“I did not say there was,” MacQuarrie answered.
“It is all perfectly legal. I pay my export and import taxes.” Haines gestured. “Ask your revenue man there.”
Tevis Shaw stopped pulling tobacco out of a second barrel. “Our records show taxes paid on the barley and tobacco. What they do not show is tax paid on opium smuggled into this country illegally.”
Annie felt her mouth drop open. Opium? Here? In the warehouse?
Mr. Haines tugged on his lapels and lifted his chin. “I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.”
Tevis hooked the bottom of the second barrel with the crowbar and tipped it over, splattering more gold coins on the floor and then straightened. “I believe the opium you did not pay tax on was not only smuggled into this country, but also smuggled out to the States.”
“Believe what you want,” Mr. Haines huffed. “It is nothing more than a theory.” “It is a bit more than that.” MacQuarrie shuffled the papers in his hand and held one up. “A signed confession from the man who admitted to smuggling opium to you.”
Mr. Haines paled, then pulled in a breath. “Nonsense. Everyone knows the English have no love of Scots. You probably tortured the poor man.”
MacQuarrie shook his head. “We did not need to. Apparently, you did not pay as well as our agent who questioned him.”
“Bribery,” Haines declared. “A false confession that does not prove anything.”
“Perhaps not by itself,” the magistrate replied, “but we also put an agent on an earlier ship that delivered the barley to Virginia. The Americans inspected the barrels on their end and found the powder. Our man returned last Friday with the results.” MacQuarrie folded the papers and put them back inside his vest. “I am taking you into custody, Archibald Haines.”
Sweat broke out on Mr. Haines face. “No!” He turned and sprinted to the back door, knocking several warehouse workers aside.
Tevis looked up from the third barrel he was starting to empty. “Are you not going after him?”
“I have men covering both exits,” MacQuarrie answered. “As soon as he’s shackled, some of them will come inside to help you with emptying the rest of this shipment. Meanwhile…” He looked at the workers who stood around, gawking openly at him. “I suggest the rest of you leave.”
No one waited to be told twice. They practically tripped over each other trying to get out. Still stunned, Annie watched them leave and turned to the magistrate. “I doona think any of them kenned anything about…this.”
MacQuarrie shrugged. “I am more interested in finding out whatyouknow about all this, Miss Ferguson.”
Chapter Fourteen
“I kenned something was nae right,” Niall said that evening after supper when Annie’s mother had ushered them into her small, private parlor at the back of the boardinghouse. “I kenned it.”
“Which you have said more than a dozen times since we brought Annie home,” Owen said.
Niall glowered at him. “We? If I had nae stopped by to bring Annie lunch, she might be sitting in gaol at this verra minute.”
“I stopped by right after you got there,” Owen answered.
“Perhaps it was divine providence that yebotharrived when ye did. Angels sent from God,” Annie interjected before their argument could escalate. Again. She inwardly shuddered at how close to the truth they were. The magistrate was planning to escort her to the courthouse, but Niall and Owen had managed to convince him she wasn’t going anywhere and could be questioned at any time. Then they’d bickered between themselves all the way home.
At least, that had saved her from a lecture, although looking around the small room at them and Aidan and her mother, she was pretty sure a scolding would be forthcoming.
“I would imagine this is the only time in his life that my brother has been referred to as angelic,” Aidan said in a rather dry tone. “More oft, our mother thought he was a more fitting companion for Lucifer.”
Niall shrugged. “She said that about all of us.”
“Depending on which one of ye was in trouble?” Annie asked, hoping to divert the conversation.
“Aye,” Niall answered and fixed her with a dark look. “But the one in trouble right now is ye.”
So much for hoping to avoid the chastisement. Annie sighed. “I dinnae ken anything about this.”
Her mother moved over to the sofa and sat down beside Annie and patted her hand. “Of course ye did nae.”
“’Tis the point, though,” Niall said. “This smuggling was going on right under Annie’s nose and she did nae ken it.”
