“I was a King’s Scholar here, but Hugo—that is, Lord Fenway—was quick to recognize that my special talents would be wasted if I merely became a well-educated middle-class professional, limited in advancement by my background,” replied Wheeler. “And so—”
“Ezra,” interrupted Fenway. “There is no reason to reveal all the details about our activities.”
“On the contrary,” countered Wheeler. “I have read about Lord Wrexford and how he has helped solve crimes that have puzzled the authorities. Clearly, he thinks himself exceedingly clever. And so, he might appreciate—in a cerebral sort of way—that we are, too.”
A flash of teeth. “He’s no threat. He won’t be repeating the information to anyone.”
Fenway shrugged and looked away.
“I spent only a term here, and then Hugo arranged for me to apprentice with John McAdam,” continued Wheeler. “I’m very good at designing roads and bridges, and I made important connections that allowed me to hear of attractive investment opportunities. And then I met Jasper Milton, who arranged a consulting position for me with Thomas Telford.”
“Between my influence in recommending Ezra for lucrative endeavors, and my ability to channel government investment in public works, we have built a very profitable private business for ourselves,” interjected Fenway.
Wrexford made a guess, though he was fairly certain that he was right. “So why murder Milton?”
“Because he made a bargain to partner with us to make a fortune with his new bridge innovation and then reneged on the deal,” answered Fenway.
“Ah, yes—honor among thieves.” Wrexford made no effort to hide his contempt. “How convenient to pretend to such scruples, when in truth your morals are those of a snake.”
Wheeler laughed. “Call us whatever names you wish.”
“What about Carrick?” asked the earl. That Cordelia’s cousin had chosen to slip away demanded the question. “Is he involved in your sordid scheme?”
“Oliver may be brilliant, but he is pitifully naïve,” answered Wheeler. “Like Milton, he believes that people are altruistic by nature and are motivated to do the right thing. Though he wasn’t happy about Milton’s ultimate decision on what to do with his innovation.”
Recalling Carrick’s description of the murderer as a burly, broad-shouldered man, he made a guess. “So, it was you who murdered Milton. And recalling the quarrel you had overheard, you saw an opportunity to frame Carrick for the crime.”
“Milton had only himself to blame. Ezra tried to reason with him,” interjected Fenway.
“It had nothing to do with morals. It was all about business,” said Wheeler. “Milton wanted to give his innovation to the French—and without receiving a penny.” A mournful sigh. “We couldn’t allow that. It was key that the innovation remained a secret known only to us. Which is why I also had to eliminate my fellow society members Kendall Garfield and Mercer Wayland. I wasn’t sure how much they knew about Milton’s work.”
He flexed his hand, which Wrexford had noticed was no longer bandaged. “Doing away with Wayland became a little complicated, but it all worked out in the end.”
So that explains who fired the shot that killed Wayland and ignited the return gunfire from the British government’s operatives that did away with the two Frenchmen, thought the earl.And one of their bullets nicked Wheeler.
“After several major bridges are constructed with Milton’s innovation, the innovation will no longer be a secret,” observed the provost. “And others will begin to use the concepts. But by then, we will have made a bloody fortune.”
“You’re already very rich men from the bribes,” said Wrexford. “Isn’t that enough?”
“That is easy for you to say, milord, having been born into wealth and privilege. You’ve never had to lift a finger to enjoy a life of luxury,” replied Wheeler. “I grew up in poverty and worked myself to the bone to hone my skills. And Hugo’s father had squandered the family fortune, so he was constantly struggling to maintain a façade befitting his title.”
His gaze hardened. “So, no. There can never be such a thing as too much money.” He pursed his lips. “Though perhaps we will feel satisfied after the final phase of our plan comes to fruition.”
“Indeed, that brings us to the real genius behind our actions.” Fenway picked up the narrative. “We have realized that steam-powered locomotives will soon displace traditional horse-drawn vehicles as the main mode of transportation, both in this country and abroad. That will require different bridge designs to carry the weight. Milton was smart enough to realize that too, and he explained to us that his innovation addresses the new requirements.”
“Locomotives require flat land for optimum performance, especially at the site of a bridge. So we have quietly been purchasing land along the major rivers that lie between London and the port cities of Bristol and Liverpool,” added Wheeler. “Hugo will be in a position to counsel Parliament about the future of transportation and encourage them to pass a bill to make government grants for the public good. And of course, given his experience, he will be appointed to run the undertakings.”
“That’s quite an impressive plan,” said Wrexford. “I have just one question. What, exactly, is this wondrous innovation? Some sort of metal alloy? A special support brace that makes trusses stronger?”
Both Fenway and Wheeler hesitated in answering.
“Good God—you don’t know, do you?” Wrexford suddenly recalled something that Carrick, Garfield, and Wayland had all implied about Milton—the fellow put only some of his thoughts down on paper. The rest he kept in his head.
“My guess is, you stole his work papers when you murdered him, but his innovation revolves around mathematics, and you have not yet figured out exactly what he was thinking.” He considered what he had just learned and couldn’t resist doing a little needling of his own. “But unlike the other members of Revolutions-Per-Minute, Wheeler, you’re not conversant with advanced mathematics.”
“Enough talking,” snapped Wheeler. He aimed his weapon at the earl’s chest. “Place your hands on your head. And be forewarned—one false move and I’ll shoot you dead on the spot. It would be an inconvenience, but we’ll figure out an alternative way to get rid of your corpse.”
To Fenway he added, “Search him for weapons. Then let us put him in the Lockbox while I make sure that no accomplices are lurking in the buildings.”
