At least one of our questions was answered.
“The cash withdrawals were made to a man by the name of Carney, according to the document the bank has for Harris Imports. It’s been in place for some time.”
According to a copy of the same trust document we now had.
“The first transactions were quite small, and then increased substantially,” Brodie pointed out.
“Yes, it does appear so. I handled some of those myself. You can see my initials in the last column.”
“And you didn’t question them?”
“We have the document authorizing the withdrawals. There didn’t seem to be any reason to question them.”
“Why was the amount increased?” I asked.
“It was explained that it was necessary for maintenance of the estate properties. Our manager, Mr. McDaniels, approved the change, and it continued thereafter.”
Brodie and I looked at each other. Maintenance of the estate properties?
“And these other transactions to M. Stevens each month?” I asked.
That most certainly couldn’t be the warehouse site, as all that remained was the storeroom. Admittedly there had been cleaning of the site after the fire, but that was several years in the past.
“Mr. McDaniel approved those as well.”
“And it seems that Mr. Carney continued to receive his usual stipend of one thousand pounds per year.”
“That is correct,” the young man replied.
It made no sense, I thought, as we left with the new information we now had. But what did it mean?
“M. Stevens?” Brodie commented as we found a coach and climbed inside. “Ye know of it.?”
“Moyses Stevens Florist, in Belgravia,” I replied. “One can order floral arrangements for special occasions. Aunt Antonia has used them for years. They make deliveries and decorate as well. I would imagine she will have them provide flowers for the wedding.”
It was not all that unusual, particularly in the case of a death. However, it did raise the question, who ordered the flowers? And whom were they for?
Mr. Carney had been authorized to make certain banking transactions based on the trust document. I suppose it was possible that he had ordered the flowers, however it hardly seemed something he would be concerned with. And then there was the information Brodie had learned from Mr. Brown.
And what of that very generous stipend he continued to receive? Through my great-aunt’s various business interests that Munro handled for her—apparently similar to Mr. Carney’s position with Harris Imports—I was aware that substantial amounts of money often exchanged hands with trusted employees.
“A large enterprise such as Harris Imports wouldn’t have been able to cease operation overnight,” I pointed out as we left the bank. “I imagine it would have taken some time to end operations, with cargos still arriving and bills to be paid for those.
“Perhaps,” Brodie replied.
He sat across from me in the coach, arm braced on the open window in spite of the rain, chin propped on his fingers in that way when he was deep in thought.
“Or perhaps not,” he commented. “Most transactions could have been handled with a draft to the bank, much the same as Munro makes for payment of her ladyship’s bills.
“I have heard him complain over the number of drafts he is forced to write each month.” There was a faint smile. “No easy task for someone who learned to count on his fingers.”
He was thoughtful once more. “There would be no reason for cash to pay transactions, unless…”
I finished the thought. “Unless, it was something illegal? Mr. Carney’s business enterprise downriver, perhaps?” I suggested.
“Aye, it would not be the first instance of an employee to take advantage of his employer.”
“Even so,” I pointed out. “What does that possibly have to do with the murders of Charlotte Mallory and Elizabeth Cameron?”
