Lies and Misdemeanours

“I don’t think so,” Charlie replied calmly.

Snetterton wasn’t to be deterred though. “When Meldrew finds you, he is going to hang you faster than you can blink.”

“If you say so.” Charlie shrugged unconcernedly.

“We can’t take him through the village like this,” Barnaby growled when Snetterton continued to throw threats at Charlie.

“Shall I do the honours?” Charlie threw Hugo an askance look.

“If you don’t, I will,” Hugo replied dourly.

Snetterton never saw the fist that landed smack in the middle of his face, and went down without a murmur.

“Thank God for that,” Barnaby growled when a more respectful silence settled over them.

Charlie grabbed the back of the verger’s breeches, and hauled him unceremoniously over one of the horses before he covered him with a large cloak.

Once Snetterton was secured with ropes, the men made their way back toward the safe house.

“Silence is golden,” Hugo sighed in satisfaction as they picked their way carefully through the dense patch of trees.

“Isn’t it just,” Charlie replied quietly.

He took a deep breath of the wonderfully refreshing morning air and felt himself imperceptibly start to relax.

Now that they had the signed statement from Blagmire’s widow, and the verger, it finally felt as if they were getting somewhere, and Meldrew’s arrest was actually possible. It was just a matter of time now before they got the information they needed out of Snetterton, and that suited Charlie perfectly.

The urgent need to deal with Meldrew so he could get on with his life was pushed along by Hetty; his wife.

Although she hadn’t moaned about it, the strain of the past few days had clearly started to take its toll on her. So much so that he wanted to sweep her into his arms for a hug, then take her somewhere quiet and safe so she could sleep as much as she needed to, eat whatever she wanted and, as long as she shared her bed, and her life with him, choose to do whatever she desired.

The thought of coming home from work and being able to share his day with her was something that positively yearned for. If he was honest, it was something that he wasn’t sure he would ever want but, now that he had Hetty in his life, he couldn’t live without her.

Meldrew was now a mere inconvenience to be swept out of the way so that he and Hetty could begin their life together free of danger and threat.

At some point before Hugo left for London, he would have to discuss his future with the Star Elite. He wanted to continued doing what he knew best, but then didn’t want to spend months at a time away from home, but needed to know what his options were before he mentioned anything to Hetty.

“I’ll do the questioning,” Hugo announced as he eyed their captive. “You stay in the background. Given his penchant for issuing threats, it is going to be easier if I handle the questioning. You just act as witness.”

Charlie nodded, but his thoughts remained with Hetty and their future.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Hetty stood back, and watched the men haul Snetterton through the kitchen. The verger had been bound and gagged, but still struggled to free himself. Powerless against the strength of the four men, he was carried through to the housekeeper’s quarters, and was tied to a chair, without a moment’s hesitation.

“Stay here. Don’t speak and don’t move,” Charlie whispered to her as he drew her beside him just inside the doorway.

He pulled her into a hug, and pressed a tender kiss to her temple, as he settled his shoulders against the wall to watch. There was no question that she would wait outside. He couldn’t stand that much distance between them now. For his own sanity, he had to keep her where he could see her.

Barnaby and Hugo moved to stand in front of the verger. The man was so focused on pouring scorn on Hugo that he wasn’t completely oblivious to the people standing behind him, and that suited Charlie perfectly. The less Snetterton saw, the less he would have to talk about with other convicts when he got to jail.

“Shut up,” Barnaby shouted. “You will speak when you are spoken to, and not before.”

Hugo made a dramatic display of rolling up his shirt sleeves before he propped his hips against the table, the only other piece of furniture in the room. He opened up one of the books he had purloined from the rectory and studied it long enough for the verger to look at it. Hugo knew that it had belonged to Reverend Potts, and peered over the top of it to see if Snetterton recognised it. He knew from the look on the man’s face that he hadn’t got a clue what it was, and mentally thanked Charlie for his determined efforts to search the rectory study as thoroughly as he did.

“It says here that you were caught helping yourself to church funds,” Hugo drawled almost conversationally.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Snetterton snorted disparagingly.