The Forgotten Children

by Anita Davison

  ‘I know.’ Flora walked down the last few steps into the hall. ‘Inspector Maddox told us they were looking for him but he’s not been seen.’

  ‘Not by them, maybe.’ Abel sniffed. ‘But some blokes in the pub said he was at St Saviour’s dock yesterday, so I went down there to take a look.’

  ‘Where is this dock?’ Flora’s heart skipped at the thought they might be getting close.

  ‘It’s in the Jacob’s Island area near Tower Bridge,’ Lydia said. ‘Not that it’s a real island anymore. After the cholera outbreak in the middle of the last century, part of the Neckinger stream was built over. It’s where they used to hang pirates long ago. That’s where the name came from. Neckinger means, “Devil’s neckcloth”, another name for a hangman’s noose.’

  ‘Was there any sign of Sally or the children?’ Flora asked, mainly to interrupt Lydia’s impromptu history lesson, for had Abel had found anything, he would have said so.

  Abel shook his head. ‘Swifty’s barge was all locked up and empty.’

  ‘Did you say he has a barge?’ Flora asked. ‘How does a small-time crook afford to buy a boat, not to mention cover the mooring fees?’

  ‘I was gettin’ ter that.’ Abel split a look of frustration between the two women. ‘A couple of the bargees told me Swifty stopped signing on for casual work a year ago. He bought the barge cheap from a river man who was injured.’

  Flora briefly wondered if Swifty had anything to do with that injury.

  ‘My guess from what was being implied,’ Abel continued. ‘Is that Swifty has a side line in stolen goods from the ships. The crews have been known to help themselves to bits and bobs from the cargo and sell them privately.’

  ‘You are sure this boat of his was empty?’ Flora hoped he was wrong, but if Sally was there, she was clever enough to let someone know. If she still could.

  ‘I’m not daft.’ He glared at her from lowered brows. ‘It’s one of those flat barges, like a narrowboat but wider, sits low on the waterline and has a cabin on it. That’s what made me think he could be keeping the nippers there, but I kept watch for hours and it was empty all right. No one came near.’

  ‘An interesting idea, though how could Swifty have kept them hidden with dock workers and bargees coming and going? Children don’t sit still for long, they make noise.’

  ‘Then where?’

  ‘Good morning, Miss Grey, Mr Cain,’ Bunny said, wandering into the hall. ‘I had no idea you were here. Have you brought news?’

  ‘They came to ask us that.’ Flora cut him a sharp look, removed her coat from the stand and shrugged into it while Abel repeated his story for Bunny’s benefit.

  ‘Ah, I see. How disappointing.’ Bunny said when he had finished, placing a comforting hand on Abel’s shoulder, a gesture Flora assumed was prompted by the man’s downcast expression. ‘We were about to leave for St Philomena’s, summoned by the inimitable Miss Finch. Perhaps she has something new to impart.’ He gave Abel’s shoulder a final pat and reached for his hat.

  ‘You’re going now?’ Lydia split a hopeful look between them. ‘Could we come with you?’

  *

  The heavy rainfall forced their motor taxi to little more than a crawling pace so it took them over an hour to reach Southwark. Flora began to feel claustrophobic as the steady downpour drummed the cab roof where she was squashed into the seat beside Abel Cain.

  ‘She’ll think we aren’t coming,’ Flora fretted.

  ‘Miss Finch will understand with the rain this heavy.’ Bunny wiped condensation from the window, the annoying squeak making Flora wince.

  It was past noon when Bunny paid off the driver outside St Philomena’s Hospital. Flora stepped out of the taxi into rivulets of water that reached mid ankle, her dash for the main door sending water into the hem of her coat. ‘Miss Finch is expecting us,’ she explained to the porter who attempted to delay them. Her boots squelched as she pushed open the door to the corridor leading to Miss Finch’s office. She glanced back to where Abel hovered by the porter’s desk. ‘Aren’t you coming, Abel?

  ‘I’ll wait here if it’s all right with you, Miss Flora.’ He held his cap in one hand and brushed water off one shoulder with the other. ‘I don’t much like ’ospitals.’

  ‘I sympathize.’ Bunny patted his arm as he passed. ‘We shouldn’t be long.’

  Alice rose from her desk as they entered, a look of relief mixed with anxiety on her face. ‘I apologize for summoning you here like this.’ She nodded in acknowledgment to Lydia, but before they had taken their seats, Alice handed Bunny a small silver globe. ‘After what we discussed the other day, I thought you should see this.’

  ‘Where did you get it?’ Bunny weighed the object in his palm.

  ‘It looks like one of Mr Buchanan’s peeps.’ Flora peered at it over his shoulder. This one was different to the one she had seen in Sister Lazarus’ possession, in that hers was spherical and gold. The one Bunny held was egg-shaped and silver, about the size and shape of a quail’s egg, with a thin silver chain attached to the wider end.

  ‘That’s exactly what it is.’ Alice wandered to the window, her gaze on the far distance as if removing herself from the situation. ‘I was given Lizzie Prentice’s things this morning. She has no family to speak of, so the poor girl will be buried in a pauper’s grave. This,’ she indicated the object in Bunny’s hand, ‘was among them.’

  Bunny turned the object over in his fingers before holding it up to the light, squinting while he talked. ‘This is indeed similar to the others, and—’ He halted, blinked and jerked his chin back. ‘Ah! This is more what I expected.’

  ‘What is it?’ Flora went to take it from him, but he jerked his hand out of her reach.

  ‘Nothing you should be looking at, Flora. It’s rather, er, explicit.’

  ‘Don’t be silly.’ Flora blew air through her lips in an impatient tut. ‘It cannot be worse than the ones we saw in Mr Buchanan’s office.’ She wrestled the silver object from his hand, and lifted it to her eye. The edges were fuzzy, but the image showed two naked figures wound round one another, making it impossible to see which body parts belonged to whom. ‘It’s a photograph of a couple.’ Flora twisted the peep, her eyes focussing on the picture inside slowly. The image jumped out at her and she blinked, removing it quickly from her eye. When she realized what she was looking at, she lowered it again quickly. ‘I-uh, I see what you mean.’

  ‘Precisely.’ Alice exhaled slowly, her eyes closed.

  ‘This puts an entirely different slant on the matter,’ Bunny added, retrieving the object from Flora’s limp fingers.

  ‘Well?’ Lydia demanded. ‘Isn’t anyone going to explain?’

  ‘It’s a picture of two naked men,’ Flora whispered, uncomfortable heat flooding her face.

  ‘Surely not?’ Lydia gasped, with more surprised fascination than shock. ‘Let me see.’ She extended a hand towards Bunny and gestured he hand it over. He didn’t.

  ‘The contents of this item are hardly suitable for a married woman, Miss Grey, let alone an unmarried one.’

  Lydia pouted but gave in with a resigned shrug.

  ‘I’ve never heard—’ Flora broke off as she tried to form the appropriate words, ‘I mean, I knew about – men and other men, of course, but as to a photograph of them actually—’

  ‘Indeed.’ Alice’s tone declared the subject closed. ‘However, the existence of this object convinces me that Mr Buchanan is no child trafficker.’

  ‘What makes you say that, Miss Finch?’ Bunny asked gently.

  She gave the silver egg a severe glance but made no move to touch it. ‘Because one of the men in that photograph is Victor Buchanan, Raymond’s son.’

  Her words seemed to suck the air from the room, and whilst they processed the implications of her statement, the door was flung open and Raymond Buchanan strode inside.

  ‘Miss Finch, might I have a word with—’

  Chapter 26

  Buchanan’s spaniel eyes wi
dened as they locked on the object in Bunny’s hand, his face drained of colour. He closed the door hurriedly and leaned against it.

  ‘Raymond, I—’ Alice hesitated, her face ashen.

  ‘It’s all right, Alice.’ He gestured her away with one hand. ‘I knew this was bound to come out sooner or later.’ He regarded the object in Bunny’s hand with resigned disgust. ‘Is that what I think it is?’

  Flora had taken him for a younger man, however closer inspection revealed his hair was thin showing areas of pink scalp together with spidery lines beside his eyes and mouth not visible from a distance.

  ‘You don’t recognise it?’ Alice frowned but offered no further explanation. Instead, she pulled out her chair and gestured him into it. ‘Might I suggest we all sit down?’

  Buchanan complied, albeit reluctantly, glaring at each of them in turn. ‘I recognise you, Mr Harrington, and your lady wife.’ He narrowed watery blue eyes at Lydia. ‘Though I don’t believe I’m acquainted with this young lady?’

  ‘This is Miss Lydia Grey,’ Flora interrupted Lydia’s flustered apology. ‘A good friend of mine who has been of invaluable assistance.’

  ‘I see.’ He looked about to add something else, but changed his mind. ‘In answer to your question, Alice, no, I’ve never seen it before. Where did you get it?’

  ‘It was among Lizzie Prentice’s belongings,’ Alice replied. With Buchanan occupying her chair, she wandered to the window.

  Flora observed her profile from the corner of her eye as she stared out at the walled garden as if distancing herself, her posture strong, erect and graceful as a dancer.

  ‘How the devil did she get hold of it?’ Buchanan’s shoulders sagged, as if aware he had lost any chance of regaining command of the situation. ‘And how many of the blasted things are there?’

  ‘An interesting question,’ Bunny said. ‘I realize you don’t owe us an explanation, sir, but am I right in assuming these items are what began your current – difficulties?’

  ‘You could say that.’ He adjusted his cravat as if giving himself time to form a response. ‘As I am sure Alice has told you, I collect them. Churches, landscapes, that sort of thing. More recently I acquired some of a more, well, risqué nature, shall I say, but I assure you in no way illegal.’ He searched their faces for disapproval, and apparently seeing none, relaxed. ‘Purely for myself you understand.’

  ‘Which brings us to this.’ Bunny held up the silver egg. ‘I’m sure I don’t have to tell you it contains something more controversial than a picture of a church.’

  ‘I assumed as much, or why would you all be here?’ Buchanan massaged his forehead with one hand. ‘My son gave me one quite similar. He thought it might amuse me.’ His harsh laugh caught in his throat. ‘Victor is – uh – less than discreet as to his proclivities. In fact he appears proud of them in a way no decent person should be.’

  ‘Excuse my interrupting,’ Lydia spoke for the first time since his arrival. ‘Considering the uh – subject matter, why did you keep such a thing in your possession?’ She gave the room a swift, embarrassed glance. ‘Or is that crass of me?’

  ‘Entirely my own fault.’ Buchanan sighed. ‘Victor handed me a presentation box as I was getting into a hackney to attend an appointment with the Board of Governors. I opened the box in my office. It was a small gold ball on a chain. I had no idea what it contained, or I would not have examined it with Sister Lazarus in the room.’ He took a deep, ragged breath as if the next words pained hm. ‘She saw how it affected me.’

  ‘You didn’t tell her what was inside?’ Alice leaned her hip on the sill and turned towards him.

  ‘No, of course not!’ His flush deepened and he had trouble meeting her eye. ‘I dismissed the thing completely and locked it in my desk. A day or so later, it went missing. I suspected Sister Lazarus had taken it but I dare not confront her.’

  ‘She used the existence of the Stanhope against you?’ Flora asked.

  ‘Not at first,’ he said carefully. ‘Later, she took to wearing it on a chain at her waist, a triumphant smile on her face.’

  Alice sighed and turned back to the window, the conversation evidently a difficult one for her.

  ‘It was when she brought an officer from the Salvation Army to see me, that things became – well strange,’ Buchanan added.

  ‘In what way?’ Bunny exchanged a look with Flora, who lifted an eyebrow.

  ‘This chap – a Lieutenant Brodie, claimed to be part of the Emigration Bureau set up to help poor families relocate to places like Australia and Canada. They advance passage money to the poor and indigent to build more prosperous lives abroad.’

  ‘I know of it.’ Bunny nodded slowly, though made no attempt to introduce Captain Blake into the conversation. ‘They operate quietly as the government disapprove of sending our much-needed workforce abroad.’

  ‘That’s exactly why he said I needed to be discreet. Normally, the passage money is refunded once the main breadwinner secures employment. However, Brodie was in the process of establishing a new scheme involving charitable donations.’

  ‘Oh, Raymond!’ Alice turned from the window, her arms crossed over her chest. ‘You didn’t give the man money?’

  ‘Not exactly,’ he swallowed before continuing, ‘that’s when things became strange. I was asked, well more instructed to make the SS Lancett available to transport a group of emigrants to Canada. I told him it was a cargo ship and not equipped to carry passengers, but he brushed that aside. He suggested that part of a lower deck could be fitted out as bunks and washing facilities for a small number of travellers. When I suggested that would be expensive and impractical, he simply told me I would find a way to comply.’

  ‘Thus his request became an outright threat?’ Flora said.

  His face suffused with red. ‘I was hardly in a position to refuse when Ruth had that disgusting object.’

  ‘You did not inform the police she was blackmailing you?’ Bunny asked.

  ‘No. It would have been too shaming, not to mention disastrous for Victor.’

  ‘Was Sister Lazarus aware of who was in the photograph?’ Bunny asked.

  He shook his head. ‘That was never mentioned. As far as I know she had never met Victor. The fact I owned such an object was enough for her. If it was only my reputation at stake I would have told her to do her worst, but I could not take such a risk with regard to my son.’

  ‘What did you think when Alice told you about the missing children?’ Bunny asked.

  ‘I spoke to the police, but they said they had not received any complaints, so I assumed you had misinterpreted the situation.’ He directed a look at Alice that contained a plea for forgiveness. ‘At that stage, I believed this scheme of Brodie’s was legitimate.’

  ‘Or you hoped it was,’ Flora said, sharper than she intended. ‘What changed your mind?’

  Buchanan shrugged, but more in resignation than uncertainty. ‘Lieutenant Brodie assured me he was not involved.’

  ‘I wish you wouldn’t keep calling him that,’ Alice snapped. ‘Surely you must have known by then he was nothing to do with the Salvation Army?’

  ‘Perhaps you’re right. I didn’t want to admit I had been manipulated. I thought I could control it.’ Buchanan massaged his forehead with one hand, his expression that of a man trapped by his own bad judgement. ‘Then that student nurse was killed and everything got out of control.’

  ‘Lizzie Prentice,’ Flora enunciated slowly. He could at least remember the poor girl’s name!

  ‘Ah, yes, of course. Nurse Prentice.’ He cleared his throat. ‘After the inquest, I confronted Brodie, but he denied all knowledge. What could I do as I had no evidence against him.’

  ‘How many times did this Lieutenant Brodie use your ship?’ Bunny asked.

  ‘This was to be the first voyage, and I made it quite clear it would be the last.’

  ‘How do you contact him? Bunny’s expression showed he didn’t believe that any more than Flora did. Once B
rodie had his claws into Buchanan he would never let go as long as his scheme remained lucrative.

  ‘I don’t.’ He swallowed. ‘He sends me a note via some scruffy-looking chap in a brown coat and a greasy homburg.’

  ‘Swifty Ellis,’ Flora murmured.

  ‘Beg pardon?’ Buchanan blinked, confused.

  ‘Nothing. Do go on, sir.’

  ‘I spotted him a few times hanging about the hospital, and assumed he had come to check up on me.’

  ‘Is that where you meet him, here at the hospital?’ Bunny kept his voice level, with no hint of accusation.

  ‘It’s never the same place. The last time was in the Lamb and Flag off Wimpole Street. We met so Brodie could give me details of sailing. Can you imagine the humiliation of that? I own the ship and he told me when he planned to leave.’

  ‘Brodie had taken control of your ship?’ Bunny sounded incredulous, whether at the audacity of this Brodie person or Mr Buchanan’s duplicity wasn’t clear.

  He nodded. ‘He brought in a new crew and negotiated the cargo. I had no say in the arrangements.’

  ‘And you just went along with it and kept silent?’ Flora began to lose patience. He appeared more concerned for his own status than those poor abducted children.

  ‘What could I do without putting Victor in danger of prosecution?’ He spread his hands on the desk in a gesture of resignation. ‘It wouldn’t take the police long to work out who was the subject of the Stanhope. That sort of practice is a criminal offence.’

  ‘You were being blackmailed,’ Flora said. ‘The authorities might have been willing to make allowances.’ It occurred to her that the SS Lancett was being used to transport more than a few children.

  ‘I couldn’t risk it.’ Buchanan’s eyes took on a haunted look. ‘Then when that Inspector Maddox chap asked to search the ship, I agreed in the hope that Brodie would be exposed. But there were no children aboard, so I still had no proof.’