Page 51 of The Trick of the Treasure
Constance nodded. “Hecould, perhaps, have knocked together the replica, hidden it in his cabin, and, once the revenue men were seen off, hastily swapped the chests, waited until the Lloyds were gone with a chest full of rubbish or stones or whatever, and departed at leisure with the stolen chest among his own belongings.”
“He doesn’t seem that kind of a man,” Solomon said regretfully. “From a character point of view, I could more easily imagine it was one of the Lloyds.”
“Me too, only we don’t actually know Tybalt, do we? And besides, what possible motive could either of the Lloyds have? If it is not for the insurance? Oh.” She took his arm and cast a quick look up at him. “We were distracted. You never did tell me what you learned from the maker of the strong room and the solicitor.”
“Sadly, nothing that helps. Lloyd’s notes with the solicitor on the subject of the strong room are kept safely, and have neverbeen asked for or disturbed. All Lloyd’s contracts and insurance agreements are lodged with him, including insurance for this last voyage, which does not include cargoes of any value, let alone the kind of treasure he found. He loses everything by this theft. So does his family.”
“Unless Sydney has it all,” Constance said.
“How? I could imagine him finding a time and a way to unload everything into his own trunk—though it would be tight—but the chests themselves were switched. He might have been able to hide a replica in his own cabin, but how the devil did hemakeit?”
Constance considered. “An accomplice among the crew? Samuels the carpenter? It could work. Only…”
“Only his father tore the house apart,” Solomon finished for her. “When he discovered the theft. Besides, it seems an unnecessarily complicated way of stealing it when he had full access to the keys. Why not just take them while his parents were engaged that night, swipe the treasure, and flee?”
“Because there would have been a watch for him at every port?”
“Would there? Would Lloyd risk the scandal?”
Constance considered. “He might, to get his treasure back. After all, if he doesn’t, he risks a scandal anyway, with bankruptcy, poverty, and disgrace for his whole family.”
“And children can always hide things from their parents if they try,” Solomon agreed. “Even a parent in a rage.Especially, perhaps, a parent in a rage. But the point is…”
“The change of chests,” Constance said. “Yes, we really do need to speak to this Samuels—unless he’s already in France selling the treasure.”
“Can you see Sydney handing it over and trusting a mere ship’s carpenter with that?”
“No.” She sighed and asked without much hope, “What of the locksmith?”
“It was a one-off set. He destroys the originals.”
This didn’t seem to surprise her. She lapsed into silence.
They had left the noise and bustle of the docks by this time, but there were still costermongers with their stalls and barrows selling everything from hot tea and soup to flowers, old boots, and fresh meat. The calls of criers and patterers spilling actual news among their made-up stories and songs would have amused Solomon at another time. Just now, he had to concentrate on the wonder of the woman beside him to stop the unbearable, aching thoughts within him.
He wasn’t really surprised when she said, “Have you considered that Johnny was the accomplice? Especially if he has already sailed. Or is about to.”
“I don’t think he has,” Solomon said with difficulty. Openness was new enough for him. About David, it was painful. “I think he’s lodging with Jackson, or at least in the same building. If he truly doesn’t know London, where else would he go?”
Her gaze was a caress, yet seemed to burn a hole into his head and heart.
“And yet you walked away.”
“I did.” He drew a breath. “Jackson is right. Every man has the right to choose whom he talks to. If Johnny is David, he knows who I am and where I am.”
For an instant she pressed her head into his shoulder and gripped his arm more tightly—the only comfort he could bear. For if these roles had been reversed, if Solomon had been presented withDavid’swhereabouts on a card, and they had been in the same city, within the hour he would have battering down the door to get to his brother, his twin, his missing self. The boy he had quarreled with the very day he’d disappeared.
However stupid, he had never shaken off his fear that whatever he had said or done was the reason David was lost, had run away, had never come back. And now it seemed he might well have been right.
Desperately, he wanted something else to focus on, anything until the pain receded. As always, Constance gave him what he needed. “Is that the alehouse Tybalt spoke of?”
“Yes,” he said gratefully. “That’s it.” Now he could shove the ache aside, slam the door, and concentrate on the matter in hand. “I don’t know whether it’s worse to leave you outside alone or take you in there.”
“It’s a step up from the Crown and Anchor. And I was never really a lady.” She shoved her charming hat to the back of her head, ruffled her hair, and changed before his eyes.
Her smile was bold and inviting. Her hips rolled temptingly as she walked. Not a professional woman of the streets, but what one might call an enthusiastic amateur. He didn’t know whether to laugh or groan until her dancing eyes gave him no choice. She really was rather wonderful.
The public house was a definite step up from the Crown and Anchor. The barmaid was polite, for one thing.
