CHAPTER SIXTEEN

‘Stay where you are.’ The well-dressed gentleman – now looking rather dishevelled – slid in through the opening. Jim began to howl. ‘And shut that boy up.’

At the sight of the shiny barrel of a small pistol, Dorinda hugged the boy tighter. She felt her heart thudding so loudly she was sure it could be heard by them all.

‘What do you want?’ Maude said bravely, only a tremor in her voice betraying her fear.

‘I want him.’ He pointed at Jim. Dorinda tried to muffle his cries against her breast, but it didn’t seem to help.

‘Why?’ she said. This seemed to confuse him.

‘I saw those two go away. Where are they going?’

‘To fetch more policemen,’ said Dorinda bravely.

He laughed – a manic bray. ‘Police? Here? Just give me the boy.’

He came towards Dorinda, still pointing the gun. Maude stood up, as if preparing to attack.

‘No, Maude!’ said Dorinda, and clasped Jim even tighter. ‘What do you want him for?’

‘Shut up.’ He reached forward and grasped her arm, pulling it free from Jim, who immediately darted up and behind Maude.

‘Right,’ snarled their attacker. ‘I’ll have to take you, too.’

‘Take me where?’ gasped Dorinda, as she struggled to free herself.

‘Back to the other whore.’ He didn’t look certain of this, and Dorinda realised he really didn’t know what to do with any of them. This was dangerous and could only lead to his losing all control. She stopped struggling and stood up. ‘All right,’ she said. ‘I’ll come.’ He gaped at her.

‘Come on, then. Or don’t you want to, now?’

Without warning she felt a stinging blow on the side of her head. Her vision blurred and pain burst through her as she fell to the floor. Something else was happening. She was being dragged by her arm, and everything hurt. Her arm, held in a merciless grip, her knees, her feet, dragging against the floor.

Now she was aware that she was outside and tried to clear her vision. There was sound, a background mumble that eventually resolved itself into a voice, and then the movement stopped. Her head hit the floor, and everything disappeared again.

Then she was flying. No – someone was holding her and shouting. She was suddenly aware that the shouting was all around her, and she opened her eyes. All she could see was something dark and she felt so sick. Everything faded in and out.

She became aware that there was a change but she couldn’t tell what, until a gentle hand was under her arm and the noise that penetrated the pain resolved itself into a child’s crying and male voices.

She realised she was sitting back on one of the foyer chairs, and Maude was sitting on another cradling Jim Briggs on her lap. Next to her, Jack Colyer was peering anxiously into her face and standing in front of the office door, their attacker was being held by Constable Robert Fowler and another uniformed policeman.

‘What happened?’ she managed to ask.

Colyer let out a hissing breath. ‘He damn near killed you, that’s what happened. Why did you let him in?’

‘We didn’t,’ Maude cut in. ‘And Dorinda ought to be lying down at home, not being questioned by you.’

Colyer looked somewhat shamefaced. ‘I know. But we’ve only got the one motor car, and we must take this -this -’ he took a deep breath and indicated the man being held, ‘to the police station. I’ll go and find you a hackney.’

‘At this time of night?’ said Maude. ‘You’ll be lucky!’

‘I’ll walk,’ said Dorinda and attempted to stand up.

‘Inspector!’ called Robert Fowler. ‘This feller ’ere’s got a motor car.’

‘How do you know?’ Colyer turned sharply.

‘Left it up the top,’ said Robert triumphantly. ‘We can take ’ im to the station in that. You take the ladies ’ome.’

‘Thank you, Constable,’ said Colyer, amused, while the other officer protested, red-faced, at his colleague’s presumption.

This programme was followed, although Dorinda didn’t take much notice. She was dimly aware of Maude explaining what had happened since the appearance of Jim Briggs, whom she had insisted on bringing with them. Once delivered back to their lodgings, Colyer insisted on carrying Dorinda up to the bedroom, under the scandalised eyes of their landlady, before departing to follow Constable Fred and Will.

It wasn’t until the morning, after Maude had ushered in a local doctor summoned by the police, that Dorinda began to ask questions.

‘I don’t know, Dolly,’ said Maude, sitting on the edge of the bed. ‘Gawd, you gave us a fright. What did the doctor say?’

Dorinda pulled a face. ‘I’m supposed to stay here. But I can’t – we’ve been through all this before. I have to play for you.’

Maude exploded. ‘We’ve cancelled, you silly woman! How could we go on with you like this? The others are all going to the station as usual,’ -Dorinda suddenly remembered it was Saturday – ‘and they’ll tell everyone. Stop worrying.’

Dorinda subsided back against her pillows. ‘And what about Aramantha?’

Maude looked serious. ‘Will said they found her, tied up and filthy dirty – she wouldn’t have liked that – and all she could say was that she’d told young Jim to bring you, not the police.’

‘What have they done with her?’

‘They took her to the police station in Deal, too. Inspector Colyer, when he got there, seemed to think that was the right thing to do.’ She shrugged. ‘I don’t know what to make of it. And that cove last night – what was all that about? Would he have killed us all?’

‘I think he was frightened, too, but I don’t know why. I think maybe he saw Jim coming to us and wanted to stop him talking – even though Jim didn’t know anything. How is Jim, by the way?’

Maude grinned. ‘Our Lady Anderson will be along later to tell you. You just be patient. And your Inspector’s coming to call, too. He’ll tell us what’s been going on.’

‘Then I must get up. I can’t see him here.’ Dorinda swung her legs out of bed and was gratified to find that she could stand. ‘Give me a hand, Maudie.’

However, it wasn’t until almost four o’clock in the afternoon that both Ivy, with a considerably cleaned up Jim Briggs, and Inspector Colyer arrived at the lodgings. Maude busied herself fetching tea, while Jim was allowed to go back to Ivy’s chauffeur, Billy, and inspect the inner workings of the motor car. ‘Better than fishin’!’ he announced.

‘Go on, Ivy,’ said Maude. ‘Tell Dolly and the inspector what you’ve been doing.’

Ivy, resplendent in her most respectable outfit, grinned smugly. ‘Been buying Jim Briggs!’

‘What!’ gasped Dorinda. ‘Bought him?’ Colyer merely raised amused eyebrows.

‘He didn’t want to go back to his father,’ said Maude, ‘and he said he liked horses.’

‘So, she telephoned me from the theatre. Clever that. And asked if Billy could use a stable lad. And I said he could if I said so.’

Dorinda laughed, until she realised it hurt. ‘So – what? You paid off Joe Briggs?’

‘He’ll only spend it on drink,’ said Ivy, ‘but there won’t be a boy to hit.’

‘What about Aramantha and Jim’s “toff’?’ asked Dorinda asked, when they had all exclaimed about Ivy’s generosity.

‘It was much as we expected,’ said Colyer. ‘Ethel Small -’

‘Please,’ interrupted Dorinda, ‘could you start at the beginning? With Jessie and her step-father?’

‘It isn’t pleasant,’ said Colyer.

‘I know,’ said Dorinda bravely. ‘I’ve learnt a lot in the last few days, and over the last two seasons, as a matter of fact. I won’t be shocked.’

Ivy, Maude and Will all looked dubious, but Colyer sighed, leant back in his chair and began.

‘Jessie ran away from home before her mother remarried and was making quite a good career for herself when her step-father turned up. At first, he merely tried to intercept her and tell her what she was doing was immoral. She ignored him, but then the other people, particularly women, started coming with him and the banners and chanting started. Finally, he began approaching her and trying to attack her. That really scared her, but at that point, she lost her job at two of her regular halls, which was when she turned to Ada.’

‘And then to you, Ivy,’ said Dorinda.

‘They suggested she come down here, as you know. What neither you nor she knew was that Brother Anarawd and his “followers” had also come down here. He was still pursuing his step-daughter, who for some reason he saw as his property, hoping to take her back to one of the – er -clubs he frequented in town.’

‘One of those clubs where Aramantha worked?’ put in Maude.

Colyer nodded. ‘Unfortunately for him he was recognised, not just by Jessie, but by Aramantha, who decided to try a little blackmail.’

‘Blackmail!’ said Ivy. ‘Blimey!’

‘Oh, no.’ Dorinda closed her eyes.

‘And then he was murdered.’ Colyer looked briefly at Dorinda. ‘And no, it wasn’t Ethel – Aramantha, although she was worried someone would think it was. Foolishly, she sent a telegram to the club.’

‘A telegram?’ gasped Dorinda. ‘That was dangerous, surely? Anyone could have read it!’

‘Indeed.’ Colyer nodded. ‘But I imagine she took care to couch it in rather less forthright terms. So, when their representative, who we gather is actually a member of the consortium which owns the premises, and others like it -’

‘Jim’s toff?’ asked Will.

‘Jim’s toff,’ confirmed Colyer, ‘appeared, she decided to try the blackmail on him, too. Not about the girls, but about the boys.’

‘And he kidnapped her?’ said Maude.

‘Why didn’t he kill her?’ asked Dorinda.

‘This man, Sebastian Wilcox, knew about Jessie and her act, and it appears there’s a taste for it. Male impersonation.’ He glanced at Dorinda again.

‘So he – what? What did he try to do?’

‘As far as we can tell, he was hoping to persuade her to help get Jessie away from you. He kept Aramantha in the boathouse, threatening her and near starving her. Then young Jim appeared, having run away. Unfortunately, when he paid his last visit, he saw Jim leave the boathouse and followed him here. I don’t think he was in his right mind from the time he arrived in Nethergate and killed Brother Anarawd. He was scared stiff. He’s a very well-respected man in the City – moves in the first circles.’

‘So what will happen to Aramantha?’ asked Dorinda.

‘I don’t know,’ Colyer admitted. ‘I think she’ll be charged, but what the offence will be I can’t tell yet. She’s being as helpful as she can be at the moment.’

Dorinda was frowning. ‘What I don’t understand,’ she said, ‘is why Wilcox killed Evans, or Anarawd, and why did he have two names anyway?’

‘Evans? Well, as a regular client of the clubs he frequented, he would hardly wish to be known as Brother Anarawd, and as a lay preacher he certainly would not wish to be known as Evans. What is unclear at the moment, and I don’t suppose we will ever know, is why the two sides of his character were merged when he married Jessie’s mother. As to why Wilcox killed him, he was considered to have become a risk to the people running the illegal clubs. He had more or less revealed himself to Jessie remember, when he attacked her, even though she knew nothing about the clubs, and from what Ethel Small tells us, to her as well. And Ethel was a threat, especially when she showed her hand.’

‘Well, I’ll tell you one thing,’ said Ivy, accepting another cup of tea from Maude, ‘I’m not bringing any more girls down here from London. They’ve made so much trouble for Dolly.’

‘And don’t anyone talk her into leaving The Alexandria,’ said Maude. ‘She’s been the making of it.’

Dorinda looked round the group and smiled. ‘I won’t and next year I hope we can turn it into a full-scale theatre and keep going all year, not just the season.’

‘So we won’t have to go to London!’ said Maude.

‘So you won’t be coming up to town, then?’ said Colyer, turning to Dorinda.

‘No.’ She shook her head.

‘Perhaps, then,’ he said standing up, ‘it’s a very good thing that I’ve been offered the post of Area Superintendent down here in Nethergate.’