Mina cast a quick glance at Jeremy. “Does Gus try to throw the blame on Nye?”
“Quite the contrary. He claims Reuben issued all the orders and says he knows of no other members of the gang. He acts bewildered by the fact Nye is in custody. Hopkirk says he was horrified to find Reuben had kidnapped you. Asserts he did everything in his power to make you more comfortable and protect you from the fellow.”
Mina pursed her lips. “Like all convincing lies, it has some truth to it though precious little.” She looked Jeremy straight in the eye. “I believe Hopkirk was ‘the guvnor’,” she admitted. “And very likely the mastermind behind the whole smuggling operation. But I doubt it could ever be proved.”
Jeremy gave a low whistle. “Hopkirk?” He gave her an uncertain look. “Carswell is determined to bring someone before a jury as for punishment.”
Mina stared straight ahead of her. “If I was willing to testify against Gus—”
Jeremy shook his head. “If he truly were the head of the gang, that could be dangerous Mina. We do not know how many men make up his company of men. There could be dozens in the locality waiting to wreak his revenge.”
“True,” she admitted. “And I have no proof. Only suspicions and some stories he told me,” she hesitated, remembering the truly horrible things Gus had said about him being a wrecker and the fate of his former wives. “The trouble is, he has told me a good many tales and all of them are tall ones. He could have been just trying to frighten me, but—” She broke off, remembering Gus’s expression of malignant glee in the lamplight. “I do not think it.”
They were quiet for the rest of the homeward journey and when Jeremy set her down in the courtyard of The Harlot, Mina was met by Colfax, who seemed to be seeing to outside duties. He informed her that a Riding Officer was awaiting her in the parlor and Jeremy immediately said he would accompany her inside.
“No please,” Mina said turning back to stop him from leaving the carriage. “I would be much more comfortable if you went to see your legal man on Nye’s behalf. I am much recovered now and will be more than equal to their questions.”
Jeremy relented, though Mina could see he was not happy about it. Corin was waiting in the hallway to take her cloak and bonnet, impulsively hugged Mina and then hung up her things. Edna hearing her voice, came hurrying out of the kitchen with a suppressed sob to fling her skinny arms about her.
“That wicked oaf, Reuben!” Edna said in a low voice that shook with anger. “Oh, your poor head,” she exclaimed, seeing the bandage beneath her bonnet.
“It is nothing really, a clean wound that the doctor is assured will heal nicely. Forgive me, Edna, I must go into the parlor now to deal with this officer.”
“I have a tea tray ready to bring in with you,” Edna responded, making haste to fetch it.
Mina had been girding her loins to confront the unpleasant Havilland, so she was considerably taken aback to find it was the younger and more personable Riding Officer that awaited her. Leaping to his feet, Guthrie bowed punctiliously and greeted his hostess. Edna set down the tea tray and retreated and Mina bade Guthrie to take his seat.
“I trust you are feeling better today, Mrs. Nye?” he asked as she sat opposite him.
“My bumps and scrapes are healing, thank you, Mr. Guthrie, though it is not pleasant coming home after my ordeal without my husband by my side.”
He winced. “I understand.”
“Can I ask about the night he has spent in custody?”
“He is tolerably comfortable, I believe ma’am.”
She supposed she would have to make do with that, she thought, setting out two cups and saucers and pouring the tea.
“My brother Lord Faris intends to engage his own legal man for Nye’s defense,” Mina told him steadily and watched him blink over this as she passed him his cup.
“Indeed?”
“Can I ask the intent of the Crown in his arrest? Do you mean to posit that he is implicated in my kidnapping?”
Guthrie swallowed. “We do not believe that your husband was involved in your kidnapping,” he admitted. “Otherwise, he would scarcely have requested us to accompany him to ambush Hopkirk and Prouse last night. My superior, Officer Havilland believes it to have been a ‘falling out among thieves’ situation. He thinks the most likely scenario is that your husband was trying to disentangle himself from the association and your abduction was a bargaining tool on their behalf to ensure his continued cooperation.”
Mina took a sip of her tea and then replaced it on her saucer before speaking. “And what of Gus Hopkirk? Can he shed no light on the matter?”
Guthrie looked pained. She noticed he was rather pale today and suspected he had not been allowed much sleep the previous evening. “Mr. Hopkirk maintains he knows precious little about the matter,” Guthrie admitted. “He claims he has been a foolish old man, slipped the odd bottle of rum to impart his local knowledge. According to him he was shocked and dismayed to find Reuben Prouse had abducted you and expected him to stand guard over you in that passage below Vance House.”
Mina looked up quickly and Guthrie nodded. “He knows he faces a hangman for his part, so he is striving to appear fully cooperative. They dug that bullet out of his shoulder yesterday and he looks fair to mend. Hopkirk claims Reuben showed him the passage a month or so ago and swore him to silence. When asked to meet him there yesterday, he apparently had no notion of the kidnapping plot. Indeed, he claims he only knew Reuben Prouse as the face of the smugglers and none other.”
“He does not implicate my husband, then,” Mina pointed out.
“No, he does not,” agreed Guthrie slowly. “Hopkirk begs for me to carry word to you that he is most anxious you are recovered from your ordeal and restored to your husband. He acted quite bewildered that Nye should be in custody at all.”
Mina could only feel herself greatly relieved that Gus did not mean to try and pin the role of mastermind to Nye. It seemed absurd to her that anyone could think Reuben a commanding figure, but she supposed he had little else to fall back on.
“He says you will bear him out that he was most careful of your health and wellbeing and acted champion against Prouse’s repeated threats of violence.”
Mina nodded, “That is true enough.”
Guthrie, she noticed looked visibly frustrated by her words, though he did not press her. “As for Tom Rowley, he insists he is a ‘peaceable man’ with a large family and says he never saw hide nor hair of him anywhere near the place.” He hesitated. “We want to know if you will testify against Tom Rowley, Mrs. Nye.”
“I’m afraid I cannot,” Mina answered with perfect truth. “I was quite insensible after Reuben struck me and I did not catch sight of the carter’s face at any point.”
“Your maid, Edna Lumm now says she cannot be sure the man was Tom Rowley who drove the cart out of here yesterday afternoon. She only says she took him for Tom Rowley at the time.”
“Edna is one of the most truthful people I know, Mr. Guthrie. If she says she cannot swear to it, then I must believe her.”
Guthrie’s look was rather hard before he dropped it. “Rowley was taken into custody but released again this morning,” he admitted. “Indeed, I start to fear ma’am that we will not get a successful conviction against any of the ring at this rate.”