Betrayal at Lisson Grove - Anne Perry [132]
Pitt winced, but he had no argument. It was painfully true.
‘Mr Narraway seemed to be trying to find out who set him up to look like he took the money meant for Mulhare, probably because that would lead back to whoever it is here in London,’ Stoker went on. ‘I don’t know whether he found out or not, because they got him by killing O’Neil. They set that up perfectly. Fixed a quarrel between them in front of a couple o’ score of people, then somehow got him to go alone to O’Neil’s house, and had O’Neil shot just before he got there.
‘By all accounts, Mrs Pitt was right on his heels, but he swore to the police that she wasn’t there at the time, so they didn’t bother her. She went back to where she was staying, and that’s the last I know of it. Mr Narraway was arrested and no doubt, if we don’t do anything, they’ll try him and hang him. But we’ll have a week or two before that.’ He stopped, meeting Pitt with steady, demanding eyes.
He must trust Stoker. The advantage outweighed the risk.
‘Then we have about ten days in which to rescue Narraway,’ he replied. ‘Perhaps whoever is behind this will be as aware of that as we are. It is safe to assume that by that time they will have achieved whatever it is they plan, and for which they needed him gone.’
Stoker sat up a little straighter. ‘Yes, sir.’
‘And we have no idea who it is that is planning it,’ Pitt continued. ‘Except that they have great power and authority within the Branch, so we dare not trust anyone. Even Sir Gerald himself may choose to trust this person rather than trust you or me.’
Stoker allowed himself a slight smile. ‘You’re right, sir. And that could be the end of everything, probably of you an’ me, and certainly of Mr Narraway.’
‘Then we are alone in working out what it is.’ Pitt had already made up his mind that if he were to trust Stoker at all, then it might as well be entirely. This was not the time to let Stoker believe he was only half relied on.
Pitt pulled out the papers he had been studying and placed them sideways on the desk so they could both see them.
‘This is the pattern I found so far.’ He pointed to communications, gun smuggling, the movements of known radicals both in Britain and in the continent of Europe.
‘Not much of a pattern,’ Stoker said grimly. ‘It looks pretty much like always to me.’ He pointed. ‘There’s Rosa Luxemburg in Germany and Poland in that part, but she’s been getting noisier for years.There’s Jean Jaurès in France, but he’s harmless enough. Your basic socialist reformer. Bit hard now and then, but what he’s saying is fair enough, if you look at it. Nothing to do with us, though. He’s as French as frogs’ legs.’
‘And here?’ Pitt pointed to some Fabian Society activity in London and Birmingham.
‘They’ll get changes through Parliament, eventually,’ Stoker said. ‘That Keir Hardie’ll do a thing or two, but that’s not our bother either. Personally I wish him good luck. We need a few changes. No, sir, there is something big planned, and pretty bad, an’ we haven’t worked out what it is yet.’
Pitt did not reply. He stared at the reports yet again, rereading the text, studying the geographic patterns of where they originated, who was involved.
Then he saw something curious. ‘Is that Willy Portman?’ he asked Stoker, pointing to a report of known agitators observed in Birmingham.
‘Yes, sir, seems like it. What’s he doing here? Nasty piece of work, Willy Portman. Violent. Nothing good, if he’s involved.’
‘I know,’ Pitt agreed. ‘But that’s not it. This report says he was seen at a meeting with Joe Gallagher. Those two have been enemies for years. What could bring them together?’
Stoker stared at him. ‘There’s more,’ he said very quietly. ‘McLeish was seen in Sheffield with Mick Haddon.’
Pitt knew the names. They were both extremely violent men, and again known to hate each other.
‘And Fenner,’ he added, putting his finger