Penny Green series Box Set 2

by Emily Organ

  “It’s horrible.” She shuddered. “I hope you don’t mind me distracting you from your work, it’s just that I feel rather helpless in terms of what I can do about my brother’s death. He wasn’t a well man at the end of his life and he may have got himself into trouble, but that doesn’t explain why someone should wish to go into that opium den and shoot him dead.”

  “I wish I had some idea why,” I replied. “Have you spoken with Inspector Reeves about his progress on the case?”

  “I’ve tried, but he hasn’t been a great deal of help. And then he told me that for a payment of three shillings he would take me on a tour of the places where Alfred spent most of his time.”

  I felt angered by this. “What an irresponsible way to behave toward the sister of a murder victim. You declined, I presume.”

  “Of course. I’m not convinced Inspector Reeves is particularly committed to finding Alfred’s murderer.”

  “I’m sure he is.” I secretly agreed with her, but felt I should try to offer some reassurance. “It’s his job to find the culprit.”

  “But how long will it take him?”

  “Hopefully not too long.”

  “I feel rather lost. I’ve never encountered a situation like this before.”

  “Few people have, Emma. It’s natural that you should feel lost.”

  “But you have experience with this type of thing, haven’t you? When I spoke to Inspector Reeves he told me about the other cases you have reported on.”

  “There have been a few.”

  “How were the culprits found?”

  “Each case has been different. The only similarity was the compunction to keep going, no matter how impossible it seemed at the time.”

  “That’s how I feel at the moment. It seems impossible to me that Alfred’s killer will ever be caught.”

  “And that’s why we must never give up.”

  “But it’s rather difficult when you’re reliant on the police to solve it. I wish there was something I could do myself. That’s why I’ve come to see you, Penny. I feel sure that you can do something about Alfred’s murder.”

  I felt a pang of alarm. “I’m not a police officer, Emma. I have no legal powers at all. I would wish to see every murder I report on solved, but my involvement is no guarantee of that.” I felt worried that her faith in my abilities was somewhat misplaced.

  “I realise that, but you have significantly more influence than I do. Who would listen to me? I can’t even convince my parents to take an interest in the case. They washed their hands of my brother a long time ago.”

  “So you want me to help you,” I said, taking a sip of tea.

  “Yes please, Penny.”

  “I may have worked on other cases, but it isn’t always as easy as it sounds. In fact, just a few days ago I resolved not to get too involved in either this case or that of the Forsters. I received a ticking off at Scotland Yard for supposedly interfering.”

  “That sounds rather unjust.”

  “I’m not certain that it was. I am only a news reporter, Emma, and although I have a good friend who is a detective at Scotland Yard there are many other police officers who have little time for me.”

  “Inspector Reeves spoke highly of you.”

  “That is most probably because I paid him three shillings for his opium tour!”

  “So what’s your answer to my request? Are you telling me you cannot help?”

  “I want to, Emma, and I shall, but please don’t rest all your hopes on me as I may be unable to do anything at all.”

  “But you might be able to do something. You have experience of working on some terrible murder cases.”

  “I do, and the experience is useful, but it doesn’t make me an expert. You may be able to do more yourself than you realise.”

  “But I have no idea where to begin.”

  “Do you know if your brother left any diaries or correspondence behind?”

  “There are some papers among his belongings which I collected from his landlord.”

  “Have you looked through them?”

  “I’ve tried to, but I find it too upsetting.”

  “I understand, however it’s important that you read them as we need to find out who your brother was consorting with during the last few months of his life. Please try to read through everything you have and write down the names of any people he has mentioned. It would be particularly interesting to find out whether there was someone he had a disagreement with or anyone he owed money to. We discussed that when we last met, if I recall.”

  “I can do that,” Emma said with a nod. “It won’t be easy, but I think I can manage it.”

  “Good. It won’t be easy, as you say, and you’ll need to do it quickly as Inspector Reeves will soon ask you for your brother’s diaries and correspondence if he’s doing his job properly so that he can do the same. Once he is in possession of them it may be a while before they’re returned to you. If I were you I would go home right away and make a start.”

  Emma nodded. “And when I’ve done it, shall I come and show you what I’ve found out?”

  “Yes, please do. You mentioned that you picked up his belongings from the landlord. Did the landlord have anything useful to say for himself?”

  “No, not really.”

  “It might be worth your while returning to him and asking about your brother’s acquaintances. Perhaps you could take the list of names with you and ask if he has met any of them.”

  “That’s another good idea, Penny, thank you.” Emma smiled. “It’s a relief to feel that there’s something I can do after all.”

  “Of course there is. And if you discover anything else among the papers or from the people you speak to, just write it down. As I discussed with my colleague Edgar earlier, the smallest piece of information can sometimes be surprisingly useful.”

  Emma’s face looked a lot brighter and I realised that, despite my warnings, she was placing all her trust in me. I returned her smile, but it dawned on me that I was now firmly committed to finding out what had happened to Alfred Holland.

  Chapter 26

  As I left the Morning Express offices that evening I found James waiting outside the stationer’s shop again.

  “Were you just passing?” I asked with a smile.

  “No, I confess that I am purposefully here to see you, Penny.” He grinned.

  The sun felt warm on my face as we walked toward the Strand.

  “I must apologise for Cullen’s rude behaviour when you visited the Yard,” he said.

  “Oh you mustn’t apologise for him. I know what he’s like.”

  “But he was unnecessarily obnoxious, and I didn’t like the idea of you being upset by it.”

  “I have come to expect it of him.”

  “But you shouldn’t expect it! Even though I respect the man I consider his behaviour toward you utterly unreasonable.”

  “He was angered by my interference.”

  “You weren’t interfering, Penny.”

  “I’m inclined to think I was a little. I had a think about it afterwards and decided that I need to be far less involved in the stories I am reporting on. I should leave the investigating work to you and the other detectives.”

  “Do you really think so?”

  “Yes, although I came to the decision with some reluctance.”

  “But you don’t really believe that, do you? I hope not, as you’re an extremely useful asset to the police force.”

  I laughed. “You must be the only police officer in London who thinks so!”

  “I’m sure Cullen feels the same. He just has a gruff manner.”

  “He certainly does. I don’t know how you put up with him.”

  “He’s good at his job, and extremely experienced. Anyway, I came here to ask you a favour.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’m struggling to speak to this Chakravarty gentleman.”

  “The one who was defrauded by Forster?”

  “T
hat’s right. He won’t give me any of his time. As I mentioned before, I suspect he’s engaged in some other sort of business which he doesn’t wish to be uncovered. I could become heavy-handed about the whole affair and march him down to the nearest police station but he’s not an official suspect and I would prefer not to do that just yet.”

  “But if he’s not keen on speaking to a detective why should he wish to speak to a news reporter?”

  “I don’t think he would speak to a news reporter, either. However, he would most likely speak to a lady who shows an interest in borrowing some money from him.”

  “And you would like me to be that lady, would you?”

  James’ expression was apologetic. “Would you consider it, Penny?”

  “His suspicions will be raised when I begin asking him questions about Forster, won’t they?”

  “You’re right, they will. The information would need to be coaxed out of him in the course of general conversation. And to hold his interest you’ll need to present yourself as a woman of significant means.”

  “In which case, why would I need to borrow money from him?”

  “Wealthy people are always borrowing money, Penny. What’s important is that he can see that you’ll be able to pay back the sum with interest.”

  “I see. Sadly, I don’t have any clothing that would fit the bill.”

  “What about your sister’s clothes?”

  “She possesses a number of expensive dresses she no longer wears because she can’t ride her bicycle in them.”

  “There you go.”

  “I’d have to scrub the ink off my hands,” I said, glancing down at them. “They seem to be permanently stained. It’s impossible to find a pen which doesn’t leak.”

  “Couldn’t you wear a pair of gloves?”

  “Yes, I suppose so.”

  “So you’ll do it?”

  “What do you know about the man?”

  “His grandfather came to Britain from India at the end of the last century and worked for a nabob. His son, Chakravarty’s father, owned some vapour baths in Knightsbridge. Mr Chakravarty has worked in the banking sector for many years and keeps a tight circle, but in the right company men like him have been known to brag, so you may get something useful from him.”

  “If he wants to impress me, you mean?”

  “Exactly. He has no interest in impressing me; however, I should think he would quite like to charm you, Penny, and have you borrow as much money as you can possibly stretch to.”

  “I don’t know if I could be convincing enough.”

  “Hopefully he’ll do most of the talking.”

  “Even if he does I’m not sure I can pass for a lady of great wealth. It would be easier if I was pretending to be a maid, as I have done before.”

  There was a pause as James considered this.

  “Perhaps it’s a foolish idea after all,” he said. “Forget that I mentioned it. It puts you under duress and I have no wish to ask you to do something you feel unsure about.”

  “I’ll do it, James.”

  “No, no, I’ll think of another way to find out what Chakravarty knows.”

  “I said I’d do it! I wasn’t sure when you initially suggested the idea, but I should like to meet Mr Chakravarty. He might even become a suspect, mightn’t he?”

  “He might. Are you sure you’re happy to meet with him?”

  “I’m certain. Now what of the legal firm that was pursuing Forster? Would you like me to meet with them as well?”

  “There’s no need; they’ve been much more co-operative. I’ve spoken to both Mr Sadler and Mr Campbell and they answered my questions comprehensively. I can find no evidence to suggest that they have behaved dishonourably.”

  “But they’re lawyers.”

  “Indeed. Lawyers often consider themselves to be above the law, but at this stage I have come across nothing to suggest that they would wish to harm Mr Forster or his wife. They were extremely saddened to hear of the attacks.”

  “Largely because they’ve lost out on the legal fees now the case has come to an end, wouldn’t you say?”

  “Oh, Penny! Not every lawyer is so very mercenary!”

  We both laughed.

  “Inspector Bowles has been rounding up ne’er-do-wells who he suspects were members of the gang which burgled the Forsters’ home,” continued James. “There’s no doubt the poor errand boy was paid to ensure that a window was left unlocked that night. There’s a good deal of anger about that, of course, and I’m keeping a close eye on the lad. D Division wish to prosecute him.”

  “But presumably he was too young to understand the implications of what he was doing.”

  “Bowles says if the boy is old enough to work he’s old enough to understand the responsibilities that accompany his employment. The lad has been extremely helpful in providing us with a description of the man who approached him a few days before the murder and that’s helped him in making an arrest. Needless to say the chap is already known to the police. I’ve spoken with Inspector Reeves, and interestingly the descriptions of the gunman seen shortly before and after the murder of Alfred Holland are not too dissimilar to the boy’s description of the ringleader.”

  “So there’s a possibility that the same man could have been the ringleader of the attack on both the Forsters’ home and Alfred Holland?”

  “Indeed.”

  “And could he be the same man who attacked Mr Forster in St James’s Square?”

  “Possibly, but Inspector Paget has been unable to find any reliable witnesses to that incident.”

  “The same man has to be behind all three deaths.”

  “I don’t know, Penny. Three different murder weapons were used: a cudgel, a knife and a gun. That suggests to me that we have three different assailants. A single assailant would most likely use the same weapon, because if it worked for him once it would be likely to work again. Changing the weapon each time is a risky strategy. It would make more sense to use the tried and tested one. If the same man has committed all three murders he must be extremely dangerous indeed if he is able to wield these different weapons with equal effectiveness.”

  “Perhaps I’m so desperate to link the three murders that I’m determined to prove the same person is behind them.”

  “It’s reassuring to think so, as it suggests we’re looking for fewer murderers. I’m inclined to think that the same man murdered Mr and Mrs Forster. I think the original intention was to murder Mr Forster at his home along with his wife. I believe the Alfred Holland murder was carried out by a different assailant.”

  “Someone who was equally proficient?”

  “Absolutely. In each case the culprit knew exactly what he was doing.”

  “So perhaps there is no connection between Alfred Holland and the Forster murders after all.”

  “I think not, unless you are able to find one. It may be nothing more than coincidence that the men worked in India. I have found no evidence to suggest that they knew one another.”

  “Alfred’s sister Emma is trying to find out more,” I said, briefly recounting the conversation from earlier that afternoon.

  “It’s encouraging that she is keen to do something to help,” he replied.

  “She seems reluctant to place her trust in Inspector Reeves. In fact, she seems to think I have a greater chance of solving the case than he does.”

  James laughed. “You probably have, Penny.”

  We stopped outside a small French restaurant with a blue and gold awning.

  “It would be rather nice to have something to eat, wouldn’t it?” said James, looking in through the window. “But I don’t suppose it would be appropriate.”

  I sighed. “I don’t suppose it would.”

  “When this wedding is over and the excitement has died down we’ll be able to do that sort of thing again.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure, James. I think that once you’re married things will be very different indeed.”

  “
No, I don’t think —”

  “James, please don’t let’s argue about it. I know it to be true.”

  He held my gaze and said nothing further.

  Chapter 27

  “If only you had a little more height, Penelope,” said my sister. “The skirts drag along the floor a little. I wonder if we could pin them somehow.” She pinched some of the blue fabric and held it beneath my tightly buttoned bodice. “No, that still doesn’t look right.”

  “Good,” I replied. “I don’t like this dress anyway. The lace scratches my throat.”

  “It’s a perfectly good day dress and it cost a pretty penny.”

  “I’m sure it did, Ellie, and please don’t take offence. I simply don’t feel comfortable in it.”

  Eliza sighed and let the fabric fall from her hand. “That’s exactly why I stopped wearing dresses like this. You can hardly do a thing in them, can you? Let’s try the next one on. Burgundy and cream go so well together, don’t they? There’s no scratchy lace on this one, just a silk ribbon at the neck. I wore it to the Ascot Races. There’s a lovely parasol which goes with it somewhere.”

  “I prefer it to this one,” I said, fidgeting with the buttons on the bodice. “I can’t even get out of this dress. I feel as though I’m doomed to wear it forever.”

  “Let me help you, Penelope. You seem to be making quite an effort for your meeting with this banker.”

  “I have to pretend that I’m a woman of means, Ellie.”

  She laughed.

  “What’s the joke?”

  “The things you end up doing for your work. Earlier this year you were a maid and now you’re to wear one of my dresses and put on your best airs and graces. I’ve practically given up trying to understand the whys and wherefores of it all.”

  “Inspector Blakely would like me to speak to a banker in the City to whom Mr Forster owed money.”

  “Mr Forster who was so tragically stabbed in St James’s Square?”

  “Yes.”

  “But that could be dangerous, Penelope! Do you think the banker might have killed the poor man because Forster was unable to repay him?”