Unseemly Ambition (32 page)

Capshaw flipped through his notes.
“The tattoo sounded familiar when Concordia first described it. I
did some checking and identified the man. Sam Blackstone. He was in
the Navy, but got kicked out for thieving. Has had a few run-ins
with the law since then. He works at the docks these days. Hasn’t
been seen this week, though.”

“
Are we assuming this
man—and the others in the crowd—were hired by the Inner Circle?”
Concordia asked.

“
That’s the most promising
line of inquiry, especially after last night,” Capshaw said. “Their
first attempt at getting rid of you failed, so they sent in
Hitchcock.”

Concordia glanced anxiously at Miss
Hamilton. “Lieutenant, you said the Inner Circle still needs Johnny
Hitchcock. Why?”

“
In looking over his army
records,” Capshaw said, “he joined the Nutmeg Regiment shortly
after he and Ruby married in 1863. According to the story he told
Ruby, he faked his death during the second battle of Petersburg the
following year and fled to Canada. We haven’t been able to confirm
his whereabouts during those decades, but we learned that he’d been
employed in a factory in New Jersey for the past five years.”
Capshaw looked up from his notes. “An explosives
factory.”

Concordia sucked in a breath. As if
Hitchcock’s nefarious talent for strangling women was not enough to
recommend him in criminal circles.

“
So that’s what the Inner
Circle wants,” Miss Hamilton said with perfect calm, as if one
dealt with garrote-wielding explosives experts
every day. “Someone to acquire devices for them.”

“
Or make them,” Capshaw
added.

“
What do we do if we can’t
find Hitchcock?” Concordia asked. “Will you go after the Inner
Circle? Question Barton Isley, or Sir Anthony Dunwick? We’re sure
of their involvement, at least. And Miss Hamilton told me Randolph
Maynard had ordered the cufflinks. He must be part of it,
too.”
Mercy, Hartford Women’s College would
lose half of its administrators at this rate.

“
One cannot simply drag
upstanding citizens to police headquarters,” Capshaw said. “We only
have your account of a conversation heard through a window, and a
man’s personal mercantile dealings.”

“
I agree,” Miss Hamilton
said. “Besides, such a public inquiry would cause the Inner Circle
to shut down its activities, and we would be none the wiser about
what those might be.”

“
That would at least stop
them,” Concordia said.

“
Only for a little while,”
Miss Hamilton said. “Once the investigation was suspended, the
Circle would resume business as usual.”

Capshaw scowled. “The hand
of the Black Scroll—or more properly, the Inner Circle—has been
well concealed.” He stood resolutely. “Except for one man, whom
I
know h
ow to
find.”

Miss Hamilton nodded
knowingly.

“
My police chief.” Capshaw
squared his shoulders. “I pray I don’t lose my job over this, but
I’m going to have a talk with him whether he fires me or not. This
morning.” He looked at Miss Hamilton. “I may have to reveal your
role in this in order to make my point.”

Miss Hamilton nodded. “I trust your
judgment in the matter. Good luck, Lieutenant.”

Once Capshaw was gone, Miss Hamilton
turned to Concordia.

“
He cannot do this alone.
In fact, once he confronts his superior, even if he is not fired
outright, his movements will be watched. He could be kept busy
chasing false trails deliberately put in his path.”

Concordia gestured ruefully toward
Miss Hamilton’s collection of bandages. “What can be done? You’re
certainly in no condition to investigate.”

Miss Hamilton met her eyes squarely.
“But you are.”

Concordia swallowed. Miss Hamilton was
right. She was nearly recovered from her injuries, and would be
leaving the hospital tomorrow. She was better able to help Capshaw.
A chill ran through her as she remembered the warning
note.

“
We must identify the rest
of the Inner Circle, and ascertain their plans,” Miss Hamilton
continued.

“
But how?” Concordia asked.
“We have no way into—” She stopped.

“
Yes?” Miss Hamilton
prompted.

Concordia leaned forward
eagerly. “Yesterday, my mother mentioned that there exists a
Daughters
of the Black
Scroll, and that Lady Dunwick is a member. She’s Charlotte
Crandall’s aunt. And she owes me a favor.”

Miss Hamilton raised an inquiring
eyebrow.

“
I helped Charlotte find a
job at the school,” Concordia explained. “It was nothing, really,
but Lady Dunwick was particularly grateful for it.”

Miss Hamilton eyes gleamed in
interest. “That sounds promising. Sir Anthony may have confided in
his wife, or she might have heard something of the Inner Circle
from the Daughters’ organization. Or other wives. Try to see her as
soon as possible.”

“
It may help if I take
Charlotte with me,” Concordia said.

The nurse came in. “Miss Hamilton,
your sister is here. Shall I send her in?”

Concordia stood. “I was just
leaving.”

“
Oh, and Concordia,” Miss
Hamilton called out. “Be careful. Your usual blunt approach may not
be best in this circumstance.”

Capshaw decided to walk the ten blocks
to the Kinsley Street Station, rather than take a streetcar. The
sight of two women injured at the hands of criminals who should
have been caught long ago made him want to throttle someone, and he
needed the calming effect of physical activity. It would not do to
barge in shouting at the Chief of Police and flinging very serious
accusations. He would be summarily escorted out and stripped of his
position, and have nothing to show for his sacrifice.

Capshaw was sure that a sacrifice was
coming. His stomach tightened at the thought of telling Sophia and
Eli that he no longer had a job. What could he do for a living? He
was sure to be blacklisted from any police force in the area: New
Haven, Boston, New York. Word would circulate that Aaron Capshaw
was a loose cannon who suborned authority, a troublemaker who saw
conspiracies where there were none.

But this
was
a conspiracy. And
conspiracies only worked effectively in secret. The solution was
exposure. If he had to go to the newspapers, he would.

Even so, Chief Stiles deserved a
chance to explain himself first. Before this incident, Capshaw
respected Stiles’ integrity and sharp mind. He was a good leader
and let his men follow their judgment, only stepping in when
needed. Until recently, that is.

As his anger cooled and his steps
slowed, he developed a plan to get the chief to see the danger of
the Black Scroll’s influence. The chief may have only reluctantly
adhered to the Black Scroll pledge to help another brother without
question, without any knowledge of the Inner Circle. If Capshaw
could make the chief understand that the Circle was actually the
force behind the request....

Such assumptions were not without
risk, of course. If the chief was in fact part of the Inner Circle,
Capshaw would be showing his hand, revealing everything he knew.
They would all be in danger: he, his family, Concordia, and
Penelope Hamilton.

Inside the station, the sergeant at
the front desk looked up in surprise. “Why, Lieutenant! We don’t
see much o’ ye here at K Street, sir. How can I help
ye?”

“
I’d like to see the chief,
if he’s free.”

The man waggled a thumb toward the
chief’s office. “You’re in luck, sir. He’s jus’ finished wi’ the
night watch reports, but hasn’t gone over to the jail
yet.”

“
Thank you.” He walked down
the corridor to the paneled door, the chief’s name emblazoned
across the inset of frosted glass. Giving one last tug of his
tunic, he took a deep breath and knocked.

“
Enter!”

“
Ah, Capshaw, come in,”
Chief Stiles said. He gestured toward a chair.

“
I’ve read your report
about the identity of the stranger lurking on the grounds of the
ladies’ college,” Stiles continued, when Capshaw was seated. “Good
work. Any leads on locating the man?”

“
Actually, he was seen
again last night,” Capshaw said. “At Hartford Hospital.”

Stiles frowned. “The log mentioned
some sort of a disturbance there. You were called in,
correct?”

“
Yes, sir. I haven’t yet
written out a report of last night’s incident, but I wanted to
inform you of the connection to the college’s intruder. It’s the
same man.”

“
Indeed. You’re sure the
man was—” the chief hesitated, glancing down at his
papers.

“
Hitchcock,” Capshaw
supplied. “We have an eye-witness, someone from the women’s
college. The lady has been a hospital patient for the past few
days.”

Stiles sat back, steepling his fingers
against his mustache, lost in thought. Finally he asked, “Your
earlier report said the man was married to the cottage matron. Is
she the eyewitness you’re speaking of?”

Capshaw shook his head. “This young
lady is a teacher at the college. Miss Concordia Wells.”

“
Wells…Wells,” the chief
muttered. “The name sounds familiar.” He paused and gave Capshaw a
sharp look. “Is this the same woman who was involved in the Durand
affair last year?”

The chief had an excellent memory.
Capshaw nodded. “Yes.”

The chief rolled his eyes. “Lord save
me from meddlesome ladies.” He leaned forward. “Is Hitchcock
targeting Miss Wells?”

“
No,” Capshaw said. “Her
friend, Miss Hamilton, was the target. Miss Wells happened to be in
the lady’s hospital room when Hitchcock slipped in.”

“
Any injuries?” the chief
asked.

“
No sir. Miss Wells
screamed, and Hitchcock fled.”

“
But this took place in the
middle of the night,” Stiles said. “How did Miss Wells come to be
in Miss Hamilton’s room at such an hour?”

Capshaw explained Concordia’s concern
for Miss Hamilton’s welfare, her sleeplessness that night, her
decision to visit her room. He left out the trolley incident, not
being certain of the connection until he investigated
further.

The chief muttered something yet again
about “meddlesome females.” Capshaw suppressed a smile.

“
How do we know Hitchcock
intended harm to Miss Hamilton?” the chief went on. “There was
nothing in your earlier report about the college sightings that
mentioned him being a physical threat to the women
there.”

Capshaw took the plunge, knowing there
was no going back now. “Because the man was holding a garroting
wire.” He watched the chief carefully, waiting for him to make the
connection.

“
A wire?” The chief paled.
“You mean...just like….” He stopped.

“
Yes. Just like Florence
Willoughby,” Capshaw said. “The case you took away from me,” he
added pointedly.

The chief propped his face in his
hands and sat, silent. Capshaw waited. If the chief was part of the
Inner Circle, no more questions would be asked. Stiles would
dismiss the hospital incident as unrelated, and the garroting wire
as a mistake on the part of the witness. He would order the report
filed and do no more with it.

Capshaw prayed the chief was the man
of integrity he thought him to be.

The chief leaned forward. “You’ve
taken steps to track down Hitchcock since last night, I
presume?”

Capshaw stifled a relieved sigh and
nodded. “A full description of the man has been sent to all the
precinct watches.”

“
Good.” The chief peered at
him closely. “What’s Miss Hamilton’s connection to the case? Why
was Hitchcock trying to kill her? There’s more to this than you’ve
told me so far. I want the whole story.”

“
You’re not going to like
it,” Capshaw warned, thinking of the investigation they had
undertaken behind the chief’s back. He could still lose his
job.

The chief, grim-faced, pressed his
lips together. “I know.”

“
I told you to
get out
! You are finished
here, Capshaw!”

The sergeant at the front desk stood
up, startled, as Lieutenant Capshaw forcefully threw open the door.
The glass in the frame rattled so violently the sergeant feared it
might shatter.

Without a word or backward glance, the
red-faced lieutenant whipped past him and out the front
door.

The sergeant tentatively poked his
head in the chief’s office. “Anything I can do for ye, sir? The
lieutenant left in quite a hurry.”

The chief, also flushed,
looked up. “He is no longer a
lieutenant
,” he said, through gritted
teeth. “I’ve fired him for incompetence and suborning
authority.”

“
I see,” the sergeant
answered, confused.
Lordy, what was going
on?
Capshaw, incompetent? Insubordinate?
The man was one of the best they had.