mistakes, although she hasn’t really got the difference between three and five yet.”
Hester smiled. It had been a long and wandering journey with Ruby, but the successes were joyous.
“How is Mr. Monk?” Claudine asked with a look of sudden gravity in her face. “I don’t know whether to be furious that they have taken the investigation away from him, or relieved that he can’t be blamed if they don’t catch anyone. I think he is the only person who might have had a chance.”
“That is precisely how I feel,” Hester agreed. “But I am angry with myself for being angry that they took the case away from him. I’m sure the Home Office did what they thought was most beneficial to finding out the truth, and I ought to care only about the truth. A hundred and seventy-nine people died.” She refused to visualize it in her mind; it was a hideous picture.
“One or two women we know were on it,” Claudine said quietly.
Hester was startled. “Women we know? You mean contributors to the clinic?”
“No, I mean patients we’ve had,” Claudine answered with a wry smile at Hester’s misunderstanding. “It was a pleasure boat, with a big party on board. Apparently planned for some time. All sorts of peoplewere there, several very wealthy, and liking their entertainment. And I heard talk that there were a good few army men expected, young and unattached.” She did not elaborate on her meaning; it was obvious.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. That is terrible.” Hester said quickly. She meant it. You cannot nurse someone and see them in extreme distress without feeling a degree of pity. Of course, the information should not have come as a surprise, considering their clientele. “How do you know?”
“From Kate Sawbridge,” Claudine replied. “You know her? Big girl with a lot of fair hair. She said Jilly Ford told her about it, especially the soldiers, and she wished she’d been asked. Could have been fun, and good pay. Maybe something on the side. She said Jilly was showing off a bit.” Suddenly her face was bleak. “Poor soul …”
Hester thought of Monk, remembering how he had looked when he came home after fishing the dead out of the river all night, and then diving to look at those left in the wreck before they raised it. It must have been like a battlefield under the water. She had seen enough of them on land. She thought that with time she would have forgotten, but she never did.
She forced her mind back to the present and practical things.
“Do you think Kate might know some details about the boat, if the party was talked about?” she asked. “There’ll be other girls who wanted to go, and didn’t. Or whose friends went. Let’s see what the gossip is. There could be bits and pieces which, if we put them together, make something useful.”
“Certainly,” Claudine said quickly. “I dare say we’ll get a lot of nonsense, wishful thinking, and gossip having to do with old scores, but we’ll sort it out.”
M ONK WAS FRUSTRATED THAT he could do nothing to help the ongoing investigation. And he was still angry with the insult to the River Police. He found himself talking to his men more, encouraging them,even praising them at times. It was not his usual habit, and he knew he was saying to them what he felt the authorities should have: They had earned better regard than this.
Going upriver from Wapping toward Westminster, he found himself digging deep into the water and throwing all his weight behind the oar, forcing Orme to pull harder as well. His mind was full of questions about who had placed the dynamite, and why. The theft he was now investigating barely touched his thoughts.
Was Runcorn right and it was political? Personally he still thought smuggling was also a possibility. There was a lot of money in that, a fortune, if one really big shipment made it through all the barriers. The sinking of the boat might have been away to get the goods, whatever they were, past customs
Hester smiled. It had been a long and wandering journey with Ruby, but the successes were joyous.
“How is Mr. Monk?” Claudine asked with a look of sudden gravity in her face. “I don’t know whether to be furious that they have taken the investigation away from him, or relieved that he can’t be blamed if they don’t catch anyone. I think he is the only person who might have had a chance.”
“That is precisely how I feel,” Hester agreed. “But I am angry with myself for being angry that they took the case away from him. I’m sure the Home Office did what they thought was most beneficial to finding out the truth, and I ought to care only about the truth. A hundred and seventy-nine people died.” She refused to visualize it in her mind; it was a hideous picture.
“One or two women we know were on it,” Claudine said quietly.
Hester was startled. “Women we know? You mean contributors to the clinic?”
“No, I mean patients we’ve had,” Claudine answered with a wry smile at Hester’s misunderstanding. “It was a pleasure boat, with a big party on board. Apparently planned for some time. All sorts of peoplewere there, several very wealthy, and liking their entertainment. And I heard talk that there were a good few army men expected, young and unattached.” She did not elaborate on her meaning; it was obvious.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. That is terrible.” Hester said quickly. She meant it. You cannot nurse someone and see them in extreme distress without feeling a degree of pity. Of course, the information should not have come as a surprise, considering their clientele. “How do you know?”
“From Kate Sawbridge,” Claudine replied. “You know her? Big girl with a lot of fair hair. She said Jilly Ford told her about it, especially the soldiers, and she wished she’d been asked. Could have been fun, and good pay. Maybe something on the side. She said Jilly was showing off a bit.” Suddenly her face was bleak. “Poor soul …”
Hester thought of Monk, remembering how he had looked when he came home after fishing the dead out of the river all night, and then diving to look at those left in the wreck before they raised it. It must have been like a battlefield under the water. She had seen enough of them on land. She thought that with time she would have forgotten, but she never did.
She forced her mind back to the present and practical things.
“Do you think Kate might know some details about the boat, if the party was talked about?” she asked. “There’ll be other girls who wanted to go, and didn’t. Or whose friends went. Let’s see what the gossip is. There could be bits and pieces which, if we put them together, make something useful.”
“Certainly,” Claudine said quickly. “I dare say we’ll get a lot of nonsense, wishful thinking, and gossip having to do with old scores, but we’ll sort it out.”
M ONK WAS FRUSTRATED THAT he could do nothing to help the ongoing investigation. And he was still angry with the insult to the River Police. He found himself talking to his men more, encouraging them,even praising them at times. It was not his usual habit, and he knew he was saying to them what he felt the authorities should have: They had earned better regard than this.
Going upriver from Wapping toward Westminster, he found himself digging deep into the water and throwing all his weight behind the oar, forcing Orme to pull harder as well. His mind was full of questions about who had placed the dynamite, and why. The theft he was now investigating barely touched his thoughts.
Was Runcorn right and it was political? Personally he still thought smuggling was also a possibility. There was a lot of money in that, a fortune, if one really big shipment made it through all the barriers. The sinking of the boat might have been away to get the goods, whatever they were, past customs
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