To Catch A Thief (Saved By Desire 2) (19 page)

“Why?”

“It’s best not to ask too many questions. Anyway, I didn’t have to wait long to find out what happened because she was found dead.”

“Why were you watching people in the village?” Jeb wanted to demand to know why he had been watching Sophia, but didn’t want to mention her name in case the man didn’t know it.

Myers shrugged. “It’s best to get an idea of who the locals are.”

Jeb knew he was lying but, before he took the man to task, Barnaby coughed.

“Where is Bamber now?”

“He has gone back to London to take the last box of stolen goods I collected,” Myers replied.

“God, you are reprehensible, aren’t you?” Barnaby snarled.

Myers peered at him in confusion. “Eh?”

Jeb sighed heavily. “Tabitha was a young girl who lived in quite impoverished circumstances. That farm her father has relies on everyone doing their job relentlessly, day after day after day. If anyone is sick or cannot work the entire place falls apart through no fault of theirs. Every penny they earn is precious to them. You not only took their belongings, but you also took the life of one of their own because she wanted to stop stealing.”

“She didn’t steal from her own father,” Myers protested.

Jeb sighed. “She worked at the other big farm down the road. She milked her father’s cows in the morning, worked in the dairy at the big farm during the day, and then went to work in the tavern in the evening. I think she was on her way home when Bamber caught up with her.”

“Tabitha was what, fifteen?” Barnaby announced in disgust, and watched Jeb nod.

A rather disapproving silence settled over the room. The thought of someone that young working from dawn until beyond dusk was disturbing to all of the men from the Star Elite, but they knew that children in London worked far longer hours for far less reward. To think that Myers and Bamber between them had targeted her, and snuffed her life out when she had barely reached maturity just made their crimes even worse, and the Star Elite more determined to bring them to justice.

Myers shrugged, callously unconcerned.

“How did you come to know the Squire has expensive jewels?”

In London, it was easy to spot the aristocracy because they wore their luxuries and fineries like a mantle. In Framley Meadow, people generally preferred to blend in with their surroundings. The Squire was pompous, and liked to consider himself above the locals in status and wealth, but he still dressed like upper gentry rather than the elite members of the aristocracy.

“I dunno,” Myers replied.

Jeb knew from the shifty way Myers’ gaze flickered around the room that he was lying.

“You know, Myers, I warn you now that if we don’t get the truth from you, because you are the only suspicious character in the area right now, you will get the blame for the recent spate of crimes around these parts. That’s breaking and entering, the thefts, and two murders. That is a Hell of a long time in prison for you.”

This time, it was Myers who swore. “I didn’t kill them. Bamber did. I swear it.”

Jeb leaned across the table. His voice dropped to a ruthless murmur. “Now why don’t I believe you?”

“It’s the truth. I just do Bamber’s running about for him here while he is in London. He has others like me in other counties. It isn’t just me. We do the running around and keep an eye on his patch while he is gone. When he comes back, he makes all the decisions and tells us what to do. Generally, we get left alone, as long as we hand over the boxes of stolen items when he turns up he doesn’t give a damn what happens to us.”

Now that did sound like the truth to Jeb, who caught sight of Barnaby’s imperceptible nod. He too was agreeing that the statement sounded truthful, and was telling Jeb to move on.

“Bamber probably knows someone who has seen the Squire’s wife wearing the jewels and decided he wants them.” Again, this wasn’t a question. Jeb was merely thinking aloud of what he would do if he was in Bamber’s boots.

“The Squire has connections and gets invited to local functions of the wealthy. I don’t know who, or where he found out about the jewels,” Myers declared flatly.

Barnaby snorted. Now
that
was the truth, and everyone knew it. Myers was barely house trained so most definitely wouldn’t be able to even blag his way through an aristocrat’s back door.

Myers spat the word ‘wealthy’ as though it was deeply offensive which warned the Star Elite he did what he did because he hated people who were well off.

“His wife wore them I think. I don’t know.” He shrugged. “They have certainly been noticed by someone. Bamber described them to me and told me to get someone to lift them. He said they are kept in a dresser in the master bedroom. I don’t have a clue how he knows that so don’t ask.”

Jeb looked at Barnaby. They were both thinking that an insider, someone who was aristocracy, was feeding information back to Sayers, or Bamber, or the burglar responsible for the thefts in London, about which items to take and where to find them. It was all brilliant but now left Jeb with one problem.

Why were the jewels not in a safe?

He rather suspected Myers wouldn’t know so made a mental note to remember to ask Bamber once they caught him.

“What Bamber wants Bamber gets,” Myers added morosely.

“So you went to Delilah Carney, and told her to take them for you because she is friends with the Squire and would get an invitation to his summer ball.”

Myers snorted. “I have seen them together. They are as thick as thieves.”

For some reason, he seemed to find this very funny and spent several moments chuckling.

“Delilah has said she isn’t doing it for you so you are going to come unstuck,” Jeb warned him darkly.

“Oh, she will do as she is told,” Myers replied knowledgeably. He seemed to realise then that he had said too much and suddenly slumped back in his seat in silence.

“What do you plan to do?” Jeb asked. “How do you plan to force her?”

“I don’t know.” Myers shrugged.

“You, sir, are a liar,” Jeb challenged. “I know there is a plan so I suggest you tell me what it is.”

Myers looked sullen. “They plan to take her sister.”

“Pardon?” Jeb went hot then cold. He knew that the ‘sister’ Myers mentioned was, in fact, Sophia.

“What do you mean ‘take’ her?”

“Bamber plans to take her and keep her until Carney does the job. As soon as she hands the jewels over she can have her sister back. Simple. As long as she does as she is told, there will be no harm done to anybody.”

Jeb snorted at that. “This, coming from a man who has already killed two innocent people in the village.” He lifted his brows when Myers looked at him. “I think Bamber has no intention of allowing Delilah’s sister to go home once he has his grubby hands on the jewels. She would go straight to the magistrate to report what she happened, and that is something Bamber won’t allow. After all, he has proven to everyone that he doesn’t like witnesses. You said so yourself just now. Bamber won’t let people walk away and individuals who stand in his way, or pose a threat to him, get removed permanently. It is as simple as that. She wouldn’t be allowed to go free, and you know it.”

“When and where does he plan to try to snatch her?” Barnaby’s voice was cold and hard.

Jeb’s heart clenched at the thought of Bamber hurting Sophia. He realised then just how much of a risk he had taken in leaving her in the village alone while he followed Bamber to London. Anything could have happened to her while he had been gone. The thought that she might have ended up like Tabitha, or Mrs Banks, just made him want to punch something, or someone – namely Myers given that he was the only person available right now.

“When does he plan to kidnap her?” Jeb bellowed. He slammed his fist down on the table and lunged out of his seat so swiftly that Myers tried to throw himself under the table to get away from him.

Jeb grabbed him by his shirt and hauled him forward until their noses were almost touching.

Panicked, Myers began to babble. “He plans to snatch her from her house in the village, but I don’t know when, just sometime before the night of the ball. That’s all I know. I swear.”

“What do you know about Joshua Samson, or a man called Balgravia?”

“Who?” Myer’s confusion was so instinctive that Jeb suspected the man had never heard of them before. If he had been living away from London, though, he probably wouldn’t have.

“Hasn’t Bamber ever mentioned them to you?”

“Not to me,” Myers replied with a shake of his head. As he spoke, he tried to prise Jeb’s hand off his shirt but wasn’t robust enough to loosen the tight grip.

“What connection does Bamber have to Sayers?” Barnaby leaned back in his seat and pierced the man with a look that warned him he wasn’t going to intervene. If Jeb wanted to pummel him he could.

Myers flicked a worried look at Jeb.

“We know they work together,” Jeb added.

“They are cousins,” Myers admitted reluctantly. “Bamber’s mother is Sayers’ aunt or something like that. I can’t be sure. It’s best not to ask too much about Bamber or Sayers. I just know they are related.”

This was a major coup for the Star Elite. To find one person who was connected to Sayers and close enough to work with him was a significant achievement. Bamber was that man. Myers was an added bonus. Myers would be a treasure trove of valuable information on how the network operated, and would help the Star Elite thwart some of the gang’s endeavours, and trace the ring-leaders.

“So, this network of people you have working for you are all lower class workers who are what? Connected to the aristocracy, servants, or people in villages who just see more than they should and help themselves to the things they want? How does this system work?” Barnaby asked thoughtfully.

“Talk,” Jeb ordered coldly.

Dutifully, Myers began to speak. “We get people who live and work in or around snobs’ houses to work for us. Sometimes, to get them to start to work for us, we offer them more money than they would get anywhere else. Once they are established thieves they don’t get paid so much but are told to get more goods. Because they are used to the good money, they usually do as they are told. The ones who work in the houses also have to tell us what jewels or valuables, big paintings, and the like that house has. Whoever is in charge of that group gets someone to steal the items, and it is sold on if not handed to Bamber. Sometimes we rely on the workers to get whatever he specifically wants. Occasionally, Bamber takes it himself.”

“So Bamber gets everything that’s stolen, and can choose what he wants.”

“Sort of. The big items, paintings and the like are reported to him, and he decides if he wants them or not. Sometimes, like with the Squire’s jewels, he tells us what to get and where to find it.”

“But you don’t know how he gets this information,” Barnaby murmured.

Myers snorted. “Sometimes it's hard enough for the thieves to get this information.”

“You have to rely on people who work in and around the houses.” Jeb shook his head as he contemplated the cleverly thought out network.

He knew how hard some of the staff in the big houses worked. Even ground staff would watch the aristocracy come and go from their properties, and would be able to note who was wearing what jewellery, and that kind of thing. How they went about finding out what was inside the property was still open to conjecture at the moment. It could be below-stairs gossip, but Jeb couldn’t ignore the possibility it was most likely someone within the aristocracy who was feeding information back to Bamber.

Why, though?

“Of course,” Myers replied. “We tempt the people to work for us with money.”

“To begin with,” Barnaby snorted once he had stopped writing.

“Delilah Carney is one of your network of thieves who operate this area,” Jeb declared confidently.

“Yes. She is a woman who needs money, or the thrill of stealing,” Myers grinned.

Several more questions were fired at Myers in rapid succession after that. It was nearly midnight by the time silence settled over the room.

“What about the spate of thefts in London? Don’t tell me you don’t know anything about them. We are aware the local burglaries here are connected to the thefts from the big houses in London. It all works in the same way. I suspect that the items stolen in London are sold on in other cities, and the pieces stolen in the counties are taken to London to be sold. So, who is the spy within the aristocracy who is feeding Bamber information on what to take?”

“I-I don’t know. You need to ask Bamber. That’s nothing to do with me. I don’t work in London. I just fetch what I am told to get and deliver it where I am supposed to. Anything else you ask Bamber about, not me. I know nothing.”

“What happens when you hand the boxes of stolen goods over? Don’t tell me you don’t know because I know you bloody well do.”

Myers sighed heavily. “They get passed to several people before they are sold on to whoever wants them. I don’t know who. In my game, asking questions can get you killed.”

“You hand the goods over to Bamber then, or one of his minions?” Jeb smothered a yawn. His mind was racing with questions still, but he was exhausted.

“Bamber.”

“Always Bamber?”

Myers nodded.

“When is the next meeting?”

Myers looked from Barnaby to Jeb and sighed heavily again. His reluctance to give them the information they wanted was evident in the tone of his voice.

“On the night of the ball,” he admitted dully. “As soon as the jewels are taken they are to be handed over to Bamber.”

“Bamber plans to steal them himself?” Jeb frowned.

“No. That Carney woman is stealing them. She is to meet me later that night to hand them over, and I am going to then hand them on to Bamber.”

“Who has Carney’s sister?” Jeb had to force himself not to say her name. As far as he was concerned, if he had to stand over Sophia with his gun drawn right up until the end of the Squire’s ball then he would just to stop Bamber getting his hands on her.

“So, is Bamber coming back from London then?”

Myers looked at Barnaby. “No, Bamber is already here. He is going to wait for the jewels and take them straight to London. He will then come back for the regular stuff as usual.”

Even though he and Barnaby pushed and pushed for nearly an hour more, Myers refused to tell them anything more. The mention of the thefts in London had sealed the man’s lips faster than a gag, and there was nothing they could do to get him to change his mind and open up again.

Barnaby signalled to Marcus and Joseph. They pushed away from the wall and walked toward Myers, who began to look terrified.

“What are you doing?”

“Time to go,” Jeb murmured, unmoved by the worry on the man’s face.

“Where am I going? What are you going to do to me?” Myers looked panic stricken as he was hauled bodily out of his chair and manhandled toward the door. “Wait!” He leaned backward until his captors had no choice but to stop. He turned to look at Jeb. “Don’t go sticking your nose into Sayers’ business. He ain’t the kind of bloke you mess with.”

“Sayers has no idea who has taken on,” Barnaby challenged. “We are the law, and you have just landed yourself in a whole heap of trouble, so I suggest that if you are a religious man you begin to pray for mercy.”

Marcus and Joseph hauled him out of the door before he could say anything else. When the door was closed behind him Jeb turned toward his friend, Barnaby.

“Sophia needs a guard,” he murmured.

“We don’t have enough men. We have to keep watch here in case Bamber turns up. We have to watch Carney’s house to see if anyone is watching the place, and we have to investigate the Squire’s house, and his jewels. Everyone is busy. There isn’t enough time to call in reinforcements. I am sorry Jeb, but we have to focus our attention on finding Bamber and getting the blasted man off the streets. Sophia needs to just stay indoors with the door locked. We will have men watching the house. It is the best we can do right now.”

“Do you think that will be enough?” Jeb demanded sharply. He knew Barnaby was right, but still didn’t like the fact that he couldn’t protect Sophia personally. “This is Sayers’ gang we are talking about.”

“We need to cover all of the houses, not just one, I am afraid. If Bamber appears anywhere, we can snatch him before he gets anywhere near the Carney house. Besides, do you really think you will be allowed to stay in the house until the Squire’s ball?”

Jeb wrinkled his nose up and knew Barnaby was right. Delilah had barely been hospitable the last time Jeb had called by. She would not be agreeable to him staying there indefinitely, even if it was to protect Sophia. With that in mind, Jeb knew he had to concede defeat.

“If Bamber goes anywhere near that house, he has to be taken out in whatever way is necessary. He is not to get his hands on Sophia,” Jeb warned darkly.

“He won’t,” Barnaby promised. “Now, about those jewels of the Squire’s. I think someone in the aristocracy must have seen the Squire’s wife wearing them, suspected they had value, and fed the information back to Sayers or Bamber.”

“Do you think they are stolen to order?” Jeb asked thoughtfully.

“It could be they are stolen for a reason. Someone needs a particular type of gemstone or something. I believe that we must consider that they will be reformed into different jewellery. Or it could be the gems they want.”

Jeb nodded. “It is important we capture someone in possession of the jewels once they are stolen. If they disappear into Bamber’s network they are likely never to be seen again.”

Barnaby agreed. “It may be the reason why we never see any of the items again. It isn’t the goods they want, it is the precious metals and gems they provide once they are broken up.”

“What about the paintings, though?”

“Private collectors?” Barnaby shook his head. “I am only guessing but if someone purchases a valuable piece of art that has been stolen they are not likely to want to hang it on their wall for the world to see. The paintings could be sent abroad. Someone in Europe might want them, or they could be sold to private collectors who are prepared to keep them out of sight. Who knows?”

“Until we can get our hands on Bamber, or Sayers, we are never going to know.”

“I know. We are looking for a needle in a haystack trying to find any of the stolen items again.” Barnaby yawned widely. “At the moment, I think we would do better to focus our attention on that network of people Myers has working for him. We have details of who he has employed. I will give him a day or two to contemplate his future in prison and will then pay him a visit to get details of where they live. Hopefully, he will be a little more co-operative once the enormity of his situation sinks in, especially if it lightens his sentence a little.”

Jeb threw him a dark look. “His sentence shouldn’t be lightened at all. I am still not convinced he didn’t kill Mrs Banks or Tabitha himself but is just blaming Bamber because he doubts we can capture him.”

Barnaby nodded and conceded his friend had a point. “The problem is that we have nothing on Bamber other than Myers’ testimony. Suspecting the man isn’t enough to prove him guilty of anything. We can’t rely on Myers’ word. We need to catch Bamber red-handed either stealing the jewels or in possession of them once they have been taken.”

“Will the Squire want to leave them where they are and risk them getting stolen, though?”

Barnaby snorted. “We don’t have to tell the Squire a blessed thing right now. You can get into that ball with Sophia. Keep an eye on that room, and we can watch the outside. Bamber, or his thief, will not get in or out with those jewels.”

“I won’t allow him to get anywhere near Sophia,” Jeb declared fervently.