[Mark Twain Mysteries 03] - The Prince and the Prosecutor by Peter J. Heck

Author:Peter J. Heck [Heck, Peter J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Historical, General
ISBN: 9781479427239
Google: anELtAEACAAJ
Amazon: 1479427233
Publisher: Wildside Press
Published: 2017-10-09T23:00:00+00:00

17

The door of the smoking lounge had barely closed behind us when Mr. Kipling called out to my employer, who was forging ahead with a determined air. “I say, Clemens! Wait a moment, will you?”

“What the hell for?” said Mr. Clemens, but he stopped and turned around.

“I think we’d best hold this little conference in my cabin,” said Mr. Kipling. “If we’re really going to try to help this fellow, I want Carrie to be in on the planning. She’s got as good a head on her shoulders as any man aboard, and better than most.”

“Hmm—you’re right, Kipling. She gave us good advice the last time we were about to go off half-cocked. Tell you what—Wentworth can fetch that whisky for us, and we’ll go spring the news on your wife.”

I thought this a good plan, having been impressed with Mrs. Kipling’s common sense. So I went to our cabin, fetched the whisky bottle, and took it to the Kiplings’ cabin. There I found Mr. Kipling sitting on a couch next to his wife and puffing on his cigar. Mr. Clemens poured whisky and soda for us three men. When he handed out the glasses, Mr. Kipling raised his in salute. “Here’s mud in your eye,” he said, and we all took a sip. “Now, Clemens, why don’t you explain to me v/hy Prinz Karl needs our help—or anybody’s—to prove he didn’t murder young Babson? Captain Mortimer’s no fool. And if he doesn’t know how to weigh the evidence, the masterat-arms surely does—it’s his job. It won’t take them long to learn whether or not there’s reason to believe the father’s accusation.”

“Yes, please do,” said Mrs. Kipling. “I don’t think the captain would hold a fellow without proof of foul play. Even Mr. Babson will have to relent if he can’t get real proof. No prosecutor wants to go to trial without a sound case. And if he does have a sound case against Prinz Karl, why should we want to take the man’s side?”

Mr. Clemens set down his glass, clasped his hands behind him, and paced few steps before answering. “You two weren’t there to see them haul the prince off for questioning. Babson was busy stacking the deck against him—he wants to hold the prince responsible for his son’s death. Some of the passengers were already judging him guilty. If that lawyer has his way, the whole ship will believe the prince killed that boy. Well, that ain’t my idea of fair, Kipling. Prinz Karl deserves a better show than that, and I mean to see that he gets it.”

“And how do you intend to do that?” said Mr. Kipling, wrinkling his high forehead. “Do you have some reasonable plan, or are you just going to rush in half-cocked? You’re a man of many talents, but you’re certainly not a barrister.”

“Thank God for that!” said Mr. Clemens. “Why, if the prince went to trial in England, I’d have to put on one of those silly wigs, and nobody would ever take me seriously again.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.