Inspector Jack Towers and Constable Phillips followed Iris to the servants’ entrance at the back of The Beeches. They could hear raised voices as they approached, but when they entered the shouting ceased.
‘Oh, Inspector, thank goodness you are here! These women attacked me and bound me to this chair – you have to arrest them!’ Victoria whined. She had awoken to her plight and determined she would be the first to speak when the police arrived. She had been informed by the cook that Iris had been despatched to fetch them and Victoria had quickly formulated her reasons for being there in the first place.
‘That’s a bloody lie!’ Mrs Newton remonstrated.
‘Now then, let’s all just calm down, shall we?’ Towers rubbed his belly as his ulcer burned. ‘Constable, release Miss Beckett if you would, please. Until we have investigated further, we can’t leave her restrained like this.’
‘You do and yer’ll feel this!’ The cook raised the frying pan in a threatening gesture.
‘Put the pan down please, madam,’ Jack said.
‘Freda, Freda Newman,’ the cook said as she placed the pan on the large scrubbed table.
‘I d’aint know you was called Freda,’ Iris said in all innocence.
‘Ar well, yer do now. So, Inspector, what’s going to ’appen with this one?’ Freda tilted her head to the still bound Victoria.
‘Firstly, we need to know what’s happened here, so we’ll take a statement from each of you,’ Jack responded as he nodded to the constable.
Victoria’s bonds were finally released and she sat demurely as accounts of the incident were given by cook and maid. Then it was her turn.
‘I merely came back to collect some more of my clothes, Inspector; those I couldn’t carry when I – left home.’ The cook snorted at the lie and Victoria shot her a withering glance. ‘No sooner I was through the door than that woman hit me, knocking me out. I want her arrested for assault!’
‘Miss Beckett, you’ve heard what Iris said about you assaulting her first, and judging by that bruising beginning to show, I’m inclined to believe her,’ Jack said.
‘Inspector, you can’t be serious surely! Why would I do such a thing? I simply cannot believe my ears!’ Victoria went on the attack. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, I will go about my business whilst you deal with those two!’ Victoria got to her feet, but it was Freda who pushed her back onto the chair.
‘Now, you just shut yer clack and listen to me, madam! I saw you beating Iris; I witnessed you kick her! I ain’t sure if you did for yer mother, but I wouldn’t put it past yer. I’m guessing you pinched her baubles an’ all – where did you sell ’em eh? You’re a bloody disgrace to yer father and should, in my humble opinion, be locked up!’
Victoria’s mouth dropped open at the servant’s acrimonious outburst. Then, ‘How dare you speak to me in that manner? A servant should not speak to her mistress that way!’
‘You ain’t my mistress!’ Freda shot back. ‘’Er was done away with!’
Jack exchanged a glance with the constable, who rolled his eyes and sighed. ‘Ladies!’ Jack yelled in an attempt to restore order to the kitchen. As the women stopped short, Jack went on, ‘Constable, arrest that woman!’
*
Whilst Jack Towers was endeavouring to deal with Victoria’s truculent behaviour, his very new fiancée Maisie was working at the drapery with Ann.
‘I’m still in shock that the inspector proposed after your one evening out; it must have been a very special time,’ Ann said.
‘It took me by surprise an’ all,’ Maisie answered.
‘Sure did you have no idea?’ Mary asked.
‘Not really, well you wouldn’t would you – after one outing. Oh, we chatted about marriage, you know, and he said he was lonely, but he never thought he would wed because of his job. He didn’t think any woman would put up with his being a bobby.’ Maisie smiled as she recalled the evening.
‘It don’t matter what his job is if you’m in love,’ Patsy added.
‘Are you? In love, I mean,’ Ann asked.
Maisie sighed heavily. ‘I could come to love him. I do like him – a lot, and let’s face it who else would marry me knowing what my work used to be?’
A silence descended as all knew Maisie was right in what she said. They had all harboured this same thought, but it had never been voiced until now. Then Maisie spoke again. ‘Men don’t mind visiting the street corner, but nobody wants a prosy for a wife. Jack is kind, he’ll be loving ’cos he’ll be grateful not to live alone any more. I really think we will make it work. We’re like two lost souls on the sea of life – we’ll be a safety raft for each other.’
Ann’s throat constricted at the beautiful analogy.
‘Well, if Len and Gladys can, then you’ll have no trouble, to be sure,’ Mary laughed.
‘I think he genuinely cares for you, Maisie,’ Ann added. ‘He never takes his eyes off you.’
‘Sure, I noticed that too. It will be woe betide anyone who so much as looks at you in the wrong way,’ Mary said as she tidied the large table of its pins and needles.
As they continued to chat, Ann explained she was having an afternoon outing with Richard, although where they would go she had no idea. Maybe they would go boating on Brunswick Park lake. She left them to their work in order to make herself presentable.
*
Whilst Ann had been preparing for her afternoon out, Constable Phillips had arrested and handcuffed Victoria as directed by his superior.
Inspector Towers hailed a cab and he, the constable and the woman in question boarded, bound for the police station. At last, Victoria Beckett was in custody and Jack now had to work quickly.
As the cab rumbled along the street, Victoria wailed her innocence, but Towers ignored her. He was intent on finding a way to show, either by evidence or argument, that Victoria was a thief and a murderer.
Once at the station, the still railing girl was released from the handcuffs and locked in a cell.
Making his way to his office, Jack called out, ‘Any news on that jewellery, lads?’
‘No, sir,’ a chorus of voices came back.
‘Right then, spread the search. Check with jewellers and pawnbrokers in Darlaston, Bilston and Birmingham to begin with. And, boys, make it snappy. I need that jewellery as evidence as soon as possible, otherwise we could have no case.’
A flurry of activity ensued and Towers nodded his approval.
‘Phillips,’ Jack yelled as he entered his office.
The constable rushed to answer the call. ‘Sir?’
‘I have an errand to run, but I want you to go over the paperwork for Beckett. See if there’s anything we might have missed.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Phillips said as he sped away.
Towers left the office. He was on a mission of his own – he was in search of just the right engagement ring for Maisie.
That evening over dinner at a small café, Maisie Bancroft glanced again at the garnet ring on her finger.
‘Do you like it – I had to guess the size,’ Jack said.
‘I love it!’ his fiancée gushed.
Jack sighed loudly with pure relief that he had chosen well.
‘At some point you’ll have to see my house as that’s where you’ll be living once we’re married,’ Jack went on. ‘I daresay there will be things you’ll want to change.’
‘How would you feel about that, Jack?’
‘I don’t mind. It needs a woman’s touch, there ain’t no doubt about that. I have a bit of money put by, so you can spend what you want – within reason of course.’
‘We’ll see when the time comes,’ Maisie grinned at the man she was choosing to spend the rest of her life with.
‘You know I’m gonna to continue to work,’ Maisie said. She saw the surprised look on Jack’s face and smiled. ‘At the drapery, lovey.’
Jack sighed with relief and grinned. ‘That’s fine with me sweet’eart.’
Yes, she thought, I could definitely come to love you, Jack Towers.