Beyond the Sunset (42 page)

‘And two of them,’ the other said. ‘Don’t forget the shop lad. He’s a Prebble too and he went off with Harry. Besides, I’ve never been any good at fighting.’ He touched his wire-rimmed spectacles self-consciously. ‘Too afraid of these getting broken.’

The shop bell tinkled and Zachary went to peer through the little window in the door to the shop. ‘Go and serve our customer, but say nothing about what’s happened. We’ll sort everything out later.’ He looked at Daniel. ‘Are you all right or do we need to send for the doctor?’

‘I’ll be fine. It’s nobbut a tap on the head. I went dizzy for a few minutes, but I can see straight again now.’

Mr Dawson went into the office and Zachary and Pandora followed him. ‘Can you see anything out of place?’ he asked.

Zachary stared round. ‘Not at first glance.’

‘I can,’ she said. ‘There was a blue book on the shelf there, behind the black one. I saw Harry hide it one day. Zachary and I were going to look for it after work.’

‘And we’d better check the cash box,’ Zachary said.

It was missing completely.

‘Well, he must have taken it. I advise you to leave it to the police to catch him. Your main job is to keep everything going smoothly at the shop.’ Mr Dawson took out his pocket watch and checked the time against the clock on the wall, clicking his tongue in annoyance. ‘I’d better get back to Mr Featherworth’s rooms. He has an appointment in five minutes’ time, but he’s probably still at the magistrate’s house. I’d better send the office boy to remind him.’ He moved to the door. ‘I think I can safely leave everything here in your capable hands now, Zachary. I’ll send a message to the police about Prebble coming here and stealing the money. I repeat, leave it to them now.’

Pandora blocked his way. ‘I want to make it clear that from now on Zachary is to be the new manager of the shop.’

Mr Dawson raised his eyebrows. ‘Well, of course. Who better?’ He started to move away, then paused again. ‘Do you want me to make an announcement about your marriage in the local newspaper?’

‘Yes, please.’

When they were alone, Zachary pulled her into his arms for a quick kiss. ‘Can I move in with you tonight?’

‘I insist on it. What about your mother and sister?’

‘We’ll go and see them after work.’

‘Will they be pleased, do you think?’

‘I’m sure they will.’

‘I hope they like me.’

‘How could they not?’

They stared at one another a while longer, then she sighed and stepped back from him. ‘I’ll tell Dot what’s happened, then I’m coming back to help in the shop. You’re short-handed and if I only pack things for you, or tidy up, it’ll be some help.’ She raised her chin. ‘I’ll not be left out.’

He chuckled. ‘I’ve realised that by now.’

She went back to find that Alice had come home, so quickly told her friend and Dot what had been going on.

‘I knew you were married, miss, I mean Mrs Carr,’ Dot said. ‘I hear you talking to Mr Carr one day.’

‘And you said nothing?’

She shrugged. ‘It wasn’t my business.’

‘Well, I really value your loyalty and good sense and I hope you’ll go on working for us.’

‘Yes, please, miss – I mean, ma’am.’

When Dot had left, Pandora turned to Alice. ‘You don’t have to move out until you’ve found yourself a new job.’

‘Thank you. But I can go to live with my cousins. You and Zachary don’t need me here to play gooseberry.’

Pandora could feel herself blushing and couldn’t deny that.

In the middle of the afternoon, one of the policemen came to Mr Featherworth’s rooms.

‘Did you arrest Prebble for the thefts?’ Ralph asked.

‘I’m afraid not. He wasn’t at his home. We’re searching for him now.’

‘He may get away. He’s a cunning fellow.’

‘I don’t think so, sir. We’re keeping a watch on the railway station, as well as on the roads out of town. There are some advantages to being near the moors with only two or three ways to leave the area, unless he walks across the tops.’ He smiled. ‘No, Prebble will have to be pretty slippery to get past us, sir.’

Ralph wasn’t as sure that they would catch him, but didn’t pursue the point. ‘I don’t know what Zachary’s going to say about this. He’s very angry at Prebble.’

‘I hope he’ll not do anything foolish like getting into a fight with him.’

‘I hope so too.’ Ralph sighed. ‘I’d better go and tell him how matters stand.’

As he was walking towards the shop, the door to the living quarters opened and he saw Alice come out, dressed in her outdoor clothes but looking worried. He hurried towards her. ‘Are you all right?’

She smiled, but it was a strained smile. ‘Yes, of course. It’s good news that Zachary is taking over the shop, isn’t it?’

‘Yes.’ He felt uncharacteristically shy. ‘Um – what are
you
going to do now?’

Her smile slipped and the worried look returned. ‘Go and stay with my cousins until I can find another job.’

The thought that she might move away from Outham gave Ralph the courage to say, ‘No! You mustn’t leave.’

She looked at him in surprise.

He took a deep breath. ‘Alice, my dear, if I may call you that, if you don’t object, that is—’ He faltered to a halt and then said it baldly because he couldn’t think of any romantic words, wasn’t that sort of man. ‘Do you think you might like to marry me instead of finding a job?’

He held his breath, waiting for her response, sure she was going to turn him down, because he was a clerk and she was a lady. Instead he saw joy bloom on her face and heard her reply, ‘Of course I’ll marry you!’

‘You will? I mean, I’m so glad. I’m a plain man and I’m not – not good at romantic words and—’

She took his hand. ‘You don’t need fancy words with me, Ralph. We’ve become such good friends, you and I. Yes, and your sister too. When we’re married, Judith will still live with us, won’t she?’

He nodded and grew daring enough to plant a kiss on her cheek. Drawing his head back for a few seconds he saw how gloriously she was smiling now, so took her in his arms and kissed her properly.

‘Miss, I—’

He came back to an awareness of his surroundings to see Dot goggling at them and said simply, ‘You may be the first to congratulate me, Dot. Miss Alice has just agreed to become my wife.’

As Hallie was walking to the corner shop, a woman cried out for help from the alley next to it. She turned into the entrance and before she could do anything, a man stepped out of the first doorway and grabbed her, muffling her cries with his hand.

A woman joined him, tying Hallie’s hands tightly behind her.

Terrified, she struggled with all her might, but they were two to one and they’d taken her by surprise.

They stuffed a gag in her mouth, wrapped her whole body in a piece of musty cloth and began to carry her along. She tried to squirm and kick but someone clouted her on the head and the pain of that shut her up.

‘Keep still or I’ll knock you senseless.’

She didn’t dare struggle any more. They laid her down and put a heavy weight on top of her so that she could hardly breathe. As they started to move, she guessed she was on a handcart, from the squeaking of a wheel and the way it bumped along the streets.

Where were they taking her? What did they want?

That evening Zachary and Pandora walked round to his mother’s house to tell her the news. He called out as he went inside, ‘I’ve brought a visitor, Mum.’

His mother looked up as they went into the kitchen. ‘I thought you were Hallie coming back.’

‘Isn’t she here?’

‘She went round to the corner shop half an hour ago and I can’t think what’s keeping her.’ She looked beyond Zachary. Oh, I didn’t see you at first, Miss Blake.’

Zachary hesitated. Should he go and look for Hallie? He saw his mother looking at Pandora as if puzzled. ‘We have something to tell you, Mum. Some really good news. Pandora and I were married in Australia. Mr Featherworth asked us to keep it quiet because we were trying to catch Harry Prebble out. He’s been stealing from the shop while I’ve been away. But now he’s been found out, we’ve no reason to keep our marriage secret, so I’ve brought my wife to meet you properly.’

Pride rang in his voice and the look he gave Pandora spoke more than words ever could of his love for her.

By the time they’d all hugged each other and given more detailed explanations, Pandora felt completely at ease with his mother.

‘Your son’s a wonderful man,’ she said to Mrs Carr. ‘I’m so lucky to have found him.’

‘I know.’ Then Mrs Carr looked at the clock again. ‘Could you just go and see what’s happened to Hallie, son? It’s not like her to take so long.’

It wasn’t long before the cart stopped and the weight was removed from Hallie. The man lifted her up, slinging her over his shoulder so that her head was hanging down, bumping helplessly against his back because her hands were still tied.

They went inside a building, she was sure of that, but he seemed to have to bend down to get inside. Then he went down some steps and his footsteps echoed as if it was an empty space. Was this a cellar?

There were voices, then one set of footsteps moved back up the steps.

Someone pulled the wrapping off her and dumped her roughly on a chair. As the person took the gag out of her mouth, she saw Harry Prebble standing in front of her and her stomach gave a lurch of fear.

‘What are you going to do with her, Harry?’ the woman asked, sounding nervous.

‘Exchange her for some money, so that I can get away.’

‘Shouldn’t you just run for it? After all, you’ve got some savings. You can always start again.’

‘I wouldn’t have to start again if it wasn’t for that damned Zachary Carr. He’s going to pay for what he’s done to me.’ He turned to study Hallie and smiled slowly. ‘Or rather, his sister is.’

The woman opened her mouth, not looking happy, but caught his eye and closed it again.

He fumbled in his pocket and held out a note. ‘Get young Ossie to give this to Zachary. Tell Ossie to shove it into his hand and run off straight away. Then stay away for a while. I want to be alone with
her.
’

‘Harry, please don’t—’

‘Do as you’re told!’

The woman left them.

Hallie remembered how Harry had hurt her before and terror filled her as he turned to study her.

Zachary went out and was at the nearby corner shop in under two minutes.

The owner looked at him in surprise. ‘I’ve not seen your sister at all today, Zachary. She’s not been in since yesterday.’

As Zachary went out of the shop, a ragged lad thrust a note into his hand and tried to run off, but Zachary caught him by the collar. When the collar tore away in his hand, the urchin started running again but a man coming along the street caught him by the arm and swung him round, cuffing him when he tried to kick and scratch.

‘What’s this one done?’ he asked Zachary. ‘Picked your pocket?’

‘No. Look, could you hold tight to him while I read this note?’ Zachary scanned the two lines in shock, then read them again in disbelief.

Bring £100
to the old sheds behind Thorpe’s Mill. Don’t tell the police or you’ll never see your sister alive again.

There was no signature, but he knew Harry’s handwriting only too well. He turned to the lad and grabbed him by the arm, dragging him away from the bystander.
‘Who gave you this note?’

‘A man. I don’t know who he was.’

He looked at the lad, who was short with a weaselly face, a typical Prebble. ‘I know who you are and I can guess who gave it you. If you don’t tell me his name and where he is, I’ll beat the information out of you.’

The lad looked up at him in terror, but still shook his head.

Zachary looked at the passer-by. ‘They’ve captured my sister and want money to release her.’

‘Never! Eh, if there’s owt I can do to help, just you ask. I blame this Cotton Famine for such thievery. Folk are desperate. Not that that’s any excuse.’

‘Do you know Marshall Worth?’

‘Aye. Used to work in the same mill as him. He lives in the next street to us. He was in the next street a minute or two ago.’

‘Could you please fetch him to my mother’s house and tell him to bring a couple of strong friends who’re ready for a fight?’ He gave the man the address and set off for his mother’s house, dragging the still-silent lad with him, desperate to make sure she and Pandora were all right before he tried to find Hallie.

To his relief, they were both sitting in the kitchen. Pandora looked up and smiled at him, but her the smile faded when she saw his expression and how he was holding the lad captive.

He hated having to tell them such bad news.

By the time he’d finished and had again stopped the squirming lad from trying to make a break for it, heavy footsteps were pounding along the street towards their house.

‘I’ll answer the door,’ Pandora said.

‘You won’t let them hurt our Hallie, will you, son?’ his mother faltered.

‘I’ll do my best, Mum. My very best.’

‘We’ve got to find him quickly before he hurts her,’ Zachary said when he’d finished telling his tale again. ‘Surely Harry won’t have been stupid enough to take my sister to his home?’

‘No. He’s not stupid, I’ll give him that. He’ll have her hidden away somewhere else, I reckon,’ Marshall replied.

‘Could you go and ask around the streets, see if anyone noticed her being taken, or saw Harry?’ Zachary asked. ‘I’ll have another go at shaking some information out of this one.’ He indicated the lad.

‘I live near here. I’ll ask my kids to help, too.’ One man slipped out.

‘I’ll go and visit a fellow I know down in the back slums,’ Marshall said. ‘You stay here, lad, then we can fetch you if you’re needed.’

Zachary went over to the boy and shouted at him, but he wasn’t the sort to beat a child, so in the end they shut him in the coal house without finding anything out.

After that Zachary paced to and fro while Pandora sat holding his mother’s hand. Suddenly an idea struck him and he stopped dead. ‘I wonder . . .’

‘Wonder what?’ she asked.

‘If anyone’s checking the back of Brewers Court.’