A Glimpse of Heaven
Page 15
Clarkson stepped towards him. “My name is Detective Sergeant Clarkson. Your housemate has just jumped out of the window.”
“What!”
“Who am I speaking to?”
The man gazed at him, confused. “Goodfellow. Theodore Goodfellow.”
“Well, Mr Goodfellow, you’re coming to the police station with us.”
Epilogue
Billings, Trotter and Clarkson sat at a table in a pub, clutching their respective drinks: brandy, red wine and a tankard of ale.
“So, what happens now?” Trotter asked. His face was flushed, and he looked animated.
“Scotland Yard is going to launch an international manhunt,” Clarkson said.
“International?”
“Alick Lourie will most likely try to flee the country.”
“So, you’re sure it was him?”
“We found his diary in his apartment,” Billings explained. “He confessed everything in it.”
“What about the other man?”
“He confessed too. He’ll spend the next few years in prison.”
Trotter laughed. “Typical, isn’t it, Mr Billings? I spent all morning wandering the streets of Luton looking for him, and he just turns up unexpectedly in Chelsea.”
“That’s the way it works, Mr Trotter,” Clarkson said. “Don’t be fooled by Mr Conan-Doyle’s romantic tales. There’s very little ingenuity involved in detective work; ain’t that right, Billings? It’s all about trial and error and fortunate coincidences.”
“Well, I still think it’s astonishing. It was only this morning that Mr Billings and I were sitting in the office wondering how to find more witnesses. He was in a reflective mood this morning. Started giving me fatherly advice.”
“Fatherly advice?” Clarkson smiled and slapped Billings on his back. “Getting broody, are we, Billings?”
Billings frowned.
“He invited me to go to the music hall with him. To watch Strongman George, didn’t you, Mr Billings?”
“All right, Trotter, enough!” Billings slammed his hand on the table. “Why don’t you go and get us some more drinks? It’s your round.”
Trotter looked confused. “What do you mean?”
“What do I mean? It’s your round. Clarkson bought the first round. I bought the second. Now, it’s your turn.”
“Is that how it works?”
“Is this the first time you’ve been out for a drink?”
“Actually, Mr Billings, it is. My former employer was a boring old stick-in-the-mud.”
“What about your mates?”
“My mates? Well, they don’t usually want me around when they go out. I think they’re embarrassed to be seen with me.” He got up and retrieved some coins from his pocket. “Well, here goes the last of my savings.”
Clarkson watched as Trotter staggered, rather unevenly, to the bar. “Nice bloke, that Trotter,” he said. “Seems like a good man.”
“He’s not normally this chatty, though. I think he’s drunk. And he’s only had two drinks.”
Clarkson leaned in and whispered in his companion’s ear, “One of your lot, is he?”
“What?”
“You know.” Clarkson held up a limp wrist and wriggled his shoulders. “A dandy. A mandrake.”
Billings frowned.
“Are you and he...” He rubbed his two index fingers together.
“No!”
“You can tell me, Billings. I ain’t going to arrest you. Just be careful, that’s all I’m saying. Won’t do for people to become suspicious.”
“There’s nothing of that sort going on between me and Trotter.”
“Well, you could do worse. Trotter likes you. I saw it on his face. He looks at you with admiration.”
“Stop it, Clarkson.”
“Well, someone’s got to be the right one for you, Billings. You can’t stay alone forever.”
It was on the tip of Billings’ tongue to say you are the right one. But he remained quiet.
Trotter came back with the drinks. “There’s a man at the bar asking for you, Mr Billings.”
“A man?”
“The one with the red velvet coat.”
Billings looked at the bar. It was Wolf Augustus, his greasy black hair matted to his head.
“What the devil does he want?” Billings mumbled.
“Better go over there and find out,” Clarkson suggested.
Billings got up from the table and went towards the bar.
“Mr Billings, we meet again.” Augustus held his hand out to him.
Billings looked at the man’s dirty hands. He hesitated. “How did you know where to find me?” he said, shaking the hand.
“The pub’s around the corner from Scotland Yard. I assumed Detective Sergeant Clarkson would come here for a drink. I was going to ask him how to find you, but fate clearly wanted us to meet.”
“What do you want from me?”
“I want you to come with me.”
“Where to?”
“Just come.” He turned his back on the detective and walked out.
Billings turned to his friends at the table, who were both looking at him. He shrugged at them, then followed Augustus out of the pub.
BILLINGS SAT NEXT TO Augustus in the carriage. “Where are we going?” he asked.
“There’s something I want to show you.”
“Why all this secrecy? Why not just tell me what you want?”
“The world of magic is a secretive world, Mr Billings. I’d have thought you’d know that by now.”
“I don’t believe in magic anymore.”
“Why not?”
“It’s a refuge for dreamers and fantasists.”
“Do you really believe that?”
“I do.”
Augustus leaned forward and tapped the driver on his shoulder. “Turn right here, Adesh.”
They passed through a gate and entered a large garden.
“Where are we?” Billings looked out of the window. The pebbled drive led towards a large grey building. Monks in brown tunics worked on the vegetable plots on either side of the drive. “What is this place?” he asked.
“This is the friary of the Golden Lance.” The carriage stopped. “Follow me.” Augustus hopped out and headed towards the building. Billings followed him.
“Catholics believe in magic too,” Augustus said, as they walked past the grey building into the back garden. “But they have another word for it. They call it miracles.”
“What are we doing here, Mr Augustus?”
“A miracle takes place here every day. I want to show it to you.”
A wooden caravan lay at the end of the garden. Augustus pointed at it. “That is the home of Sister Agnes. Five years ago, she banged on the gates of the friary. She’d been beaten and raped and abused for most of her life. The monks gave her sanctuary. So grateful was she to them that since that day, she has devoted her life to prayer and contemplation. She’s doing her prayers now. We’ll be able to see her through the window. Approach quietly. We mustn’t break her out of her concentration.”
They walked carefully towards the caravan. Billings saw the nun through the window. She was kneeling on the floor, her hands intertwined, her eyes closed. Her lips moved as she said her prayers. Then, quite suddenly, she slowly began to float upwards. She hovered in mid-air for a few seconds before gently coming back down again.
Billings’ heart fluttered as he watched this.
“She probably doesn’t even realise she’s doing this,” Augustus whispered. “The monks call her a living saint. I have good contact with this friary. They’ve helped me locate many a manuscript. In Rome and Athens and Egypt. I’ve donated some of my findings to them in gratitude. Whenever I’ve had enough of charlatans and tricksters and lunatics, I come here and watch Sister Agnes pray, and I’m reminded that magic really does exist.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“I want to hire you, Mr Billings. I’ll pay you
handsomely. I know you’re in need of money.”
“What precisely is it you want me to do?”
“I want you to locate the Codex of Solomon.”
“What?”
“Mrs Grenfell’s manuscript. I want you to find her and find out where she hid it.”
“But why? What’s so important about that manuscript?”
“Because, Mr Billings, once you find out that magic really does exist, you can’t get enough. It becomes a hunger which can never be satisfied. I’m sure you’ve found that out yourself recently. So, Mr Billings, what do you say? Will you do it? Will you accept my assignment?”
DS Billings Victorian Mysteries
The four books in the D.S Billings Victorian Mysteries are a prequel to "A Glimpse of Heaven," depicting the life and adventures of John Billings when he was still a Scotland Yard detective.
The first three books in the series have been bundled together as a boxset and are available at a discounted price.
Also by Olivier Bosman
A DS Billing Victorian Mystery Novella
Death Takes a Lover
a John Billings Mystery
A Glimpse of Heaven (Coming Soon)
DS Billings Victorian Mysteries
The Ornamental Hermit (Coming Soon)
Something Sinister
The Campbell Curse
Anarchy
DS Billings Victorian Mysteries Boxset (Coming Soon)