Eventually, Sir Hubert rose. “Well, I shall write up my report, Atherton, but unless the captain has any concerns, I think we may safely say this matter is now closed.”
“I have no concerns,” Edgerton said. “If Mr Atherton will indulge me, however, I should very much like to see the view from the top of the tower. I have passed this place so many times yet never before had an opportunity to look inside.”
“With pleasure,” Kent said through gritted teeth. Edgerton was far too observant a man for comfort, and there was still the possibility that he would detect some trace of the smuggling operation, and put everyone in grave danger.
Strong left thereafter, but Edgerton, with his customary wolfish smile, picked up his glass and the wine bottle. “Lead on, sir.”
Carrying his own glass, for he had a suspicion he was going to need something more to fortify him than the half a glass he had already consumed, Kent led the way up the stairs. Edgerton peered interestedly into every room they passed, but since they were all empty, Kent was untroubled by it. In the top room, he saw at once that the telescope had been moved again, and was pointing towards Welwood once more. He said nothing, however, for he had no wish to draw Edgerton’s attention to it, instead beginning a recital of the history of the tower.
Edgerton listened gravely, while walking slowly round the room, gazing intently through every window, as if memorising the view. Even when Kent’s tale wound to its conclusion and he fell silent, Edgerton continued to prowl. Eventually, he stopped, refilled his glass and looked at Kent thoughtfully.
“Your brother inherited the house and tower, I understand. The bookbinder who owned the estate died some three years ago, and left it to Mr Eustace Atherton.”
“Mr Sinclair had no children of his own, never married, in fact, his only sister had died and he was fond of Eustace, so he left him everything in his will. The estate of Welwood-on-the-Hill and an income of fourteen hundred pounds a year.”
“And whatever he can make from… other interests,” Edgerton said blandly.
Kent’s glass was halfway to his lips, but he lowered it, feeling panic rising in his breast. He knew! Edgerton knew about the smuggling!
Edgerton chuckled. “No need to look so stricken, Mr Atherton. Even had Sir Hubert not told me all about it, I would have guessed that something of the sort was going on here. An isolated tower, well away from most habitations, yet easy to reach over the moors by pack pony — I would have been astonished if it werenotbeing used as a base for smuggling, and naturally your brother is aware of it, and turns a blind eye. Perhaps he himself suggested the idea.”
He did not know, then, that Eustace was the leader of the scheme. Well, he would not find it out from Kent.
“So… what are you going to do?”
“About the smuggling? Absolutely nothing. I have dined at all the respectable houses of the neighbourhood, and a few of the inns, too, and drunk excellent wine and brandy at all of them. I have no quarrel with such supplies, however they might be obtained. Besides, I am engaged by Lord Rennington to investigate the murder of Mr Nicholson, and I have seen nothing so far that would connect him to smuggling. He has businesses in Pickering, both legal and less so, but he does not strike me as a man who would involve himself in anything as risky as smuggling. He must have known of it, for he was a great brandy drinker himself, but did he ever interest himself in where it came from?”
“Never, that I heard,” Kent said.
“He was not, for instance, threatening to betray the scheme to the Revenue men?”
“No!” Kent cried, shocked. “Heavens, no! Why, do you think one of us murdered him to stop him exposing us? There is only one person I have ever come across who disapproved of the arrangement so strongly as to try to do something about it, and that was far short of murder.”
The pain as he spoke the words coursed through him just as powerfully now as when he had first heard of Katherine’s betrayal.
Edgerton must have seen his grief, for he said gently, “I beg your pardon, Atherton. It was not my intention to reopen that wound. Sir Hubert told me something of the matter, so let us speak no more of it. Tell me, if you will, how the smuggling came about. Your brother must have seen the possibility when he moved into Welwood.”
Kent took a deep breath. He must put all thought of Katherine out of his mind, at least while Edgerton was here. He might seem sympathetic, but there was no knowing what he might see or do, and he must keep Eustace out of it if he could.
“It was some years before that. Let me see… perhaps thirteen or fourteen years ago at least that Eustace became friendly with the Sinclairs at Welwood. At first, it was just a casual friendship, but when Miss Sinclair died, he took to spending more time with Sinclair — staying for several days at a time. The old man was lonely, I think, and enjoyed Eustace’s company. Eustace persuaded him to allow the tower to be used as a transition point for the barrels of brandy and wine. Sinclair was a grateful recipient himself, so he made no objection.”
“And then he died and left everything to Mr Eustace. What a fortunate young man!” He began to prowl again, stopping beside the telescope and putting his eye to it. “This is the telescope that Mr Sinclair installed for his star observations, I presume. And now it has a fine view of Welwood. To spy on your brother?”
“No! That would be dull work indeed, for he is hardly ever at home. Usually the telescope faces east, to watch for the train of goods arriving from the coast. I have no idea why it has been moved.”
“Who has access to the tower?”
“Anyone! The key is left under a stone outside the front door, and all the locals know that. There is a usable bed over there, and usually food and drink left downstairs, so a man may well bring a companion here for an evening.”
Edgerton nodded. “A groom from Welwood, for instance, might bring a housemaid here for a private assignation, and they might well turn the telescope round to spy on their employer.”
Kent said nothing, but although Edgerton nodded as if satisfied and began prowling again, he had a sinking feeling that the captain saw more than he acknowledged. Kent could not help remembering his visit with Katherine, and the signs that someone had been living at the tower. The disordered bed, the remains of a meal — that could have been a groom and housemaid, or perhaps someone from Welwood village, no more than half a mile further down the road. But the green leather bag? That was not a local loitering for a few hours. Yet it had nothing to do with Nicholson’s murder, and Eustace had charged him with keeping Edgerton away from the tower if possible, so he determined he would not mention that.
“Is the roof accessible?” Edgerton said.
“It should be,” Kent said, but when he tried the door to the balcony, it was locked. “Well, that is annoying. Someone has locked the door and taken away the key.”
And if it had been the man with the green leather bag, there would be no possibility of getting it back.
