Corridors of the Night by Anne Perry

Author:Anne Perry [Anne Perry]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HeadlinePublisher
Published: 2015-01-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

‘WE NEED to get a cart of some kind that doesn’t look like we come from the city,’ Scuff said thoughtfully. ‘One o’ them they take stuff in to the market.’

They were in the sitting room in Paradise Row: Monk, Scuff, and Hooper, who was still aching from his recent injury. As the summer faded it was getting dark earlier every day. Monk looked at Scuff with surprise that he should imagine he was coming on this mission.

‘It could be rough,’ he told him quietly. ‘I don’t know how many people Rand will have there, and they may be armed.’

Scuff stared straight back at him without flinching. ‘Yer tellin’ me yer could get shot? Killed, even?’

‘Anybody could,’ Monk answered honestly. To lie about it would help nothing, and only make Scuff feel even more excluded.

Scuff’s gaze did not waver. ‘Then yer no different from me,’ he pointed out. ‘I can do things.’

Monk was momentarily at a loss for an answer. He wanted to protect Scuff, make sure that in this tragedy at least he was unhurt. Hester would never stop grieving if Scuff came to harm in rescuing her.

‘I’m coming.’ Scuff did not wait for him. ‘We’re going for Hester, and kids that were just like I was. I’ll be useful. An’ Mr ’Ooper’s still hurt. Yer need me. We got ter do this.’

‘Yes, I do,’ Monk agreed. ‘But you have to do as you’re told!’

‘I will,’ Scuff promised, nodding his head.

Monk did not believe him, but it was not the time to argue.

‘He’s right,’ Hooper observed. ‘We need a farm cart of some sort. Something that won’t draw attention on a country road. We’ve no chance of taking them if we don’t get them by surprise. I’ll see if anyone knows of someone who has a dray we can use.’

‘Squeaky would,’ Scuff said eagerly. ‘He can get anything if ’e wants it bad enough.’ He did not add that for Hester he would, but Monk knew it was in his mind. ‘I can go tell him.’

Monk glanced at Hooper, then back at Scuff. ‘Good. Go and ask him. We need it before sunrise tomorrow morning. We’ve no time to lose. I’d go now, except we have to wait for light. We can’t do it in strange lanes at night.’

‘I gotter tell him what for,’ Scuff pointed out.

‘Of course,’ Monk agreed reluctantly. ‘There’s no help for that. Tell him as much as you need to so he understands, and that it can’t wait. Tell him I’ll pay whatever I need to.’

Scuff gave a brief smile, and then picked his jacket off the coat stand where it hung beside Monk’s, and a moment later he was outside and they heard the door close.

Monk and Hooper bent to study the maps they had of the area where Magnus Rand had said the cottage was. They could see the main roads, but there would be many lanes and by-roads unmarked. There was much planning needed, with variations to cover the unforeseen that might happen.

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