Kissing Cousins (22 page)

Salverton went along with the misapprehension that he was Sykes
’
s lawyer, as it ensured quick access to the prisoner. He found Sykes playing cards with three other miscreants in a locked room. There was no air of punishment save for the bars on the window and the smoke from the vile-smelling cigar that turned the air blue. The room, he could hardly call it a cell, had a well-battered deal table and four mismatched chairs. Glasses of ale sat amid the cards on the table.

Sykes looked up when he saw Salverton.
“
Excuse me, lads,
”
he said, and placing his cards facedown on the table, he went off to a corner to speak in private with his caller.

“
You shouldn
’
t of come here!
”
he scolded.
“
I see you
’
re surprised at the luxury of the place. The regular cells were full of drunk and disorderly young gents. They had a party that got out of control, so me and the lads were put up here. I was going to send you off a note with my news as soon as the game was over. I
’
m weaseling the facts out slow like, so as to avoid suspicion.
”

“
News? What have you found out?
”

“
Smokey Dalton knows Fletch,
”
he said, nodding to the prisoner who was smoking a cigar.
“
They shared an ale this afternoon, before Smokey forgot hisself and snaffled a jewelry box in one of them shops on the Pantiles and got arrested. Fletch is looking for Wanda, like I thought, but not because she was in on the robbery.
”

He paused a moment to add a touch of drama to his tale.

“
Why, then?
”
Salverton asked.

“
She
’
s his wife.
”
He smiled to see Salverton
’
s eyebrows rise at this stunning announcement.
“
He was after Bayne and Darren Oakleigh and anyone else that
’
s touched her tender body, if you follow me. Half of London must be trembling in its boots since Fletch hit the streets. Dalton thinks Bayne ran to ground here in Tunbridge Wells when he heard Fletch was out. Since Fletch didn
’
t know where to find him, he went looking for Wanda
’
s latest beau. He learned from Wanda
’
s chums in London that she was seeing Oakleigh, and where he lived.
”

“
You think he followed Miss Oakleigh and me all the way from London to Brighton and on to Tunbridge Wells?
”

“
I do, and I think as well that Fletch is the reason Wanda was so almighty eager to get out of town in the first place.
”

“
We
’
ve been wondering how Bow Street came to drop in at The Laurels so conveniently, and knew you were at O
’
Toole
’
s as well. You don
’
t think Fletch knew where Sir Geoffrey was hiding?
”

“
He didn
’
t know when he got here, but he
’
d find out soon enough. Bayne
’
s an important man. People would know he has a cottage here. I figure when Fletch found out, he left us for a few hours and did Bayne in, then nipped back to town. The Laurels is next door to Tunbridge Wells. It wouldn
’
t take him half an hour. He was coming from the right direction when I saw him and got him behind the stable for a bit of the home brewed. He must have recovered quicker than I figured and picked up our trail. He must of seen us head toward Rusthall Common tonight and figured where we were going. Now, don
’
t take a pet, melord, for the next step is pure conjecture, but my thinking is that he sent Bow Street out to The Laurels, hoping to hang the murder on me, so you and Samantha would be at his mercy.
”

“
But you weren
’
t even in the house. It
’
s myself who would have been arrested if Bow Street had arrived a minute sooner.
”

“
Fletch didn
’
t know that. I was close enough that I
’
d have been taken in. Fletch may not know your name yet, but he would have seen your fancy ken in London, and know you
’
re above the law. It
’
d be Jonathon Sykes that was hauled in.
”

Salverton found this explanation credible.
“
How did he know you
’
d be at O
’
Toole
’
s?
”
was all he said.

“
Where else would I stay in Tunbridge Wells?
”
was the answer.
“
Every town of any size has a spot you can go when you
’
re in a bit of trouble, like. In Brighton, the lads stay at my place; in London there
’
s half a dozen spots, but in Tunbridge Wells, we stay at O
’
Toole
’
s. Fletch likely hung about outside until he saw me go in, then sent a note off to Bow Street. I don
’
t see how else they found me.
”

This also sounded reasonable.
“
We
’
ve got to find him, Jonathon.
”

“
Aye, for the next number on his list is young Oakleigh, if I know anything.
”

“
Fletch wouldn
’
t stick around here, I shouldn
’
t think. Where would he go?
”

“
He
’
ll stick to your coattail like a burr till he finds Oakleigh and Wanda. That
’
s my thinking. You may not see him without Jonathon Sykes
’
s eyes to help you, for he
’
s a sly dog, but he
’
ll be after you sure as hanging follows a conviction. What you don
’
t want to do is lead him to young Oakleigh.
”

“
That, at least, is no problem. We don
’
t know where he is. What would you do, Jonathon?
”

“
I
’
m accused of robbing Bayne as well as killing him,
”
he said with a cagey look.

Salverton frowned, sensing that he was missing something, but he couldn
’
t for the life of him see how this altered matters.

“
Bayne
’
s pocket was to let when they found him,
”
Jonathon said.
“
Watch gone as well, ring
—
everything. They searched me when they brought me. Asked me what I
’
d done with Bayne
’
s watch and ring and money purse. They
’
ve had a neighbor in to quiz him. He says Bayne always carried a great gold turnip watch and wore a ring with a red stone. He could identify them. They say he usually carried a wad of blunt as well.
”

“
Yes?
”
Salverton said encouragingly.

“
Lord love me, do I have to draw you a picture?
”

“
That would help,
”
Salverton said in an unusually humble manner.

“
How have you survived so long, melord? You
’
re innocent as Miss Oakleigh. Here
’
s what you do, then. Fletch will be hot on your tail. You send word ahead to Bow Street to be waiting for you out of sight at a safe spot of your choosing. When Fletch comes lurking about, Bow Street hauls him in. He
’
ll not have laid the watch and ring on the shelf, for his pockets are jingling with the blunt he stole off Bayne, see? He hasn
’
t got a place to actually live yet. He
’
ll have the goods in his pocket, for he
’
d not leave them unguarded in any of the places he
’
s likely to find a safe bed. It
’
ll go a long way toward proving he kilt Bayne. Nobody
’
d be fool enough to kill a man and leave such treasures behind. Then you step forward and tell the judge I was with you when the murder was done.
”
A worried frown creased his brow.
“
Do you understand what I
’
m saying, melord?
”

“
Yes, I understand. What do you mean by a safe place to trap him, Jonathon? Is O
’
Toole
’
s safe?
”

“
O
’
Toole
’
s?
O
’
Toole
’
s?
”
he asked in a voice high with disbelief.
“
Lord love me, I
’
d as soon trust my daughter with the dragoons. I
’
d not trust O
’
Toole
’
s. Herbie is all right, but you never know which of his servants Fletch might have in his pocket. Nay, go back to your own bailiwick, someplace where you have people you trust. Your own house, if it ain
’
t beneath your dignity to have Bow Street lurking about the shrubbery to scandalize the neighbors.
”

Salverton nodded.
“
My servants are eminently trustworthy. But I don
’
t like to leave you here. I could speak to a magistrate
—”

Sykes shook his head firmly.
“
Nay, Fletch will be easy in his mind if he don
’
t have me to deal with. Besides, I
’
m filling my pockets with this set of Johnnie Raws,
”
he added, glancing to the table, where a pile of gold coins at his place indicated a game for deep stakes.

“
Well, don
’
t worry about the trial. I
’
ll be there to give evidence.
”

“
Just see you don
’
t get yourself kilt, or I may find myself in a bit of trouble.
”

“
I
’
ll be careful, Jonathon.
”
He felt more gratitude than this was due to Sykes.
“
If I
’
ve behaved badly the past days
—
and I know I have
—
I want to apologize. I do appreciate all your help. I don
’
t know what we would have done without you.
”

“
It was a pleasure. Now that we
’
re all friends, I might tip you the clue. You cave in too easy, melord. On money matters, that is to say. I
’
ve overcharged you at every turn. It
’
ll be weighing on my mind now that we
’
re pals. I
’
m too scrupulous, it was ever my failing. I shouldn
’
t ought to have gypped you, but you bled so free, it was too much temptation for a weak man.
”

A rueful smile curved Salverton
’
s lips.
“
In my opinion, you
’
ve earned every penny, Jonathon.
”

“
Then I
’
ve been underpaid all my life. It
’
s been the easiest rhino I ever picked up
—
save for old Lord Egremont. He was an innocent if there ever was one. Never checked his pockets, nor his wine cellar, nor his wife, come to that. Ah, they don
’
t make them like Egremont no more.
”
He shook his head in fond remembrance.
“
Away with you now. And take good care of Miss Oakleigh. But then, I don
’
t have to tell you that, do I?
”

“
No, you don
’
t.
”

“
She
’
s a grand girl. You don
’
t want to let her get away.
”

“
You used to call her Samantha. Why so formal, Jonathon?
”

“
I figured, for a few hours there, that she might have me if her brother turned out a murderer and thief, but that was just daydreaming. I always had an eye above my station where the ladies are concerned.
”

“
We all dream.
”

“
We
’
ll be in touch soon, melord.
”

“
We will. Thanks, Jonathon, more than I can say.
”

“
My pleasure.
”

Salverton left, a wiser and a humbler man, and Jonathon returned to his shaved cards to fleece his cellmates.

Salverton kept an eye out for someone following him as he returned to O
’
Toole
’
s. He couldn
’
t see anyone, but he discerned, or imagined, an occasional soft footstep or rustle in the shadows. He didn
’
t reach for his pistol. Jonathon said Fletch was following him in hopes of finding Darren, and that effectual gentleman would know.

Gentleman? Well, one of Nature
’
s gentlemen. Samantha, with a woman
’
s intuition, had sensed it from the first. What a politician he would have made if only he had been born to a higher position in society. Sharp as a bodkin, and not overly burdened with principles.

Before long, Salverton was tapping at Samantha
’
s door. It opened immediately and she beckoned him in.

“
How is Jonathon?
”
she asked.

“
Happy as a cow in clover, enjoying a wet and a lucrative game of cards.
”