Holmes rose and gathered his coat, saying, "Come along, Watson. Bow Street awaits us!"
In truth, I would have preferred to rest a little but it was not to be. Soon we were on our way, travelling the busy streets of the metropolis. As we went, I asked, "Tell me, Holmes, how do you intend to use Tindall?"
Holmes smiled, saying, "Moriarty will be acutely aware that, as there has been no second explosion, Tindall still lives."
I nodded... but I was still puzzled. "Surely she cannot be concerned that Tindall could identify just the one man who recruited him?"
Holmes wagged his finger. "No, Watson. It is not this aspect that concerns her. I believe that she was fully expecting that the theft would only be discovered when the boxes were opened in South Africa. That being the case, the Government would be unsure as to how, where and, indeed, when the theft had taken place. The more time that passed before discovery, the more difficult it would be to investigate the theft."
Now I understood. "Ah... the threat that Tindall might reveal the theft before the ship sails may now drive her to ensure his silence."
Holmes smiled grimly. "Quite so, Watson. He will be as a magnet, drawing them to him... and we will use this to our advantage."
The cab stopped outside Bow Street Police Station. Once again I was awed by the grandeur of this fine, Georgian building constructed from lustrous, cream, Portland stone. It had been erected for a little over twenty years now and its style mirrored that of the Royal Opera House, across the street. Once inside, and with a word to the desk sergeant, we were swiftly taken to the cell that held William Tindall. Outside the cell there was a small blackboard fixed to the wall upon which had been chalked the prisoner’s name and below it, the words, ‘No contact’.
A constable unlocked the iron clad cell door, saying, “Just shout when you are done, sir.” Holmes nodded and, as he turned to face Tindall, the door closed with an ominous ‘clang’.
Tindall looked wretched and jumped at the sound of the door closing. He sat on a straw filled mattress placed on an iron bed frame that was bolted to the floor. Light came into the cell through a small, square window made up of four rows of thick, glass blocks, set high up on the outside wall.
Holmes pulled out the single chair that graced the cell, saying, “I think you may have to get used to that sound, Mr Tindall, as you will hear it for, perhaps, the rest of your life.”
Tindall looked up. He seemed to be in deep despair, realising that he had little hope of ever again being a free man. In truth, I felt some compassion for him. He had been offered a way of keeping his family from being thrown into the workhouse and he had succumbed. Holmes, I think, had also seen this fellow as not being inherently evil, just weak and given to temptation.
Holmes continued. “We were not introduced when we first met. I am Sherlock Holmes and this is my companion, Dr Watson. We wish to ask you some questions and have a proposition for you. It may save your life and, perhaps, even shorten your prison sentence.”
On hearing this I saw, for the first time, a glimmer of hope appear upon his face. “I’ll do anything, sir. Just ask.” He pleaded.
Holmes leant forwards, asking, “Tell me about your journey of the eleventh.”
Tindall sat up a little straighter and began thus. “Well, sir, our outward journey had been from Liverpool Street to Norwich. Before we set out, the man who had paid me the five sovereigns appears at the freight door of the carriage with a porter. On the porter’s barrow were two large wooden boxes, heavy they were, it took both of us to lift them into the carriage. Nothing happened on the outward journey but when we reached the terminus at Norwich, a platoon of armed soldiers appeared with a wheeled trolley. It had five small wooden boxes on it.”
Holmes interrupted, asking, “Did you know what was in the boxes?”
Tindall shook his head, saying, “No sir. I could see that it was heavy and must be valuable, so I guessed it might be gold. Anyways, the Station Manager from Norwich comes along and he uses his key and I uses mine to open the safe. The soldiers put all five boxes inside and we locks it again using the two keys. We sets off and after about half an hour, the man from Liverpool Street appears at the door to the carriage. He tells me that he thinks it’s time for me to check some tickets for twenty minutes. He also shows me the pistol that he has tucked into the waistband of his trousers. So off I went, leaving him to his business.”
I was intrigued, asking, “So, you never saw what happened?”
Tindall shook his head, saying, “No, sir. When I got back he had gone and I could see no difference in the carriage. Nothing seemed amiss except my old sweeping brush had been moved from the corner where I keeps it.”
Holmes nodded, asking, “What happened when you arrived at Liverpool Street?”
Tindall seemed now to have perked up a little. “Well sir, when I opened the sliding freight door, the Station Master was waiting on the platform with another platoon of armed soldiers. The Station Master uses his key and I uses mine and I opens the safe. As far as I could see, all was as before. The five boxes were loaded onto a cart by the soldiers and it was wheeled away. A few minutes later the man from the train appears again but this time he had a lady on his arm. They had a porter with them and between us, we loaded the man’s two boxes onto his trolley and they left.”
Holmes sat forwards, asking eagerly, “This lady, can you describe her?”
Tindall thought for a moment. “Well sir, she was aged about forty years and she had striking red hair. She was dressed as a fine lady… but that’s all I can remember.”
Holmes looked directly into the eyes of Tindall and asked, “Can you swear to me that you played no active part in the robbery itself?”
Tindall did not flinch, saying, “Yes, sir, I can!”
Holmes thought for a moment before looking again at Tindall. “I think, Mr Tindall, that I may be able to save you from the gallows but I cannot promise. I need you to cooperate with me in order to help your case and to try and catch the thieves. Are you willing?”
Tindall’s reply was immediate. “Yes, sir. Anything, anything!”
Holmes nodded before shouting loudly, “Constable, we are done here!”
Within moments, the cell door opened and, with a nod to Tindall and the constable, we left.