[Berkeley Brigade 10] - Shadow of Murder (27 page)

* * *

The ball was in full swing when Black and Coffen, suitably attired, arrived at Elgin Hall. Mrs. Ballard had found a way to make herself useful. She was at the door with another lady, taking tickets. She had not been required to stand up with the Prince of Wales, but he had looked right at her and smiled when he came in. Coffen stared at her a moment, thinking she looked familiar, but he couldn’t put a name to her. Black, whom she was rather looking forward to surprising, didn’t so much as glance at her as he handed her his ticket. He was too busy scouring the hall for Luten.

The Lutens were taking part in a cotillion. He and Coffen went to the refreshment parlour, where they found Prance and Lady Mary with a group of young people. They signaled to Prance, who excused himself and went to join them.

“How did it go?” he asked eagerly.

“Awful,” Coffen said. “They tricked us. Chloe and Corbett got away, but we got Sean. He’s at Bow Street now.”

“Corbett?” Prance cried. “You don’t mean
he
was in on it?”

“The ring leader, according to Sean.”

Prance stood stunned into silence for a moment, then said, “Actually he’s the only one of the three that would have the brains to plan it.”

“There was more than three in on it,” Coffen said. “I’m dry as the desert. Let me get something to wet my whistle and we’ll tell you all about it.”

“Bring your drink back here. I don’t want Lady Mary to hear this.”

Coffen brought wine for Black as well, and they retired to a quiet corner to tell Prance all about their evening. Corinne had spotted them and as soon as the cotillion was over, she and Luten joined them. Black gave a succinct account of all that had happened.

“Thank goodness it was only paste jewelry they got,” Corinne said. “Prinney brought the diamonds here. Lady Clare spent the day at Carlton House and came with him tonight. He’s with Lady Hertford now, telling her all about his small part in it, I expect.”

Luten listened, then said, “I believe I’ll take a run down to Bow Street.”

“I’ll go with you,” Coffen said. Black was torn. He wanted to go with them, but he also wanted to stay at the party in his new suit. It was the pinnacle of his social success thus far. Wouldn’t it be something if he could meet the Prince of Wales! There might be a chance for some private time with Lady Luten as well.

Black gave up any idea of going to Bow Street when Lady Luten said, “Would you mind staying here and telling me more about it, Black? Do you think the little boy was really hurt? Did they take him to a hospital?”

He was sorry later, when he discovered what he had missed at Bow Street. Luten and Coffen were surprised and delighted to see Townsend sitting in his office talking to Corbett.

“So you caught the scoundrel,” Coffen said. “Good work, Townsend.”

Townsend pointed at a couple of hard chairs against the wall. The gentlemen drew them forward, seated themselves and Townsend said, “You’ve got the wrong end of the stick entirely, Pattle. This gentleman saved our bacon. He brought in Missy Dumbrille.”

“Chloe?” Coffen said.

“The very same. I’d say the love affair between her and Sean is over. The wench rode off and left him high and dry. I’ve put them in the same cell to watch the feathers fly. They were squawking loud as a pair of macaws, each blaming the other, once Corbett brought her in.”

“So the story of Corbett being behind it is all lies,” Luten said,

“That was Sean’s idea, trying to lighten his sentence,” Townsend explained. “It seems Black mentioned Corbett being on the scene, and Sean was sharp enough to leap on it.”

Luten turned to Corbett. “But how did you happen to be there, at the scene of the robbery?”

“It’s a long story,” Vance said. “You know about the man found dead in my cottage — Diamond Dan Dumbrille. If I did kill him, and I’m not sure I did, it was self-defence. I had no idea who he was when he showed up at my door that night. He said George Edwards, the producer of Sir Reginald’s play, had sent him to ask me a few questions. He was dressed more or less like a gentleman, and with that introduction naturally I was eager to speak to him. No sooner was he sitting down than he began rambling in a way I couldn’t make head or tails of. Kept saying that he had to protect his girl. I thought he’d been drinking, though he wasn’t foxed by any means.

“He said he was sorry, but there was no other way. Then he pulled out a pistol and pointed it dead at me. I had no idea till that minute that he meant to shoot me. I made a lunge for the pistol. He was a strong brute. He nearly overcame me. I got a hold of his hand and tried to get the gun. We were wrestling on the sofa. I’m still not sure which of us pulled the trigger, but it was him that was lying dead after it went off.

“I was trying to decide what to do. I was expecting Miss Lipman at any moment. She was coming to call that evening. I couldn’t let her come in and find Dumbrille there, and I didn’t have time to move him. I was terrified. I wanted to rush out and meet her, take her somewhere else, but when I peeked out the window, I saw a cab had pulled up and she was running to the door. I figured she must have heard the shot. I lost my head, decided to run, but I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t have any money to speak of. I snatched his purse — it was a heavy one — then I grabbed up the pistol — I thought I might need it for protection — and ran out the back door while she came in the front. I had the pistol with me tonight. I gave it to Townsend.”

“Where did you go? We’ve been looking for you,” Luten said.

“I have a friend who’s doing well in the acting line. He put me up. I was afraid to leave the house at first, in case I’d be arrested, so I had plenty of time to think, to try to figure out what it was all about. Of course I read all the journals and knew then that my caller was Diamond Dan. He had mentioned having to save his girl.”

“From what?” Coffen asked.

“I figured out he meant save her from suspicion by making me the goat for the robbery.”

“He must have decided not to go for the Clare diamonds at that point, for it was clear a dead man hadn’t nabbed them,” Townsend said aside to Luten, “though I wager he had the plan worked out and Missy knew all about it.”

Corbett listened, then continued, “I had no idea Chloe was his daughter, but the only two girls I’d had anything to do with recently were Miss Lipman and Chloe. Of those two, I knew Chloe was the more likely one to be involved in something illegal, so I began to sneak out and watch her flat.

“She had some pretty strange callers — one older woman and four young men. On two occasions Sean went out with the men, but Chloe wasn’t with them. I followed as closely as I dared and heard them mention sparklers and ‘getting them.’ They all seemed pretty friendly. I knew Dan’s game was stealing jewelry, and I knew the Clare diamond necklace was going to be auctioned off tonight. I figured they were planning to try to steal it, so I began watching her more closely.

“My friend, the actor, had various disguises. I changed my appearance and started watching Chloe and Sean as closely as I dared. This afternoon I followed them to a stable, and saw them hiring a mount to be delivered to them tonight. I figured they meant to make a go for the necklace. So I hired the finest mount I could find and rode around close to their place right after dark. When she and Sean left, leading the mount, I followed them. She was wearing trousers, but I recognized her all right. They stopped and took cover on Portman street, quite close to Elgin Hall, where the auction was to take place. I figured the necklace must be coming down Oxford Street.

“I just waited in the shadows on Oxford Street, and when I saw a little boy run out in front of a carriage, I was afraid he was hurt, and ran to him. Then Black spotted me and I ran. But when Black went back to the carriage he was driving, I followed him. I saw Lady Clare – I thought at the time it was Lady Clare — hand over the necklace to Chloe, saw her take off on the mount, leaving Sean behind. So I followed her. I overtook her a few yards into Hyde Park. Used her own father’s gun to stop her. There’s poetic justice for you. She tried to bribe me with the necklace, offered it to me if I’d let her go. She didn’t realize at the time it was paste, nor did I. I brought her in, and Townsend tells me they got Sean as well, so it seems I’m clear of that robbery.”

“And self defence is no crime, even if you did pull the trigger,” Townsend informed him. “No sane man would condemn you for that. You’ll have to give testimony at the trial, but that sort of notoriety will do you the world of good. Folks like a little scandal in their actors. Look at Mrs. Jordan — a dozen or so by-blows with the Duke of Clarence and folks love her.”

After a frowning pause, Luten said, “I’m curious why they only took one mount. Why stint on hiring another horse with such a prize in sight?”

Townsend shook his head. “That came out in their squabbling. It seems Chloe convinced Sean she can’t ride. Don’t care for horses at all. Never ridden one in her life.”

“She rides like a jockey,” Corbett said.

“Yes, it makes you wonder whether she didn’t intend to gallop off with the prize and leave him empty-handed all along,” Townsend said, nodding. “A stunt worthy of her dad.”

“But they were engaged!” Corbett exclaimed.

“That’s not to say she ever intended to marry him,” Townsend said, and chuckled at such sinful innocence. “She only took up with him after Dan got himself mixed up with Mother Maccles. Once Dan was killed —”

He gave a shrug. “I believe she always felt she was a few rungs above them. Dan had managed to get her into a decent school for young ladies to teach her some manners. P’raps she figured with the haul from the two robberies she could do better than hitch herself to one of the Maccles lads. Mind you, I learned by setting a sharp-eared eavesdropper in a cell next to Maccles where they’ve stashed her ladyship’s ten thousand and mean to go after it.”

“Well, congratulations, Corbett. Good work,” Luten said, shaking his hand. He turned to Townsend. “And congratulations to you, Townsend,” he added with somewhat less enthusiasm.

“All in a day’s work,” Townsend said. “I have the lot that were in that first carriage under lock and key as well. My lads went after them. The Maccles family, or most of them anyhow. They were all in it together. Chloe didn’t figure she could pull it off alone after her Da was killed, so she called on Sean’s folks. The Maccles family will be joining Father in gaol. We’ll have to start counting the tin spoons.”

“What about the little boy? Was he one of them as well?” Coffen asked.

“No, just a street urchin who makes a living throwing himself in front of carriages. He knows how and when to fall without hurting himself much. He’s too young to arrest, but we took him home and gave him a warning and his ma gave him a good licking. Now, shall we go back to the ball, gentlemen?”

“Did it come out why they used that chapel in Surrey for getting the ransom money?” Luten asked. “Was it just so we wouldn’t look for the auction goods closer to home?”

“That must be it. Dan had some connection with the place and was trying to sign up the Maccles. Mother helped out with the kind of church work the women folks do.”

“Then she was probably the one who got a copy of the key. One of them was in the church the night we gave them the ransom.”

“That could be it.”

“And it was a Maccles that led me astray that night,” Coffen said. “The same one that took the wagon to the stable, making us think the goods weren’t right in our own backyard the whole time. Was one of them in the carriage a big, dark fellow. Possibly wearing a big black hat.”

“That description fits one of them to a T, Mr. Pattle.”

“There’s one other thing I’m not clear about,” Coffen said, turning to Corbett. “What about the icon?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“The icon found in your flat the night Dan was killed. Did Dan take it to give you?”

“Why no. I didn’t see anything like an icon. That’s one of those little pictures from Russia, is it not? Sir Reginald mentioned he was donating one to the auction.”

“That’s the one. If he didn’t offer it to you, then he took it on purpose to leave behind to tie you to the robbery. Since we already had our eye on you because of the Chinese horse, you know. No offence. A red herring horse is what that was. Either Chloe or Sean pocketed it, making you look guilty early on, then put it back when Prance told them they couldn’t sell it.”

“I rue the day I ever touched that T’ang horse!”

“Hindsight,” Coffen nodded, satisfied that he had it all straight now. “Where would we be without it? Well, all’s well that ends well, as William says. That’s Reg’s friend, Shakespeare.”

Corbett, unaware of Coffen’s way of speaking, said, “I see,” in a stunned voice. Then he turned to Luten, “Do you think Sir Reginald would mind if I call on him tomorrow?”

“He would be very disappointed if you didn’t,” Luten said. “He speaks very highly of your abilities. He’s regretted a dozen times that you wouldn’t be acting in his play. You might call on Miss Lipman as well. My wife tells me she is very worried about you.”

Corbett gave a shy smile, thanked them and left on his fine hired mount.

“Funny, he didn’t seem so proud tonight, when he had some reason to be,” Coffen said.

“Yes, I expect it was just insecurity and wanting recognition that made him bluster before. Prance will be thrilled that he’s innocent.”

“A dashed hero,” Coffen said. “Miss Lipman will be happy too.”

“We’ll tell her.”

They didn’t have an opportunity to do it right away, however. By the time they got back to Elgin Hall, the auction had begun.

Lady Cowper had used her considerable charms to flirt and flatter Lord Alvanley into playing auctioneer for the ball. This popular dandy, bon vivant and reigning wit at the clubs, guaranteed that the event would be not only amusing but highly profitable. He knew all the rich and famous, and did his best to beguile them into spending freely.

“What am I offered for this tureen?” he said, holding up a Wedgewood tureen. “But not just Papa Tureen — we also have a dozen sweet little tureenettes.” He pointed to a table where an entire service for a dozen was laid out, including twelve soup bowls.