“Tabitha wanted to stop thieving for us. She nearly got caught at that tavern and told me she couldn’t do it anymore. Her father needed her to help him out on the farm, and she wanted to do that. Bamber doesn’t like people to walk away, though.”
“Bamber said no.” It wasn’t a question.
“She wouldn’t take no for an answer and refused when I told her she had to keep doing it. When Bamber turned up, he demanded to know who was bringing in what. He likes to keep his finger on things, if you understand me? When I mentioned to him that she wanted out he went to see her himself. I don’t know what happened between them but didn’t ask.”
“Why?”
“It’s best not to ask too many questions. Anyway, I didn’t have to wait long to find out what happened because she was found dead.”
“Why were you watching people in the village?” Jeb wanted to demand to know why he had been watching Sophia, but didn’t want to mention her name in case the man didn’t know it.
Myers shrugged. “It’s best to get an idea of who the locals are.”
Jeb knew he was lying but, before he took the man to task, Barnaby coughed.
“Where is Bamber now?”
“He has gone back to London to take the last box of stolen goods I collected,” Myers replied.
“God, you are reprehensible, aren’t you?” Barnaby snarled.
Myers peered at him in confusion. “Eh?”
Jeb sighed heavily. “Tabitha was a young girl who lived in quite impoverished circumstances. That farm her father has relies on everyone doing their job relentlessly, day after day after day. If anyone is sick or cannot work the entire place falls apart through no fault of theirs. Every penny they earn is precious to them. You not only took their belongings, but you also took the life of one of their own because she wanted to stop stealing.”
“She didn’t steal from her own father,” Myers protested.
Jeb sighed. “She worked at the other big farm down the road. She milked her father’s cows in the morning, worked in the dairy at the big farm during the day, and then went to work in the tavern in the evening. I think she was on her way home when Bamber caught up with her.”
“Tabitha was what, fifteen?” Barnaby announced in disgust, and watched Jeb nod.
A rather disapproving silence settled over the room. The thought of someone that young working from dawn until beyond dusk was disturbing to all of the men from the Star Elite, but they knew that children in London worked far longer hours for far less reward. To think that Myers and Bamber between them had targeted her, and snuffed her life out when she had barely reached maturity just made their crimes even worse, and the Star Elite more determined to bring them to justice.
Myers shrugged, callously unconcerned.
“How did you come to know the Squire has expensive jewels?”
In London, it was easy to spot the aristocracy because they wore their luxuries and fineries like a mantle. In Framley Meadow, people generally preferred to blend in with their surroundings. The Squire was pompous, and liked to consider himself above the locals in status and wealth, but he still dressed like upper gentry rather than the elite members of the aristocracy.
“I dunno,” Myers replied.
Jeb knew from the shifty way Myers’ gaze flickered around the room that he was lying.
“You know, Myers, I warn you now that if we don’t get the truth from you, because you are the only suspicious character in the area right now, you will get the blame for the recent spate of crimes around these parts. That’s breaking and entering, the thefts, and two murders. That is a Hell of a long time in prison for you.”
This time, it was Myers who swore. “I didn’t kill them. Bamber did. I swear it.”
Jeb leaned across the table. His voice dropped to a ruthless murmur. “Now why don’t I believe you?”
“It’s the truth. I just do Bamber’s running about for him here while he is in London. He has others like me in other counties. It isn’t just me. We do the running around and keep an eye on his patch while he is gone. When he comes back, he makes all the decisions and tells us what to do. Generally, we get left alone, as long as we hand over the boxes of stolen items when he turns up he doesn’t give a damn what happens to us.”
Now that did sound like the truth to Jeb, who caught sight of Barnaby’s imperceptible nod. He too was agreeing that the statement sounded truthful, and was telling Jeb to move on.
“Bamber probably knows someone who has seen the Squire’s wife wearing the jewels and decided he wants them.” Again, this wasn’t a question. Jeb was merely thinking aloud of what he would do if he was in Bamber’s boots.
“The Squire has connections and gets invited to local functions of the wealthy. I don’t know who, or where he found out about the jewels,” Myers declared flatly.
Barnaby snorted. Now that was the truth, and everyone knew it. Myers was barely house trained so most definitely wouldn’t be able to even blag his way through an aristocrat’s back door.