Adventures of Tommy Smith by Robert Sutherland

Author:Robert Sutherland [Robert Sutherland]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781443400268
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Wentworth Freeland mounted the steps and opened the door to the offices of Thompson’s Livery Stables. A young lady with glasses and black hair piled up in a bun on the top of her head greeted him with a big smile.

“Yes, sir? What can we do for you?”

“Actually,” said Wentworth, “I’m just looking for some information about a boy who I believe used to work for you. Tommy Smith.”

“Tommy? Oh, yes.” Her face clouded. “I’m afraid he’s dead. He was on the Asia, the boat that sank last fall with just about everybody on board. Have you heard about that?”

“Of course. I guess everyone knows all about that.” The two eyed each other appreciatively. He was handsome in an anemic sort of way and she was attractive in spite of her severely bunned hair. “This boy,” said Wentworth. “What can you tell me about him?”

“About Tommy? Well, they said he killed a man, and if he hadn’t gone down with the Asia he probably would have hanged.” She frowned, shaking her head.

“You look skeptical.” He leaned forward intimately. “Why? Don’t you think he did it?”

“If he did, it was an accident, not murder. He was…” She cast around in her mind for the right words. “He was an orphan who always had to fend for himself. So he stole things occasionally, then lied about it, but…You see, Mr. Warren was going up the outside stairs—a rickety set of steps—to the offices of the Northern Navigation Company, the owners of the Asia, and he found Tommy hiding on the third floor.”

“What would he be doing on the third floor?”

She hesitated, then shrugged. “Stealing, maybe. There was cargo there, waiting to be shipped or picked up. Tommy may have been looking for a pair of mitts or something. Nothing big or expensive. He was like that. Anyway, Mr. Warren caught him and Tommy tried to get away. In the struggle Mr. Warren fell through the rail and was killed. The company was at least partly to blame. That rail was a disgrace. Anyway, when Tommy saw what had happened he ran. What else would you expect him to do? He hid aboard the Asia and—” she spread her hands “—you know what happened to the Asia.”

Wentworth nodded. “A shame. Someone must have seen what happened?” He left it up in the air, as a question.

“Oh, yes. Mr. Grimmond, president of the company, and Harry Johnson, who happened to be working there that day—they both saw it. Mr. Grimmond said maybe Tommy didn’t mean to kill Mr. Warren, but the way he said it…” She shook her head. “He didn’t really mean it. You could tell he was just trying to be kind-hearted, which, of course, he ain’t. It wouldn’t have done Tommy any good if it came to a trial.”

“I see. So Tommy drowned? There’s no doubt about that?”

“Oh, no. None at all. There was only two survived and neither one was Tommy.” She looked at him curiously. “Why do you ask, Mr…?”

“Freeland.

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