Steven grumbled. “Only one man, and yet, there are two guards. How can one man steal the money when the odds are not in his favor?”
The officer shrugged. “We asked the guards this very question, and they say the man wasn’t suspicious when they first saw him. They claim the man drugged them.”
“Drugged them?” Ashton gasped. “With what?”
“The guards didn’t know. But they vaguely remember him wearing black cravat around his neck, yet he wore ragged clothes.”
Steven threw up his hands, muttering something under his breath as he paced the area around them. He wasn’t a very large man—thinner, in fact, but his stubborn temperament made up for his size.
“Was anybody hurt?” Ashton wondered.
The older of the two officers shook his head. “As long as the guards do what the thief asks, nobody gets hurt. This thief is just there to take the money. He doesn’t go into any other railcar, either.”
“Something needs to be done about this, and quickly,” Glynn snapped as he pointed his finger at the officers. “I will offer a reward for the capture of this criminals. We cannot lose the people’s trust because of these robberies.”
“I agree.” Steven nodded. “And I’ll match the reward that Nickerson makes.” He turned his focus to Ashton. “Are you with us?”
“Of course, I am,” Ashton said with a hard nod.
The older policeman released a heavy sigh, folding his arms across his chest. “Fine. I shall have the newspapers post it.”
“I thank you, kind sir,” Glynn muttered. “What price shall we say, men?” His attention switched between Steven and Ashton. “Five hundred a piece?”
Steve nodded. “Yes.”
“That is a good amount.” Ashton raked his fingers through his hair.
The younger policeman gasped. “That is a lot of money, Mr. Nickerson.”
Glynn lifted his chin and stood stubbornly with his arms folded across his bulky chest. “Indeed, it is, but I’m serious about stopping this thief, and I have learned over the years that money talks louder than anyone I know.”
The officer took Glynn aside and wrote down what needed to be mentioned in the newspaper. Sighing heavily, Ashton followed Steve inside the office. The co-owner moved to Ashton’s desk and plopped down on the chair. It irritated him, only because this was his office, at least for a little while, but Steven had always thought Ashton was beneath them.
“I don’t know if this will be enough,” Ashton said softly, mainly to himself than to the other man.
“What won’t be enough?” Larson asked, stretching his neck.
“Money.”
“Why don’t you think the money will be enough?”
Ashton shrugged. “I don’t know, but I feel the police are going to have a difficult time capturing this man. From what they have described in each robbery, we are dealing with a professional. Because this one man dares to take on two guards, that tells me he isn’t afraid of anything. But what worries me even more is that someone will get hurt or even killed before this is over.”
Larson folded his arms over his chest. “Yes, I fear that might happen, as well.”
Ashton rubbed his chin and stared out the window in deep thought. There had to be some way to assist the police. Although Ashton had never truly been allowed to be an adventurous person because of his titled father, he would do anything to help bring justice to these criminals, no matter what it took.
Slowly, anger welled within him. While growing up, he had been pampered by his wealthy parents. Even in school, his mother had the vapors if he came home with a tear in his breeches. Because of the way they coddled him, the other children teased him endlessly. Ashton learned quickly to use his fists to settle fights, but he was still fearful his parents would find out and his father would use his power and money to buy off the family in order for the child to leave Ashton alone.
If only his father had known that his actions only made the children hate him that much more.
His father drilled into him that their family name meant everything. His father owned several banks all over England, and he convinced Ashton that this would be his career once he graduated school, even though he never wanted to do that. His father would do anything to keep power and prestige.
For a while, he had wanted to join the military as some of his friends had done. Once his mother discovered his desire to fight for his country, she cried, making him feel guilty for wanting to leave. He was their youngest son, and although he didn’t feel he really had an important place in the family, his mother didn’t want to lose her baby.
Instead of joining the military, he went to college, but still didn’t know what kind of career he should have. He had wished he had the backbone to stand up to his father. Then, a little less than six months ago, his father told Ashton that he was a co-owner of the Liverpool Railway and would be working in the Meol office. It surprised him because he had no idea his father had planned that for him. Once again, he didn’t argue with his father, and took the position.
Bunching his fists, Ashton gritted his teeth in irritation. Before he had the chance to tell his father to let him life his own life, the old man died from a failed heart. However, for the first time, his father must have known what he would excel in, because Ashton enjoyed working for the railway service.
