‘I should have something to say on the matter if you attempted to join him,’ Amelia replied with asperity. ‘And I should have thought that it wasn’t a matter for a Scotland Yard Detective Sergeant to get involved with, either.’
‘Jack has personal reasons.’
Amelia gasped when he went on to tell her about Ruth Dawson and the treatment she had received at her brutal husband’s hands.
‘It is very generous of him to pay the doctor,’ Amelia said. ‘Can he afford it?’
‘No, but he wouldn’t let me cover it and now hopes to nab her husband in the execution of a crime so that he can be imprisoned and Ruth will be safe.’
‘It must be very hard not to get personally involved in such tragic situations. I can quite understand why Sergeant Salter has done so. Despite that gruff exterior and his rigid views, he has the softest of hearts.’
‘He does indeed, but he would be mortified if he knew you realised it. Anyway, enough of this talk, my love. I have a feeling that my murder investigation will be resolved tomorrow, one way or the other, and I will certainly attempt to be there and see Cabbage’s moment in the spotlight. If anyone can get Maureen’s creation noticed it is her.’
‘She would love it if you are there,’ Amelia said, as they reached home and Riley helped his wife from the carriage.
Riley slept badly and was at the Yard early the following morning. Salter was close on his heels, looking euphoric.
‘We got ’em!’ he said, punching the air. ‘Sam Dawson and three of his friends are now residing in the cells in Clapham.’
‘But it looks as though they didn’t go down without a fight,’ Riley replied, glancing with concern at the bruise on the side of his sergeant’s face and the beginnings of a black eye.
‘Ah, that’s nothing but a scratch.’ He waved Riley’s concerns aside. ‘You should see the state of Dawson,’ he said with considerable satisfaction.
Riley could well imagine. Salter’s moral objections to Dawson’s treatment of his wife, to say nothing of killing his unborn child, had left him with a score to settle.
‘Dawson tried to do what he always does when angry or confronted. He lashed out with his fists, but it weren’t no feeble woman he was faced with this time.’ Salter curled his upper lip into a snarl. ‘Barton had supplied me with a couple of his men who were well capable of backing me up.’
‘Well done, Jack. A very satisfactory night’s work.’
Salter grinned. ‘I won’t deny it.’
‘Have Dawson brought up here. I want to talk to him. What of his accomplices, by the way?’
‘Singing like canaries and blaming it all on Dawson. Said it was his idea and he forced them into it.’
‘Good, good. That’s what I like to hear. Any news on Ruth?’
‘She’s still weak, sir, but I went round in person at first light and told her why Sam wasn’t home, and why he wouldn’t be home for the foreseeable. I reckon that’s the best of tonics and she’ll make a quicker recovery as a result.’
‘I agree with you there, Jack, and am glad you weren’t badly hurt yourself. Lady Riley was worried about you.’
Salter flexed the fingers of his right hand. The knuckles were cut and swollen. ‘Good of her, but she needn’t have been.’
‘Are you ready to grill our suspects?’
‘Ready and willing. Are you having Verity brought in?’
‘As we speak. And Sir Philip too. Carter and Soames found out that Verity never normally calls at her husband’s place of work, but she has been there twice to see Sir Philip in recent weeks.’
‘Well then, it looks as though we have them.’
‘I think we know the truth but have no actual proof, so getting them to admit their guilt might be harder. We may have to resort to a little subterfuge.’
‘Subterfuge is what I do best.’
Riley laughed. ‘I know that very well.’
‘Verity Randall is here, sir,’ Barton said, putting his head round the door. ‘And not best pleased about it. Such language, and from a supposed lady too.’ Barton tutted. ‘Don’t know what the world’s coming to, so help me I don’t.’
‘Put her in an interview room please, Barton. I shall be there once my men have finished searching her home. In the meantime, I am sure she will appreciate a little time to reflect.’
‘How do you intend to play this, sir?’ Salter asked.
‘Aggressively,’ Riley replied, grinding his jaw. ‘The woman has to be shocked out of her sense of entitlement and the belief that she will get away with her crimes.’
Salter chuckled. ‘Being hauled out of her house by Barton’s constables and riding back here in one of our wagons will have done its share of shocking.’
Riley allowed himself a brief smile. ‘It’s a start at least, Jack.’
‘My Maureen is that excited about this afternoon.’
‘I haven’t forgotten about that. Sophia wants me to be there and I have promised to do my best to oblige her.’
‘God help me if I’m not,’ Salter replied. ‘My life won’t be worth living, so we’d best get Mrs Randall to admit to her crimes and be quick about it.’
‘If we can’t then I am sure a night in our cells will help to refresh her memory.’
‘Nothing incriminating in her house, sir,’ Carter said, arriving back at the Yard slightly out of breath. ‘Sorry. We did look everywhere.’
‘Don’t worry. I didn’t imagine that she would be foolish enough to leave us any clues. She thinks she’s much cleverer than we are.’ Riley stood and
