might have got together and I’d have been a different woman . . . just for you.’
Tom could have reminded her that, young though she was at the time, she had set out on her course in life long before he left Hoxton. Nevertheless he felt that at least some of her tears might be genuine. However, Amos had already left the police station. Discussion about her future would need to wait until the next morning.
When Tom gave details of his interview with Dolly to his superior officer the next day, Amos said, ‘Well, we certainly have enough evidence to bring them both before a magistrate right now, Tom. The stationmaster at Bodmin road railway station has just been to see me. It seems that two of the tickets handed in from the London train were very clever forgeries. They were for the journey from London - and Dolly and Shannon were the only passengers to have travelled the whole way. All the other passengers had boarded the train at Plymouth. Nevertheless, if Dolly is willing to tell us exactly what is being planned and we are able to nip it in the bud I would be quite happy to send her back to London without charging her.’
Smiling, he added, ‘I would even be willing to pay for a genuine ticket for her out of my own pocket. Shall we go and have a word with her now?’
‘It might be better if you go alone. She believes that because we were once kids together in Hoxton she can get away with far too much with me. She’ll probably say more to you if you are hard on her and are blunt about the consequences of not telling us what we want to know.’
‘That makes sense.’ Amos agreed. ‘All right, I’ll bring her out of her cell and see what I can learn. In the meantime I would like you to go to Laneglos to speak to the housekeeper, a Miss Wicks. As well as the forged railway tickets taken from Shannon, he had a couple of tickets to the County Ball. I believe they may be forged too. If they are it’s highly possible that all the tickets being carried by the Hoxton villains are forged. It could be a means of identifying anyone who gives us the slip at the station and succeeds in getting as far as Laneglos . . . so it is very important to us to know, one way or the other.’
CHAPTER 10
When Amos entered the cell Dolly was sitting up on the wooden bench and had eaten all the food she had been given for breakfast. The tray, on which was an empty mug and plate had been pushed beneath the bench. There was a strong smell of urine from the bucket in a corner of the room and, wrinkling his nose in distaste, Amos spoke to the constable who had unlocked the door to allow him into the cell. ‘I’m taking the prisoner up to my office to question her. While we’re there have the tray removed and the bucket emptied - and send some tea up to my office, we could be talking for quite a while.’
Beckoning for Dolly to follow him, he led the way from the basement cells and up two flights of stairs to his first floor office. Once there he seated himself behind his desk and waved Dolly to a padded seat opposite him.
Dolly sat down gratefully and in a display of bravado she was far from feeling, she said, ‘Can I take this chair back down to the cell with me. That wooden bench is playing merry ‘ell with my bum!’
Amos smiled, accepting her cockney humour. In contrast to her travelling companion she had abandoned her pretence of affluent respectability and settled for being Dolly Brooks, of Hoxton.
He was shuffling through a heap of papers on his desk when a tray of tea arrived and was placed on the desk between him and Dolly. Addressing her, he said, ‘You can pour for both of us - and I’ll have two sugars.’
As she poured he was aware she was trying very hard not to allow her hands to shake. Waiting until she had taken a couple of sips of tea and was peering anxiously at him over the rim of the cup, he sat back in his chair and said, ‘I believe Sergeant Churchyard has warned you of the trouble you are in? I hope you have thought about it very seriously?’
‘What is there to think about? I’ve not done anything . . . not that it’s likely to make any difference. If you’ve made up your mind to send me to prison there’s nothing I can do about it, but whatever story you make up about me the truth is that I’ve done nothing wrong.’
‘That’s perfectly true, Dolly.’ Amos took Dolly by surprise by agreeing with her, ‘You haven’t done anything and as long as nothing happens at the Laneglos summer ball I will be very happy to release you and send you back to London.’
Dolly’s moment of hope vanished as he added, ‘On the other hand, if something does happen, I have enough evidence to charge you and Shannon with conspiracy and as well as receiving the same punishment as those we arrest at Laneglos you will both serve even longer sentences because there are additional charges of forgery against you. I’m afraid you’d be an old lady before you got out of Newgate, Dolly - even if you survive that long. You’ll have lost all your looks and, quite frankly, you could look forward to a bleak old age.’
Trying hard to hide the very real fear she felt at the thought of being returned to the horror of life in Newgate prison, Dolly asked, ‘Are you enjoying telling me this, or are you hoping I’ll break down and tell you about all the others involved in this so-called "conspiracy"? If that’s what you’re expecting then you can think again. Even if something is going to happen - and I’m not saying it is - you’ll learn nothing about it from me, I’m no copper’s nark.’
‘Well, you’re going to have time to think about it, Dolly . . . but not much time. From what Sergeant Churchyard has told me about you I believe you’re a brighter than average woman, so when you’ve thought about everything I believe you’ll realize that by telling me all you know you’ll actually save yourself and these friends and relatives of yours from going to prison. I know something has been planned to happen at the County Ball and I intend having enough constables on the spot to deal with it and arrest those responsible - all of them, but I’m paid to prevent crime and that’s exactly what I am trying to do here. It’s to everyone’s advantage that I succeed. If I can find those involved and warn them off before a crime is committed it won’t be worth my while taking a conspiracy case to court. In that event I’d not only open the cell door and set you free, but let Tom Churchyard drive you to the railway station in my carriage.’
Dolly found the possibility of being able to avoid a very lengthy stay in Newgate prison tempting - very tempting - but she remained suspicious. Expressing her thoughts, she said, ‘I don’t believe you, you’re a copper. Once you’ve learned all there is to know you’ll arrest everyone you can lay your hands on and haul ‘em up before a beak just to show how clever you are.’
Amos shook his head, ‘I don’t need to prove myself to anyone, Dolly. I have the top job in the Cornish constabulary, answering only to the Chief Constable. If I can prevent anything untoward from happening at the social event of the year it will only be what’s expected of me - and most of those there will never even know about it. On the other hand, if something does go wrong it will ruin the evening and I’ll be heavily criticised, even if I succeed in arresting everyone involved and have them all sent to prison. So by preventing anything from happening we’ll all be winners. If your friends try to pull off a job they’re going to fail and you and they - and me - will all be losers - but I won’t be going to jail!’
With an exaggerated gesture of apparent resignation, Amos added, ‘But if you won’t help me, then so be it. I see you’ve finished your tea, I’ll have you taken back to your cell now. A police cell isn’t the most comfortable place in the world but make the most of it while you can, it’s a damned sight better than Newgate!’
‘They look very like the tickets we have been selling . . . yet I am not absolutely certain. If you wait here I will go and fetch a ticket f
rom Lady Hogg’s desk and we can compare them.’
Flora Wicks was talking to Tom in the housekeeper’s sitting-room at Laneglos, which the housemaids kept neat and tidy as part of their duties, housekeepers having a privileged status in the households of such large country mansions.
When she returned to the room, Flora placed the genuine ticket she was carrying upon the table alongside the two Tom had brought to the house. As they both leaned over to peer at them their heads were close together and, inconsequentially, Tom was made aware that her hair must have been recently washed, using an expensive soap, probably a gift from the family for whom she worked.
Eventually, the housekeeper straightened up and, turning to Tom, said excitedly, ‘It is a forgery . . . but a very good one!’
‘Are you sure . . . absolutely sure? I’d be hard put to tell them apart.’
‘I don’t doubt it, so would most people but I helped Lady Hogg to design the tickets so I know what I am talking about. The colour on the forgery is very slightly paler than on the original . . . although it is not easy to spot immediately. I noticed it only because Lady Hogg and I had a slight difference of opinion about it.’
‘Oh . . . and who won?’
‘Lady Hogg of course!’ Flora smiled, ‘After all, it is her ball - hers and Lord Hogg’s . . . but that is not the only difference. Take this magnifying glass and compare the dates. The forger used a slightly different type-face for numbers, the eight and the nine are both different to those on the original.’
With the aid of the magnifying glass the differences were readily discernible but it would otherwise have required a very keen eye to spot them.
‘May I keep the genuine ticket to point out the difference to Superintendent Hawke?’
‘Of course, but what is all this about? Why should anyone want to forge a ticket just to get into a ball?’
A sudden thought came to her and she asked, ‘Does this have anything to do with the footman who worked here using a false name?’
Tom hesitated for only a moment. There was a need for secrecy and Amos had tried to keep news from the organisers of the ball of what was possibly being planned by the Hoxton criminals, but secrecy could be carried too far.
‘I’m not at all sure I should be saying anything to you at this stage but you’re entitled to an explanation. If I tell you, will you keep it to yourself?’
Now it was Flora’s turn to make a decision and she said, ‘I can only give you such a promise if you tell me something that doesn’t directly affect Laneglos or Lord and Lady Hogg. After all, they are my employers and my first loyalty must be to them.’
‘I fully understand that,’ Tom conceded, ‘and if what we are trying to do is successful then nothing untoward will happen to disrupt the ball and no one need know what has gone on. I promise that if we are in any doubt you will be informed immediately . . . Will you accept that?’
After only a moment’s hesitation Flora nodded. Suggesting she should first sit down, Tom gave her the outline of what was believed to have been planned by the Hoxton criminals and told her of the arrest of Dolly and Shannon. He added that actual details were decidedly sketchy at the moment but now they could prove the tickets in their possession were forgeries, he hoped they might be able to learn more.
He had tried hard not to alarm her but when he ended his explanation Flora was visibly shaken. She asked, ‘How many of these criminals are there - and what do you think they will try to do?’
‘We are not absolutely certain of the exact numbers at the moment. As I have said, we already have two of them in the cells in Bodmin and are keeping watch on all trains and roads into Cornwall. What we are hoping to do is identify them as they arrive, put them in police cells until after the ball, then send them back to London.’
‘But there are so many people coming and going all the time . . . how will you recognize them?’
‘Three members of the Cornwall constabulary - including me - know many of the villains believed to be involved and we have the names of most of the others. We are hoping that any we miss will be scared off when they learn that we are aware of what has been planned and are arresting those involved. Just in case we miss any of them we might possibly put constables on the door at Laneglos to check all tickets now we know we can recognize the forgeries . . . but that would result in a certain amount of unpleasantness and we’ll avoid it if at all possible. If it does prove necessary then Lord and Lady Hogg will certainly be told what is happening, but I’d rather you said nothing to them before then.’
Flora had recovered her composure now and Tom added, ‘You’ve been a great help, Miss Wicks. I promise I’ll let you know if there is the slightest possibility of anything happening to disrupt the ball at Laneglos but now I had better get back to Bodmin and give Superintendent Hawke the good news about the tickets. Hopefully, when the two people we have in custody realize we’ve discovered they are forgeries they’ll tell us all we want to know.’
‘Thank you for letting me into your confidence, Constable. I will say nothing to my employers . . . for now, but I expect you to inform me immediately should the situation change.’
After Tom had given his promise, Flora walked with him to the main entrance door to the house. She fell silent along the way but when he said goodbye and turned to go she suddenly asked, ‘Is there any possibility these criminals could arrive in Cornwall by boat?’
Taken by surprise by the question, Tom said, ‘It’s not impossible, but highly unlikely. I don’t think there’s a regular service between London and any of the Cornish ports.’
‘Perhaps not a passenger service . . . but boats arrive regularly in Looe, coming from London carrying salt and other goods and returning to London with a cargo of fish.’
She had mentioned a Cornish port which was only about twelve miles south of Laneglos. Tom knew nothing of the port but there was something in her voice that made him ask, ‘Is there any particular reason why you’ve asked the question?’
‘Yes. We have fish delivered fresh from Looe once a week. I meet the fish merchant and check what he’s brought us before paying him. He’s a great one for spreading gossip and when he called earlier this morning he was telling me that a boat came in last night with a number of Londoners on board - and it sounds as though they are a rough lot. After their boat arrived they went out in the town drinking and got into a fight with some fishermen at one of the inns, causing a great deal of damage. Afterwards one of them returned to the inn where the fight took place, apologized to the landlord and paid him for the damage caused, saying they wanted no trouble. He said they would be in Looe until the weekend but promised there would be no more fighting. The fish merchant said he couldn’t think what they had come down here for in the first place. They were certainly not seamen or fishermen and were a very mixed bunch. Oh yes, he also said there was a woman on board . . . .’
CHAPTER 11
When Tom returned to the Bodmin Police headquarters and passed on details of what the Looe fishmonger had told the Laneglos housekeeper, Amos was alarmed. ‘I never considered the possibility of them coming to Cornwall by sea, although I should have, especially when we picked up Dolly and Shannon at the station - and only those two. I ought to have tied it in with what you told me about her fear of travelling by sea. It explains a lot . . . but not everything. We still don’t know exactly what has been planned. If we search this boat and the men on board we’ll probably find more forged tickets but we’re going to need more than that to justify a conspiracy charge.’
‘Were you able to find out anything from Dolly?’ Tom put the question to Amos.
‘Nothing, although I think I scared her at the thought of being put away in Newgate again, possibly for the remainder of her life. Now we have something of a more immediate nature with which to frighten her, we’ll go down to speak to her again before we plan what to do about this boatload of Londoners and we can’t afford to waste any more time - it’s the ball tomorrow night!’
The police station cells were dark and gloomy, with nothing to occupy the occupants and Dolly was lying fully clothed on the uncomfortable plank bench which doubled as a bed, but she was not asleep and sat up, startled, when the cell door opened and Amos and Tom entered.
When she recognized them she sank back again, saying, ‘Oh, it’s you. Don’t you have homes to go to?’
‘We like to keep our customers informed of what’s going on, Dolly,’ Amos said cheerfully, ‘It’s good news too and with any luck you could be out of here very soon.’
Dolly sat up once more and looked from Amos to Tom and back again, her expression one of disbelief, ‘You mean it . . . ? You’re not going to charge me with anything . . . I’ll be free to go back to London?’
‘It’s not quite as simple as that,’ Amos said, ‘We thought we’d re-unite you with friends and family first, they’re on a boat down at Looe. I haven’t got cell space for everyone but I’d like you to be together so I can keep an eye on you, so I thought we might send you down there to join them. Once you’re all together we’ll have the boat taken out and anchored a mile or so offshore with a coastguard cutter nearby to keep an eye on you. You’ll only be there until the county ball is over - it will be no more than three or four days at the most. Then, if nothing untoward has happened you’ll all be able to sail back to London together.’
As Amos had been talking the colour had gradually drained from Dolly’s face and now she said, ‘Oh no . . . ! You’re not getting me on any boat - and you can’t make me, neither.’
‘You’ll be all right, Doll,’ Tom said, easily, ‘I believe there’s another woman on board to keep you company and you’ll be among friends and relations. I don’t think the weather is going to be any too good, but I understand the boat’s quite seaworthy . . . it must be, it’s just made the trip from London.’
Churchyard and Hawke Page 6