Page 84 of The Time for Love
“No, indeed.” Martin frowned. “So where does what we’ve gleaned from our local villains leave us? Have we got any farther forward?”
Curtin thought, then huffed. “Well, speaking for the Sheffield Constabulary, I rather think it’s been a very good morning. Apparently, we have both Murchisons off the streets. Vince is going far away for a very long time, and Walter is retiring.” Curtin brightened. “The police commissioner will turn cartwheels when he hears.”
Oliver looked surprised. “Were they really that bad?”
Curtin snorted. “In Walter’s heyday, they were a scourge.” He paused, then added, “But as we’ve just seen, that was all down to Walter. When he was giving the orders, they were a formidable crew. Vince, though...”
“Isn’t up to it.” Martin shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at Oliver. “As far as I can see, despite a solid morning’s work, we’ve still got the same two major questions before us. Who is the mystery man behind the accidents and the attempts to place control of Carmichael Steelworks into Edward Carmichael’s hands?”
Oliver nodded. “And our second question is why.”
Martin looked at Curtin.
The inspector shook his head. “I’m truly sorry we’ve got nowhere today, but I’m now as concerned as you are about what this man means to do and why he’s chosen Sheffield for his scheme.” Curtin met Martin’s gaze. “If you have any further ideas on how to learn the answers to those questions, I’ll be happy to do whatever’s in my power to help.”
“Perhaps,” Martin said, “given the description Little gave us, you could have your men ask around—quietly—to see if they can find where our mystery man is staying. He must be somewhere in town or close to it, but”—he caught Curtin’s eyes—“we don’t want to alert him to our interest. Not yet.”
Curtin agreed. “I’ll put out an order to all the constables on the beat.”
“Thank you. If you learn anything, I’ll be at Lady Bracknell’s house in St. James’ Street.” Martin looked at Oliver. “We’d better go and fetch her ladyship and return there.”
Oliver nodded. “Before someone waiting there loses patience and comes looking for us here.”
CHAPTER14
Sophy was pacing back and forth before the windows in her grandmother’s drawing room, keeping an eye on the street, when sounds in the front hall informed her that the delegation that had gone to the police station had returned via the mews.
She whirled to face the drawing room door, expectation leaping in her breast.
From where he was lounging in the armchair opposite Julia, seated on the sofa, Charlie looked up, equally hopeful and eager. He’d arrived with Oliver just after Martin and Sophy’s grandmother had departed. When Oliver had been summoned to the police station, Charlie had remained to keep Sophy and Julia—who had arrived shortly after the two men—company. All three of them stared at the door as it opened, and Lady Bracknell swept in.
Sophy took in her grandmother’s set and anxious expression, and her heart plummeted.
Martin and Oliver followed her grandmother into the room, and Higginbotham quietly shut the door.
Sophy locked her gaze on Martin’s face. “What happened?”
“Well”—her grandmother sank onto the sofa beside Julia—“speaking for myself, I drank a quantity of tea and otherwise waited.” Her grandmother looked pointedly at Martin and Oliver.
Martin waved Sophy to the other sofa. “Come, sit, and we’ll tell you what little we learned.”
Charlie had been studying Oliver’s and Martin’s faces. “From your expressions, I take it that little wasn’t good.”
“No.” Oliver slumped into the other armchair. “It wasn’t, however, the sort of information it would be wise to ignore.”
“Indeed.” Martin sat beside Sophy. He frowned and murmured, “Where to start?”
“The beginning is usually the best place,” her grandmother tartly informed him. To the others, she said, “We spoke to an Inspector Curtin, who proved most helpful. He listened to Martin’s tale and immediately set about bringing the thugs in for questioning.”
“From our descriptions, Curtin recognized the men who carried out the kidnapping,” Martin said. “While Curtin was arranging for Vince Murchison and those men to be brought in, we sent for Oliver.”
“I arrived just in time to sit in on the first interview,” Oliver said.
“That was with the younger man, Eddie McBain,” Martin continued. “He gave himself away by recognizing me, then admitted to kidnapping us under orders from Vince Murchison. Eddie let fall that he and the older thug, John Little, rigged the accidents at the steelworks as well, and that was also under orders from Vince, who in turn had taken his orders from some man Eddie had never met. To Eddie, it was simply a job, as indeed was the case for Little as well. However, Little had been present when Vince met with the man who hired them.”
His chin sunk on his chest, Oliver said, “Unfortunately, Little never heard the man’s name. He did, however, give us a fairly detailed description.” Oliver glanced at Charlie. “Enough to feel certain that Vince’s ‘gaffer’ was the man seen with Edward in the Iron and Steel Club and also by you with Edward at his home.”
Frowning, Charlie shook his head. “This gets more and more confusing. What is Edward doing with such a man?”
