Bridge of Lies by Misha Herwin

Author:Misha Herwin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

~CHAPTER SEVENTEEN~

It’s not right, Jeb thought. She shouldn’t have done it. She knows the rules. No one asks about business. No one. Pulling a bottle from his coat, he tipped back his head and drank. The rumbulin, filched from a merchantman returned from the Indies, was the best but it didn’t do anything to warm the cold misery that had settled inside him. Shoving the cork back, he cast a glance over the site. Might as well get on with it. Maundering over Letty wasn’t going to get the job done. He’d come here to catch the thieves and that was what he was going to do.

The workmen’s tools were kept in a compound surrounded by a rough fence. There were piles of pickaxes, spades, shovels and crowbars, while smaller items were stored in sacks in a lean to. His best bet was to wait in the lee of the fence where he would be hidden by the shadows. Jeb sighed. Watching was boring. Watching on your own was even more boring. He should have sent one of his boys but he’d told Letty he’d do it and some people kept their word.

Why had she done it? She’d taken that message from Charlie when she knew it was for him. Then she’d tried to find out more and when he’d asked her about it she’d lied. All the time they had been friends they’d always been able to trust each other but now? Now I wouldn’t believe her if she told me it was night, he thought angrily.

Unable to keep still, he paced backwards and forwards until, not looking where he was going, the tip of his boot caught on a pile of bricks. Bleedin’ ink. I’m turning hobblefooted. See what you’ve done, Lettice Parker, he thought viciously. He looked down to check if he’d scuffed the leather and a slight movement caught the corner of his eye. Was it a rat? A fox? He stepped into the shadow of the fence and waited. Somewhere in front of him he heard voices.

“Like lice they are. Crawling everywhere. Catch one and there’s another coming up behind it,” Patrick said.

Jeb’s glance dropped to the ground. The moon was high, throwing puddles of light on the scrubby grass. A faint flutter came from under a section of fence.

“They reckon it’s cursed,” another voice joined Patrick’s.

“They can reckon what they like, Shamus, but this is where we’re earning our wages and as long as the money keeps coming then I’m not being spooked by no curse. You can keep your mouth shut if that’s the only rubbish that’s going to come out of it.”

“Well said, my man.” Mr Brunel came up behind them. “That’s the sort of attitude that makes our empire great.” Shamus spat but the engineer ignored him. “I trust everything is shipshape and Bristol fashion?”

“Aye, aye, sir. I’ve done me rounds and there’s no sign of any robbin’ as yet. Nor, truth to tell, have I had sight nor sound of that lad you’d set on the watching.

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