It was after midnight, and Jack was standing in front of Acorn’s house. He was wretchedly tired and his limbs were aching. So much had happened that night – and he still had one last act to perform. Since leaving Axwell at New Gate Gaol, he had pondered Catherine’s parting words. Though his heart would always be Catherine’s, he recognised Bessie would make a good wife. She was bright, efficient, resourceful – and she was an exceptional romp. That decided it. He would tell her that Bowser was arrested, explain her father’s innocence, and then he would ask for her hand. Gratitude, if nothing else, would sway her.
A great deal of gratitude had been shown by Axwell when Jack had turned up at New Gate Gaol bearing the tea caddy. Axwell had been confused by the presence of Mansart, the Frenchman, and none of his captives were in the mood to enlighten him.
Jack told him of his breaking in to Bowser’s house to try and find Courtney’s letter. His description of finding the caddy was that of a smooth operation, neatly carried out. ‘Knowing Bowser had got rid of the original box at Crindle’s, the tea caddy was the obvious hiding place because it was the least obvious one. I just knew the letter must be hidden in there. Then I escaped with the caddy, easily eluding his pack of pursuers.’ With no one to challenge his story, he might as well make capital out of the situation. Once he realised the contents of the caddy pointed to Bowser’s treachery, Jack went on to explain, he realised there must be an accomplice.
‘But Miss Balmore?’ Axwell sighed with amazement.
‘Beautiful woman, I grant you, and one who could blind most men, as she had done with Mr Acorn. I think only I saw through her scheming charm. Call it instinct or a divine message, call it what you will, I knew she was not to be trusted and that is why I gave her the tea caddy in order to flush her out. Bowser and Balmore were connected.’ Jack conveniently didn’t explain how, and Axwell failed to pick up on the point. ‘My stratagem did unmask her. I am only aggrieved that I was unable to apprehend her. She must have dropped the caddy during her flight from the warehouse. I found it on Bottle Bank. I would guess that she made off in the direction of Durham and the south. I would send men after her immediately. Unless she has found a horse, she may not have gone far.’ At least the time they wasted would help Catherine get clean away.
‘You’ve done your country a great service, bonny lad.’ An even better service to your reputation, thought Jack. ‘I’m heartily sorry for the problems I gave you, though your stories aboot Mr Courtney an’ Mr Southby didn’t help your cause.’ Jack could afford a magnanimous smile. ‘I thought you an’ Thirsk were in league. Then he disappeared. You don’t know anythin’ aboot that, do you?’ Jack shook his head.
‘It was after our last meetin’, when you wouldn’t give us the name of the man you suspected, that convinced us that you were tellin’ the truth. So I had you an’ Miss Acorn followed. It was Miss Acorn who led us to Bowser. She was spotted followin’ him across the bridge to Gateshead. By that time, I’d found oot that Crindle was an associate of Bowser’s – his chief “persuader”, shall we say. Wi’ no real evidence – an’ Crindle deed, like – all we could do was keep followin’ you two in the hope that you’d force him into action.’ Suddenly Axwell laughed. ‘I thought he might kill you next, an’ then at least we’d be on hand to convict him. When we knew you were in the warehouse, we gave him enough time to do somethin’ to you.’
Jack’s jaw snapped open like a dropped portcullis. ‘You mean to say you were going to let me be sacrificed to catch Bowser! Am I supposed to be relieved to hear that my murderer would swing?’
Still grinning, Axwell said, ‘Well, what could I do, bonny lad? Now that I know he’s a Frenchie spy, I’ll make sure the doctor keeps him alive long enough to hang.’ Axwell had a heart the size of St Paul’s Cathedral!