Crow Court by Andy Charman

Author:Andy Charman
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783529117
Publisher: Unbound
Published: 2020-08-06T17:41:48+00:00

Charles Ellis would have chuckled to hear it—not that he does, of course. He’s in the office on the very top floor of his warehouse, at home among the papers, ledgers, books and files that he uses to keep track of his commercial interests. And with him is John Street, his employee and old friend.

‘Oh, Charlie…’ says John, shaking his head.

Charles, chewing his lip, misses a beat before looking up.

‘You disapprove, John?’

John snorts. ‘Disapprove? Just wants to keep our veet on the ground, zee.’

‘And why should you not have your feet on the ground?’

‘Can’t reach—if your neck’s hangin’ vrom the gallis…’

‘Oh, he shan’t catch us, John. Too flat-footed himself, that one.’

‘Hm, not zo much a vool as he makes out. He’s snuffled your truffles already.’

‘Really?’

‘Should ha’ stuck with the Swanage route. Least we could hear they customs men a-coming.’

Charles sucks his teeth, drumming his fingers on the desktop. ‘Yes, but we can’t. If I’m banned from both Guthrie’s and Bankes’s land, we can’t move an inch down there.’

‘Wha’s he want, anyhow?’

‘Guthrie? He wants his brother back from India. He has it in his head that I can arrange it.’

John frowns—his face darkens like a sudden autumn storm.

‘S’that summit about your brother?’

Charles looks up. Rubs his chin. Looks back at his own fingers as they drum on the desk.

‘If they had just stayed put instead of running off like that. No surprise they should draw suspicion. Squire Guthrie seems to think I can put the record straight somehow.’

‘Well p’rhaps you could?’

‘Really? How might I? The fact of the matter is, John, we have no more of a clue who killed Matthew than anyone else—and we were there. I didn’t see anyone, did you?’

John shakes his head vigorously.

‘So I don’t see how I may be of assistance to Guthrie. You know he offered to pay me? Said he’d have Bankes make me Alderman of Wimborne. When I said there’s nothing I could do, he grew most agitated. He’s told every villager and crofter south of Sturminster to watch out for us. We are practically wanted men.’

John Street is staring hard at his employer, chewing his lip. Charles suddenly sits up in his chair.

‘So! Nothing for it. We’ll get this shipment past Do-Money and then that’s it. We’ll just pay the duty.’

‘You might just pay the duty on this ’un…’

Charles appears to give it a moment’s thought, but no more.

‘I can’t. It’s not on the manifest.’

John grunts, and Charles closes the books on his desk. He is done for the day, and they shall return to their rooms in the New Antelope Hotel for the evening. They’re descending the stairs when John makes his final observation.

‘… z’not like you never changed a manifest afore…’ he grumbles.

Charles scowls after him, having not properly heard his words.

‘We shall have the better of Do-Money, John. Don’t you fear it.’

‘Humph,’ is John’s answer. And it is not a happy humph, because John does fear it. He fears it deeply, as well he might. He fears it through

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.