“I didn’t do nothin’ wrong!”
Cobb grabbed Nestor by one elbow. “Comealong,” he said, but made no move to leave.
Nestor, fearing the worst, pulled somethingout of his pocket and managed to babble, “But she give me thesekeys. How else could I have gotten ‘em?”
Constance reached out and snatched both keys.“Don’t be absurd,” she snapped. “Look at these, Cobb. They’re cheapcopies.”
Cobb looked at them, and nodded hisagreement.
“Epp and this creature here were likely inthe game together,” she said. This bald-faced lie prompted a newthought. “Have you searched him thoroughly?” she said with amalicious half-smile.
Cobb sighed, but went through the motions ofpatting down the suspect. “Only the keys on him, ma’am. You wasexpectin’ somethin’ more?”
“Of course not. I was just making sure youknew your duty. Now take him out of here before the vicar iswakened.”
Cobb shoved Nestor along and they went outthe oaken door. With Nestor squirming and whining, Cobb paused andglanced back inside. Constance Hungerford was bent over and feelingabout among the flagstones below the Poor Box. Looking for thelocket she had taken from David Chalmers’ desk, Cobb thoughtruefully. He would return it as soon as he could.
“But you can’t just cart me off to jail,”Nestor wailed.
“If the magistrate has to choose between yourstory an’ the lady’s, who is he gonna believe, eh?”
“But that silver thing, it ain’t mine!”
“You had a key fer the church. You coulda gotinto the vicarage through the tunnel an’ filched it from Chalmers’study.”
“But I didn’t!”
They had progressed along the single blockbetween Church Street and the Court House. Suddenly Cobb pulledNestor into the nearby shadows and whispered harshly, “Shut yer gobfer a second an’ listen. I ain’t throwin’ you in jail. I’d like tothrow her inta some dungeon an’ leave her to rot, but Ican’t, an’ you know I can’t. She’s a respectable Christian lady anda crony of his ever-rants.”
“You’re gonna let me go?”
“Only if you agree to vamoose fer a couple ofweeks. If she asks, I’ll say you escaped. But I got a feelin’ thatnow her game is up, she’ll soon forget about you. An’ here’s twobucks ta tide ya over.”
Nestor dropped to his knees and threw botharms around Cobb’s shins, knocking his forehead against Cobb’stender kneecap.
“Fer God’s sake, quit gravellin’ an’get up, man! I ain’t no engraved image!”
Nestor relaxed his hold, reluctantly, and gotback onto his feet. He gripped Cobb’s right hand in his. “Youalways been good to me, Cobb. An’ you’re the only one. The only wayI c’n think of thankin’ you is ta give ya a bit of information Iswore never to tell – on my granny’s grave.”
Cobb stared at Nestor with fresh interest.“Not about Reuben Epp?”
Nestor grinned. “The same.”
“Well, out with it! The sun’ll be comin’ upand I want you a long ways from here before it does.”
“All right, all right. It’s like this. I wasover at Swampy Sam’s havin’ a drink or two with him, an’ before weknow it we’re both pie-eyed.”
“Some news that is.”
“Well, Swampy gets awful gossipy in his cups,an’ he tells me Reuben Epp was his best customer till he hunghimself – payin’ up regular an’ sometimes even treatin’ thehouse.”
“Reuben had come inta money somewheres?”
“Yup. Started before Christmas. Seems a longlost cousin’d moved to town an’ Reuben was goin’ to her fer extracash when he needed it – which was quite often. He told Swampy thegal was ashamed of him an’ give him money just ta keep him quietan’ well away from her fancy house.”
Cobb took a deep breath and said, “And whomight this cousin be?”
Nestor looked coy for a millisecond, thoughtbetter of it, and said, “You gotta promise not ta tell Swampy Itold you – ”
“Just spit it out, Nestor, or I’ll change mymind about tossin’ you in the clink.”
Nestor told him.
And here at last was the lead Cobb had beenhoping for all along: a direct link between Reuben Epp and someonewealthy and presumptuous enough to be a willing accomplice in themurder of Dick Dougherty.
TWENTY THREE
Cobb knew that he should take the news straight toChief Sturges. The name that Nestor Peck had given him wasprominent enough to warrant the kind of special treatment that onlya chief constable or attorney-general or even a lieutenant-governorcould negotiate. On the other hand, he had been given a name and arelationship – that was all. Surely it was logical for him topursue the matter to the point where its significance to the murdercase became moot; after all, a cousin could be merely a cousin,couldn’t it?
Deep down, though, Cobb knew full well thathe was driven by his desire to solve the murder on his own,before the major got back from New York on Saturday or Sunday.There was also the matter of method. While Marc was a subtle andtactful interrogator with an intuitive grasp of human motive andbehaviour, Cobb fancied that his own more direct approach, coupledwith his vast knowledge of city-life and his network of snitches onthe ground, was more likely to pay dividends. For example, his bolddecision to stake out the church, taking advantage of Missy Prue’sattraction to him, had not only put the kibosh on the unchristianshenanigans of Constance Hungerford and saved David Chalmers frompossible ruin, it had led inexorably to Nestor Peck’s startlingrevelation.
Now all he had to do was confront the cousinand shake the truth out of her tree!
***
To his surprise Cobb was shown immediately into MavisMcDowell’s sitting-room by a plump maid with a permanent blush.
“Oh, do come in, Constable Cobb,” Mavis said,putting aside a sheaf of official-looking papers, rising from herbrocaded settee, and smiling at him expectantly. “You’ve come tobring me news, I believe.”
Taken aback by this effusive greeting, Cobbmumbled his reply: “Well, sort of, ma’am.” His helmet was in hishands, searching for a spot to settle, while the spikes of his hairreared up alarmingly.
“I have been so worried about the thefts fromthe Poor Box,” she continued. “Mrs. Hungerford has been veryunderstanding, but as treasurer of the Ladies Auxiliary I feelpersonally responsible.”
Cobb was quick to respond. “Then you’ll beglad to know that the robber was caught – this very mornin’.”
“That is wonderful news. I must say that I amimpressed by the diligence of your constabulary. I shall be sure toinform Mr. McDowell of your success in this matter. You see, he isof the old school. He feels that the system of constables directedby squire-magistrates appointed from amongst the better classes ismore efficient and safer from corruption than a municipal policeforce under the wing of ordinary aldermen. I shall enjoy disabusinghim.” She reached out and touched his sleeve. “And I do want toapologize for the abruptness of my manner the last time we met. Iwas somewhat . . . distraught when I found the box empty.”
Cobb’s nose was purpling, for more than onereason. Now that he was here and face to face with this tall andelegant woman with her diligently braided hair and large, probingeyes, he wasn’t sure how to proceed. He didn’t know whether he wasoverawed, intimidated or disarmed by the touch of brittlevulnerability he detected in her eyes and her posture.
“Who was the culprit?” she asked.
“Oh, just some vagabond, ma’am. He won’t berobbin’ anybody else fer a long time.”
“Ah, I see.” She smiled and added, “Would youlike some tea?”
“No, thanks, ma’am. Ya see, I’ve come aboutsomethin’ else, somethin’ serious an’ . . . well . . .delicate.”
“You have?” she said, stepping back butshowing no real concern. After all, she was the wife of a veryimportant politician and used to petitioners of every ilk.
At this critical moment in Cobb’s effort toredirect the interrogation, however, they were distracted by themaid stumbling in the hallway and righting herself against the sashof the open door.