“Yes, until I arrived in London.”
“But why did you come to England now? Gus wouldn’t speak about what you and he talked of at the castle.”
“Gus deserved to know the truth about our father and that it was through him that I met Radcliff. He was in debt to him and wanted my help. When I went back to America to see him years later, I learned that even after everything Radcliff had done, he was still doing business with him. He’d lost everything but like a true gambler believed his next investment would yield him riches. Even though it was because of him Gus had nearly died.”And me,Ash added silently.
“What happened then?”
“I told Father he was dead to me and Gus and that I was going to England to find my brother and tell him the truth.”
Max was silent for a few seconds, clearly thinking about what Ash had said.
“Do you think it possible your father would tell Radcliff you’d decided to go to England?”
“I-I…” The words fell away. Would his father do something like that?
“For the right money or to have his debts cleared, it sounds to me like he would,” Max added.
“And that is how Radcliff found me,” Ash whispered.
“He burned your ship and is now coming for you.”
Why he felt betrayed all over again, Ash had no idea, but he did.
“We have men on guard twenty-four hours a day and have since we arrived in London.”
“Did one of your crew let Radcliff and his men on board?” Max asked.
“Baron is looking into that possibility.” The thought was not a good one. Ash looked after his staff and paid them well. To think a crew member was in Radcliff’s pocket was not something he liked to contemplate.
“Sounds like your father had a great deal of similarities with his brother, my father.”
Ash nodded.
“Have there been any other attacks on you, Mr. Charlton, since you arrived in London, to confirm your belief that Mr. Radcliff is here?” Spriggot asked.
Ash moved in his seat.
“That reaction would suggest there has been,” Max said.
Ash cursed himself for twitching at the investigator’s question.
“One of his crew shot me in the leg not long after I’d arrived.”
“When was this?” Max asked.
“I told you. After I arrived in London.” He would not meet the man’s eye.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing. Radcliff also left me the cuffs he’d used to chain me to the deck with, after he’d tried to burn theFreedom.”
“That must have sent you straight back to hell.”
It did. “Do you have all the information you need, Mr. Spriggot?” Ash looked at the private investigator. He suddenly felt like it was hard to breathe in here.
The investigator repeated some key details from Ash’s story, then asked several questions about Radcliff’s ship and crew.
“You have not found his ship, clearly?” Max asked.
