Lies and Misdemeanours

“Time’s up,” the jailer growled.

Hetty glared at him. “But we have only been here a couple of minutes,” she protested, only for the man to shrug unconcernedly.

“I have got work to do. I was told to let you meet with them,” the man grumbled as he rattled his keys pointedly. “You have met them. Now it’s time to go.”

It was a physical wrench to have to leave him but Hetty knew that she must. Especially now that she and Wally were the only ones who stood a chance of being able to get Charlie and Simon free.

“Keep safe,” she whispered.

Her eyes met and held his. A wealth of meaning swept between them and, in that moment, she felt closer to him than ever before.

“We will get this off to your boss as quickly as we can,” she promised.

Charlie nodded. “Make sure you choose a rider who can be trusted. Don’t mention it to anyone.”

Hetty nodded and watched Wally place a comforting hand on Simon’s shoulder.

“God, I hope your bosses can get you two out of this because I seriously cannot see how we can keep you off those gallows,” Wally sighed.

“One thing you need to know,” Charlie warned. His gaze hardened as he looked at Hetty before he turned a hard stare on Wally. “Meldrew wants Simon out of the way because he refused to pay the protection money, right?” He waited until Wally and Simon nodded. “Keep an eye on Hetty now, because he will focus his attention on you, Wally, until he gets what he wants.”

Charlie knew deep inside that he was right to issue the warning. For Meldrew to go to the extremes of having men arrested for a murder he knew they didn’t commit, just so he could assert his authority publically, made him either a deranged despot, or a desperate fool. Whichever, both of those kinds of people were incredibly dangerous, and now posed a risk to Hetty. Just the thought of her being subjected to Meldrew’s brand of ruthlessness made Charlie want to punch the wall.

“You stay at home after dark Hetty, and don’t answer the door or go outside if you know that man is anywhere near,” he cautioned.

Hetty nodded but, before Charlie got the chance to say anything else, the jailer began to tug on his chains, resolutely pulling him and Simon toward the door. Hetty followed, and couldn’t resist giving Charlie another hug.

“I will be alright,” he assured her but couldn’t keep his worry for her out of his eyes. “Just keep yourself safe, darling. There is so much I want to say to you, but can’t now.”

The regret in his voice brought tears to her eyes. She offered him a watery smile, and only just managed to give Simon another hug too before both men were dragged back to their cells.

“Wait!” Wally called, and hurried after them. He threw a look at a jailer who moved to stop him reaching the convicts, but Wally handed out a handful of money. “Make sure they are fed properly, and get whatever comforts they need.”

The jailer looked down at the money in his hand and then up at Wally, who added several more coins to the pile in the man’s palm. It was a veritable fortune, even by jailer’s standards, and enough for the jailer to quickly pocket the money and give him a brisk nod.

“Come on. Let’s get you back to your cells. I’ll pass word around that you get extra rations,” he assured them. He nodded to the door. “You need to go before Meldrew comes out of Gembleby’s office. He won’t be happy to find you still here. I will make sure they get what they need.”

“Thank you,” Wally murmured, and reluctantly escorted Hetty out of the jail.

When Hetty looked back into the corridor, the prisoners and jailers had gone.

“Where to first?” Hetty asked once she and Wally were back on the cart.

She wasn’t sure what to think. Her brother appeared to be just as nonplussed by the day’s events as she was. They sat side-by-side in silence, and stared blankly at the jail doors.

Wally eventually sighed. “I think that we have to find some parchment, a quill, and get that bloody letter sent off to that man in London; Sir Whatsit.”

“Sir Hugo Dunnicliffe,” Hetty replied.

“Yes, that’s the one. Sounds a bit grand doesn’t it?”

“I don’t care,” Hetty sighed. “As long as he can get them free. I don’t care what they call him. We need that pouch first though.”

“I know. I emptied my pockets in there, and have no money on me to send anything anywhere,” Wally growled as he picked up the reins and steered the horse around in a wide arch.

“Well, let’s go and get the pouch, then we can get that letter sent off. If I knew what I was doing I would bloody go and take it myself,” Hetty snapped.

“We need to send a proper rider. He will be quicker,” Wally declared as he clicked the horse into a walk and turned the cart away from the jail. “Once we have sent that letter off, we need to have a word with some of the villagers, and alert them to Meldrew’s latest scheme. If that blasted magistrate is this desperate to get people to pay him his ransom money, everyone he has been pressuring of late is in danger,” Wally said.