The shore loomed up before they were prepared. There were no lights, only the mud banks catching the last of the daylight in thin, shining strips, and the soft, seeping sound of the rising water in the marsh reeds.
Monk scrambled forward and jumped out into mud up to his calves. It took a surprising effort to pull himself loose from its ice-cold, sucking grip.
But twenty yards downstream he could see another figure on a firmer stretch, and the black shape of a boat pulling away, as if it had landed the devil himself and would flee for s
alvation.
The constable was out behind him, cursing at the mud. Together they squelched and struggled over the slime onto firmer shore, floundering towards Caleb, who was already trying to run.
No one shouted again. They all three plunged wildly through the deepening mist as the rising wind blew wraiths of it around them, then away again. The sergeant brought up the rear, dogged and determined, swinging inland a little, driving Caleb towards the point, cutting off his retreat back towards Greenwich.
It was another fifteen minutes of exhausting, heart-pounding, leg-aching pursuit before at last they cornered Caleb with his back to the river and nowhere else to turn.
He held his gloved hands up, open wide. They could no longer see his face, but Monk could imagine his expression from his voice in the darkness.
“All right! Take me!” he yelled. “Take me to your petty little courtroom, and your charade of a trial! What will you convict me of? There’s no corpse! No corpse!” And he threw his head back and roared with laughter. The sound of it echoed across the dark water and was swallowed in the mist. “You’ll never find a corpse—you fools!”
8
THE SERGEANT never for a moment hesitated about charging Caleb with the murder of Angus Stonefield. However, when the Crown Prosecutor came to consider the case, it was a different matter. He debated the evidence before him, and in the middle of the day sent for Oliver Rathbone.
“Well?” he demanded, when Rathbone had reviewed what they knew and heard the tale of Caleb’s arrest. “Is there any point in bringing him to trial? In fact have we sufficient evidence even to proceed with a charge?”
Rathbone thought about it for some time before replying. It was a rare bright winter day and the sun shone in through the long windows.
“I have some knowledge of the case,” he said thoughtfully, sitting with his elegant legs crossed, his fingertips placed together. “Monk consulted me some time ago about the evidence necessary to presume death. He was acting for Mrs. Stonefield.”
The prosecutor’s eyebrows rose. “Interesting,” he murmured.
“Not really,” Rathbone answered. “Poor woman was convinced in her own mind of what had happened, and understandably wished to be in a position to appoint someone to continue the business, before it was too severely damaged by Stonefield’s absence.”
“So what do you know that might assist this case?” The prosecutor leaned back in his chair and regarded Rathbone steadily. “I’m inclined to believe Stone did kill his brother. I should very much like to see him answer for it, but I’m damned if I’ll send to trial a case we cannot win, and which will leave the wretched man vindicated, as well as making us a laughingstock.”
“Oh, indeed,” Rathbone agreed heartily. “It would be sickening to have him acquitted for lack of evidence, and the moment after have the corpse tum up, with proof of his guilt, and not be able to do a damned thing about it. That’s the trouble, we have only the one shot. It must hit the mark, there is no second chance.”
“Considering that as children both men were wards of Lord Ravensbrook, it may well be a case which attracts some attention,” the prosecutor went on, “in spite of Stone’s present highly disreputable way of life. It will be interesting to see who defends him.” He sighed. “If there is a need for defense.”
“The wretched man has admitted killing his brother,” Rathbone said grimly. “Boasted of it, in fact.”
“It will still be very tight. We have no corpse, no absolute evidence of death …”
“But a great deal of circumstantial evidence,” Rathbone argued, leaning forward. “They were seen together the day Stonefield disappeared, even seen quarreling. Stonefield’s torn and bloodstained clothing has been found, and no one has seen him since.”
The prosecutor shook his head. “Still possible he’s alive somewhere.”
“Where?” Rathbone demanded. “Jumped a ship and sailed to China or the Indies?”
“Or America?”
“But from a Pool of London quay, downriver, at what time?” Rathbone argued. “For America it would more likely be Liverpool or Southampton. Come to that, what time was it he was last seen? Was the tide going out or coming in? Couldn’t jump a ship on the incoming tide, unless he ended up in London again. And why would he do that? He had nothing to gain and everything to lose.” He sat back in his chair again. “No. You’d never persuade a jury he simply took flight. From what? He had no debts, no enemies, no incipient scandal. No, he’s dead, poor devil. Probably buried in one of the common graves of the Limehouse typhoid victims.”
“Then prove it,” the prosecutor said grimly. “If his lawyer is worth his pay, you’ll have a very hard job, Rathbone, a very hard job indeed. But I wish you luck.”
When Rathbone returned to Vere Street he found Monk waiting for him. Monk looked appalling. His clothes were as immaculate as always and he was freshly shaved, but his face was haggard, as if he were ill and had not slept. When he stood up to follow Rathbone into his office, without permission, he moved as though his entire body ached. From his appearance he might have been in the later stages of rheumatism. Rathbone had very ambivalent feelings about him, but he would never have wished him ill … a slight reduction in arrogance and self-confidence, perhaps, but not this. It disturbed him more than he was prepared for.
“Close the door,” he ordered unnecessarily. Monk was in the act of doing so, and stood against it for a moment, staring at Rathbone as he went around the desk and sat behind it. “You got Caleb Stone, I know. I’ve just come from the Crown Prosecutor’s office. It would help a great deal to have more evidence.”
“I know that!” Monk said savagely, moving away from the door and sitting painfully in the chair opposite the desk. “Maybe the police will set up a proper search and find the body. I imagine they’ll go on dragging the river. Something I was hardly equipped to do. Although this much later, they’d have to be lucky to find it. They could always search the Greenwich and Bugsby marshes. For someone of Angus Stonefield’s standing they’d think it worth it.”