by Rebecca King
“Your uncle did,” Aaron corrected.
Again, the man didn’t answer.
“He must be desperate for funds, your uncle,” Aaron mused thoughtfully.
“It’s three thousand pounds. Do you have any idea what that kind of money would buy you in a village like Rollo’s?” the nephew hissed when the knife digging into his neck became painful.
“It will buy you a prison sentence because it isn’t yours, and murder is a criminal offense,” Aaron informed him.
“And you would know all about criminal offences, would you?” the man snorted.
“I might be a cold bloodied killer for all you know,” Aaron warned. “It would not do to get too cocky, now would it?”
He put enough lethal menace into his voice to render the man silent. He slumped just a little in Aaron’s hold. Aaron knew instantly that the seriousness of the man’s situation was starting to dawn on him but refused to take pity on him.
“Why did you kill Thomas? You followed him all the way to London, didn’t you?” Aaron murmured. “You are nothing but highway robbers.”
“I didn’t kill him,” the man protested instantly. Panic made his words swift and pleading.
“But your uncle did,” Aaron countered.
“Look, I was just told to follow you here because you had three thousand pounds on you. I was told to get the money off you,” the man stammered.
“How did you hear of it? Who told you it is even in existence?”
“My uncle saw that Thomas fellow at the bank. There was some sort of issue with that kind of money being handed over. Anyway, my uncle saw that Lincoln man walk out of the bank with it. If the damned man is stupid enough to walk down the street carrying that kind of money he can hardly moan if he is mugged, can he?” the man on his knees cried scornfully.
“Your uncle, rather than being a decent and honest citizen, decided to kill him to get him greedy hands on a fortune that is not his?” Aaron swore roundly. “What’s his connection to Frederick?”
“Frederick?” The man frowned as though he hadn’t got a clue what Aaron was talking about.
“Your uncle doesn’t work alone,” Aaron said with icy contempt. “You know he doesn’t.”
“His friend is called Frederick something or other,” the man replied, his voice laced with confusion.
“He is called Frederick Miniver,” Aaron prompted. He tipped his head when the man looked blankly at the fireplace across the room.
“Medium build, stocky fellow with thinning dark blonde hair and grey eyes,” he added.
“Aye, that’s Frederick Miniver,” the man reported.
“Is Thomas alive or dead?” Aaron asked.
“The man with the money?” the man asked.
“Yes.”
“He is dead. They had a funeral for him, didn’t they?” the man grunted.
Aaron, now, couldn’t be at all sure they had.
“Of course, but how do you know he didn’t get rid of the money in London?” Aaron asked.
The man snorted again. “Do you think he reached London?”
“What did Voss do? Did he arrange a nice little carriage accident and help himself to the money before he left the man to die in the ditch?” Aaron’s voice was laced with contempt.
“The money wasn’t there.” The man snorted. “Why do you think I am here?”
Aaron cursed bitterly. Of course, it stood to reason that Voss didn’t have the money, which led Aaron to wonder, not for the first time, just what in the Hell his friend did with three thousand pounds in less than a week.
“Well, you can consider yourself under arrest for breaking and entering into this house and assaulting me in my home. You can also consider yourself under arrest for murdering Thomas Lincoln,” Aaron informed his new captive matter-of-factly.
“I didn’t kill him,” the man hurriedly assured him. “Besides, you can’t arrest me. You ain’t nobody.”
“I am somebody,” Aaron challenged. “I work for the War Office. The next time your uncle sends you on a fool’s errand, maybe it might be best to find out whose house you are trying to break into before you step across the threshold. What kind of foolish criminal are you to walk straight into the house of an operative who works for the War Office? God, the crooks in that gaol you are going to will love you.”
With that, Aaron hauled the man off the floor but didn’t release him. Instead, he shoved the intruder into a chair and kept the knife blade against the soft flesh while he contemplated how he was going to bind the man with no rope. With a curse, he knew there was only one thing he could do, but before he did he had one last question to ask.
“Did you peer into the Lincoln house last night?” Aaron asked.
“No? Why? Look, that weren’t me,” the man protested.
“Who was it then?”
The man shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Aaron walked around him until he could see the intruder’s face. He knew from the cloudy confusion in the man’s eyes that he was telling him the truth. With a nod, Aaron doubled back a fist and landed it squarely in the middle of his captive’s face. The man slithered instantly to the floor.
Once certain his new prisoner wasn’t going anywhere, Aaron emptied the man’s pockets and went to find something to tie the man up. He hated the delay it was going to put onto his return to Elspeth’s house, but knew he had to get this man behind bars.
“At least I have a few answers,” Aaron grunted as he tied the man’s hands together and bound them tightly to his feet, so he couldn’t run off when he woke up.
“What answers were you looking for?” a new arrival drawled from the doorway.
Aaron whirled around, his fists doubled into tight balls of fury. He immediately relaxed when he saw who his new arrival was. He knew then that his return to Elspeth was going to take even longer but didn’t mind as much now that help had arrived.
“Damn,” he cursed with a rueful shake of his head.
“Looks like you have yourself some trouble here,” Sir Hugo murmured as he closed the door and turned to study the unconscious man on the floor. “Know who he is?”
“Yes, unfortunately,” Aaron said. “What are you doing here?”
Sir Hugo lifted his brows at him. “I have been to Oliver’s house, but nobody has seen him for weeks. I have been to see Callum, who has been home, but I missed him too. Then I have been to Jasper’s home, but his housekeeper refused to even speak to me. However, I did manage to discover he hasn’t been home for months. The same for Niall, and so I decided to come here. It appears, in good time as well.” He looked at the very welcome sight of Aaron. “Care to tell me where the Hell everyone is?”
Aaron sighed. “Trying to find out if a dead man is really dead, and who has stolen three thousand pounds, if it is really stolen.”
“What about Horvat?” Sir Hugo asked in a conversational tone that belied the sharp look he gave Aaron.
Aaron told him succinctly what he could do about Horvat.
Sir Hugo studied him carefully. “This has to come first,” he declared quietly.
“Horvat is nothing to me,” Aaron spat.
“I know you are angry about Charity still. I can assure you that she has recovered, and Angus will be by her side when the baby is born. We aren’t completely cold-hearted, you know?” Sir Hugo drawled. “As a matter of fact, I want to speak to all of you about a proposition I have for you. It might help to alleviate some of your concerns about how big a bastard you think I am.”
“That isn’t what this is all about,” Aaron informed him contemptuously.
“Well, I have a proposition for you anyway. Am I to take it that the men are all together still?” His eyes were hopeful when they met Aaron’s.
Aaron nodded. “They are at the Lincoln house.”
“Thomas Lincoln? Your friend?” Sir Hugo asked.
Aaron didn’t need to either confirm or deny it.
“I have some news about the situation there as well,” Sir
Hugo added.
“Go on.” Aaron’s stomach dipped to his toes.
Sir Hugo nudged the unconscious man with the toe of his boot. “Does this have something to do with Thomas Lincoln?”
Aaron nodded and told his boss what he knew.
“Well, let’s get him to prison where he belongs. He can stew there for the time being because we don’t have the time to interrogate him. We will come back to him, though, if we need any pertinent information off him.”
There was something in Sir Hugo’s voice that was so deadly Aaron almost felt sorry for the man on the floor. Sir Hugo had a reputation for getting what he wanted from interrogations and had a fearsome reputation as a ‘can-do’ man who made things happen for people. While Aaron was still wary of what his boss had come to tell him, he was glad to have his support.
“Well, let’s deal with him. Are you staying here for the time being?”
“No, I am going back,” Aaron replied.
“Well, let’s get to it then. I am sure you will all want to hear what I have to tell you sooner rather than later,” Sir Hugo drawled.
Together, the men hauled the prone man off the floor and slammed him into a chair. The man moaned and jerked awake only to peer in stunned disbelief around the room.
“A nice long walk will help wake you up,” Sir Hugo smirked with satisfaction.
Minutes later, the men set out for gaol with their new captive trotting along behind them.
By the time Aaron reached the gaol, he was positively chomping at the bit to get back to Elspeth. The last thing he wanted was to have to leave her in the house by herself for the night, but it was looking inevitable now. While he knew his colleagues were there to protect her, he wanted to be there in case any more faces appeared at the window.
“What do you know?” he asked of Sir Hugo when he couldn’t stand the silence between them a moment longer.
“I think we have to wait until we get to the Lincoln house. I take it your Elspeth is still there?”
Aaron frowned at him. “Yes. Why? What do you want with her?”
“I have a small matter of three thousand pounds to discuss with her.”
Aaron’s head whipped around. “You know about that?”
Sir Hugo smirked. “I have my ways and means. Yes, I know of the money being removed from Thomas’s account only a few days before his supposed death.”
“Supposed death? Are you saying he isn’t dead then?” Aaron demanded.
Sir Hugo sighed heavily. “I am saying that your friend is your friend because he is like you. You two have a lot in common. There is, however, a somewhat sharp sting in the tail, and I am not at all sure you are going to like what I need to tell you. In case you are terribly angry by my news, I will wait until we reach the Lincoln house. Then, I will tell both you and your Elspeth what I know. Then we are all going to sit down and discuss what we are going to do for the future.”
“The future of the Star Elite?” Aaron asked.
Sir Hugo nodded. “The Star Elite cannot function without its men, but I suspect you know that already. That is why you chose to walk away, because it would teach me a lesson about treating you all with more consideration. I must confess it has worked. The investigation has been taken over by another local group for the time being, but they are playing catch-up and are still struggling. You, however, have been mired in another kind of trouble that is considerably more personal and has significantly more resonance given it relates to Horvat as well.”
“Horvat?” Aaron spat. He stared at Sir Hugo with narrow eyes. “What in the Devil’s name does Horvat have to do with Elspeth and Thomas?”
“I have told you that you wouldn’t like it,” Sir Hugo sighed. He stared into the horizon for several moments. “Let’s get to Miss Lincoln’s house and then I will tell you everything I know.”
Aaron knew that when Sir Hugo became reticent, trying to get information out of him was like trying to pull teeth. Sir Hugo would tell them all everything when he chose, and only when he chose. It was as annoying as Hell, so Aaron settled into a disgruntled silence, but not before asking one last question.
“Let me just ask something?” Aaron said suddenly.
Sir Hugo lifted his brows at him.
“Is Elspeth still in danger?”
Sir Hugo studied him for a moment. “Yes.”
Aaron nudged his horse into a canter. The sun was already disappearing beneath the heavy cloak of night-fall, but it wouldn’t stop Aaron from returning to Elspeth. Thankfully, Sir Hugo was not far behind.
CHAPTER TEN
“Thank God you are here,” Elspeth gushed when Aaron stepped through the front door just before dawn.
Aaron lifted his brows and smiled at her. He was exhausted, but his tiredness vanished the second he set eyes on her and saw the relief on her beautiful face as she raced toward him.
“Missed me?” he grinned.
Elspeth struggled to contain her delight. It was only the presence of the man who closed the door with far too much careful precision that stopped her from hugging Aaron the way she really wanted to.
Aaron didn’t give a damn what Sir Hugo thought about his connection with Elspeth. Nothing stopped him from sliding his arms around her and dragging her into a huge hug.
“Are you all right? Why are you not in bed? You should be asleep,” he chided.
Elspeth laughed, then hugged him back. When she did lean back it was to look up at him with a gaze that was nothing short of adoring. Gently, despite the presence of the stranger who had sidled around them and was making his way to the kitchen, Elspeth slowly traced a finger across the dark shadows beneath Aaron’s eyes that she knew hadn’t been there when he had left.
“You look exhausted,” she murmured gently.
“Why are you still up?” he countered.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she replied carefully. “What took you so long?”
“Ah. Well, I ran into a slight problem when I got home and have a few things to tell you.” Aaron looked up at Sir Hugo who was quite clearly waiting for Aaron and Elspeth to join him in the kitchen. “Sir Hugo has something to tell us about Thomas as well.”
Elspeth stared at the newcomer. Worry began to settle deep within.
“If you are not too tired, maybe we should hear what he has to say,” Aaron suggested.
Elspeth nodded, and led the way into the kitchen.
“It is a pleasure to meet you at last,” Sir Hugo murmured when Aaron had made the introductions.
“I will get everyone up,” Jasper offered.
“Have you been on watch?” Aaron asked.
Jasper nodded. “All has been quiet. There have been no recurrences.”
Aaron nodded his thanks and made his way into the kitchen. By the time the rest of the men had joined them, Aaron had already started to sort through the pile of letters and packets in his saddle bag. He selected the ones he suspected might hold something unusual and placed them before him on the table. The rest he left in the bag at his feet.
“Firstly, I want to apologise on behalf of the Star Elite, the Lord Chief Justice and the War Office, for the lack of rest and recuperation you men have been given over the last year or so. It has been an incredibly busy time for all of us. Unfortunately, while we have been successful in the investigations we have dealt with, our success has made us more popular and we are in increasing demand. That has put us all under pressure. When you all left London, I took the problems we all face to the hierarchy in the War Office and explained our problem. They have given us funding to set up a larger unit of men and will be enlisting several new recruits over the forthcoming weeks to help us.”
“How many?” Jasper murmured. “It won’t help if we keep losing the new recruits to the local groups. While the local groups are important, they can’t help the investigations we have ongoing in London. The damned city is huge. It takes more than a handful of men to investigate the dark streets and different parts of the city. It’s just a stupid, futile
job to try to follow someone through London without at least three men behind you.”
Everyone nodded.
Elspeth looked at the men. Their annoyance was tangible. So much so, she felt sorry for Sir Hugo, but not if it meant the men who worked such long hours for the benefit of others weren’t allowed lives of their own. She knew, from first-hand experience, just how much of a personal cost their work must have on their families. She therefore couldn’t find much sympathy for the difficulties the ‘hierarchy’ at the War Office faced.
“The men in the regions are all looking to recruit four to five men for each group. The London group, which consist of yourselves, are going to get fifteen more men. They will be from London, or the closer regions, and will be fully trained and ready to start work by the time they join us. Two groups in the regions have already started to train their men. Once they have finished, they will then train your new recruits, so they will be ready to join their new groups without the need to be trained,” Sir Hugo reported.
“A bit like the army then,” Oliver nodded.
“Yes. You will not be expected to train the men who will join your investigations.”
“If we work,” Aaron responded.
“This is an investigation, isn’t it?” Sir Hugo drawled.
“It’s nothing to do with Horvat,” Oliver challenged. “We are working on something completely different.”
“I know,” Sir Hugo murmured.
“He has something to tell us about Thomas’s death,” Aaron warned them.
“You know Thomas?” Elspeth gasped. She winced because she knew that he had probably heard about Thomas given his connection to Aaron.
“He came to see me,” Sir Hugo said eventually.
“When?” Oliver’s voice lashed across the room.
Sir Hugo cautiously took a seat at the head of the table. “Before news broke of his death.”
“Is he dead?” Aaron demanded. He leaned forward and pierced Sir Hugo with a look that warned the older man that Aaron would know if he lied, and there would be dire consequences for Sir Hugo if he wasn’t honest.
“I don’t believe so. No.”
Elspeth cried out loud and slapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide with horror as she stared at the man at the opposite end of the table. Aaron reached out to clasp her hand and edged closer in his seat. Not that he wanted to be any comfort. He wanted to stop her from racing over to Sir Hugo and pummelling him until he told the truth. He suspected, from the look on her face that she wasn’t just relieved, in a stunned, tearful kind of way, but also wildly horrified. It was only a matter of time before fury over her brother’s deception began to burn through the lot and left her trembling with rage. There would be Hell to pay when it did, especially given the awful situation she had been living in because of Thomas’s apparent lies.
