Royal Fright: A 1920s tale of murder, mystery, and royal intrigue (Sophie Burgoyne Mysteries Book 7) by G J Bellamy

Author:G J Bellamy [Bellamy, G J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-12-23T00:00:00+00:00

Auntie Bessie was perfectly agreeable to Sophie’s suggestions, adding that there would be a supper later. The agents loved her idea.

From White Lyon Yard south to the Bank of England was only a mile, and at half-past six the financial district of the City was truly winding down for the day. The pell-mell stampede of the rush hour had passed, with most of the workers having reached home, or well on their way there, by tram, bus, underground, train, bicycle, car or foot. The area still bustled, however, and the traffic was heavy in the six streets that met by the Bank.

Behind the high perimeter wall, the Bank of England is more like a Greek temple complex than a banking institution housed in the many buildings. Each little sector is devoted to a specific financial function, while they never admit the public to a majority of the buildings. Sir John Soane designed the Bank of England, but it was for him a long labour of love beginning in 1788 and which could only be said to have been finished in 1830. The Bank as a whole is of such reassuring and solid splendour that, just by looking at the place, one is readily convinced that here is an institution that can never fail. Indeed, the Bank of England is a byword amongst Britons as the epitome of safety and security.

A detachment of the King’s Guard is always stationed within the wall, and there are officials stationed at the various gates and the front entrance on Threadneedle Street. With knowledge of these things, the agents came at the Bank from the eastern side and stopped at the corner of Lothbury and St. Bartholomew’s Lane.

“I don’t see how it’s possible, miss,” said Ada.

“Supposing they’re only going to steal banknotes?” asked Flora. “They’re a lot lighter and easier to deal with than gold… Sophie?”

“Sorry, I was just thinking of ladders and how to climb over the wall. You said banknotes… that’s possible. I wonder where they keep them — and everything else, for that matter. It’s a pity we don’t have a map.”

“Asking a porter won’t help,” said Ada. “Some of them blokes can be quite chatty, but they won’t tell us that much.”

“I suppose not. Our idea is that Lud is going to rob the Bank of England. We have no chance of working out how he proposes to accomplish such a feat until we have clues. All I can think is that Lud would want to know what is going on in and around the Bank right up until the robbery takes place. Knowing how he operates, it is reasonable to assume he has agents inside. There could be a Handley equivalent working in the Bank. There may also be others, actual robbers, who are waiting for the right moment to spring into action. All this is hypothetical but, if we extend the theory, I think it reasonable to assume that he may have men watching on the outside.”

“Watching for what?” asked Flora.

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