Dark Remains: A Maggie Power Adventure (Maggie Power #1)

Chapter 29 - Of Murder, Lies And Kidnappings

Chapter 29 - Of Murder, Lies And Kidnappings

Maggie once more took on the role of narrator, and with varying degrees of help from Tom and Jack, completed her story over the course of two cups of tea and plenty of buttered muffins. She took Blake on a journey from their shabby hideout, to the grandeur and riches of Little Serrant. She told him of the strange old lady, The Countess Jouvente, and filled the canvass of his mind with the incredible colours and the luxury of her grand home. She told him of the Countess' initial charity and their wonderful and luxurious existence. Then things changed. And all their lives darkened.

She told him of the events they had experience within the dark and mysterious folly, of Tom and Jack's abduction, and their imprisonment in the depths of the folly.

Finally she told him of the Countess' obsession with a woman known as the 'Blood Countess'.

She took out the billposter, advertising the poor, missing girl - Christabel. She handed it to Blake,

"This name, Christabel, is carved into the very walls of that dungeon!" she explained as Blake looked at the poster. "I'm sure this poor, missing girl was murdered there, beneath the tower."

After a pause, Blake spoke. "Maggie, your story is all very dramatic but you have no proof your mysterious Countess has murdered this girl or indeed any of the other children you speak of. This is all speculation."

She stuttered and turned and pointed to Tom and Jack, who by now had drifted away from the story, and who Maggie no longer needed to help make her case. Jack, in particular, had moved away from the circle of chairs and stood sheepishly by the mantelpiece, his evident mistrust of the police appeared in every suspicious glance towards Blake.

"How do you explain Tom and Jack's imprisonment? Surely that's a crime? If I hadn't rescued them, they might too be dead."

She stopped, collected her thoughts and began again, "I know this all sounds wild and far-fetched but I've looked into the Countess' cold, lying eyes. I know she is a murderer. And she was helped, I believe, by her manservant, Sexton. And also by her adoptive son, Whitmore?"

"Whitmore?" Enquired Blake now more animated. "You know a man called Whitmore? Not Thomas Henry Whitmore, surely?"

"Yes, the very man. I'd almost forgotten to tell you all about him. And it was to be the first thing I intended to tell you," she sighed. "Whitmore is not only the adoptive child and heir to the Countess' fortune, he is also responsible for the death of Mr Turner."

"What?" exclaimed Blake. "Maggie, don't be so ridiculous. Whitmore is a highly respected gentleman working for the government."

"He did murder Mr Turner!" Thomas shouted. "We saw him throw his body into the river, like we told you."

Blake remained quite for a moment, pondering the extraordinary news offered by the children.

Then Maggie spoke, "Have you found Mr Tuner's body yet?"

"Yes, I'm afraid we did," replied Blake.

"Was he found in the river?" asked Tom.

"Yes he was found in the river. However, it was difficult to say whether or not he had died of his own hand or if he was the victim of an accident. The jury thought it an accident. And he was not wrapped in a tarpaulin sheet, when he was found - as you described it."

"Of course there wasn't," Maggie said annoyed. "Whoever found him, took it and sold it. But we told you we witnessed the murder. And we now know the name of his murderers: Whitmore and a man called Beagle. Whitmore is also involved with the Countess and he is responsible for fooling Jack into trapping us in to going to the Countess' home."

"Is this right?" Blake turned to Jack.

Jack responded, shaken form his dreamy silence, "Yeah, yeah - everything Maggie says is true."

Again Blake thought over what they had all told him. Tom and Maggie looked hard at him, trying to figure out where his thoughts were leading. Meanwhile Jack was busy scrutinising a patterned vase, which sat upon Blake's mantelpiece. He looked at it intently, as if trying to determine its monetary value.

Blake turned and eyed him. "Tell young chap, how did you come to meet two such infamous souls as Maggie and Tom?" he asked.

"It's a long story, Sir," Maggie replied before Jack could to speak.

"Well, he looks like a trustworthy young fellow," said Blake to Maggie.

"Oh I'd trust him with my life, Detective," said Maggie.

"Very well," Blake began. "I believe your story. I believe that Whitmore is indeed involved in Mr Turner's death. It makes sense, as Turner was a friend of your father's."

He paused for a second and looked around at all the children in turn. "However, it is your word against many other people's word. The inquest into Turner's death has been done and dusted. And it is highly unlikely to be reopened again. In a court of law - even if it got that far - I repeat again, it would be your words, children's words at that, against those of a respected and very powerful man. Therefore, I think we can forget about ever bringing to justice Whitmore and his hired thug, Beagle, for the murder of Mr Turner."

"So what of the Countess?" asked Tom. "You have to believe Maggie," he begged.

"Whitmore lured us to the Countess lair, to make sure we never ever spoke of what we saw him do to Mr Turner," added Maggie.

"That, and the fact you claim this mysterious Countess murdered others is, once more, rather difficult to prove. Especially as you don't appear to have actually witnessed anything. And you've seen no bodies either. "

The children remained quiet and watched Blake as he walked towards his desk. He sat down and took out a piece of paper and began to write.

After a few minutes, he stopped, turned back to the children and announced, "Tonight you shall stay here under my sister's roof. Don't worry she's away at her cousin's for the remainder of the summer. And there's nobody here but me."

"In the meantime, I have to construct a convincing argument for my superiors. I have to persuade them of the merits of your story. Further, I have to hope they will make a handful of officers available to me to search the home and estate of a rich and, I should expect, a well-respected lady. I have to make them believe, too, she is responsible for the murders of innocent children in the most gruesome manner imaginable. All the while, we have riots and workers creating havoc and unrest across the city. As well as a manhunt for a most dangerous individual, who, I recently discovered, happens to be your father!"

He smiled at Maggie. "It shan't be an easy undertaking."

Maggie smiled, "Thank you, Sir. Thank you for believing us."

Over the next couple of days, Blake worked quickly and methodically. He was a whirl of intense activity, hardly stopping for a moment to eat at home. He told the children to remain within the house during the day as he went about his daily business.

He left early in the morning and returned late at night, after meeting with his superiors at the Metropolitan Police Headquarters. And when he arrived back home during the evening he would update the children on his progress.

He informed them he had tracked down the family of the missing girl, Christabel. Her mother had shown him a brief letter they had received out of the blue, some months after her disappearance.