The Legend of Long Jones Page 13

  MULLINS FOLLOWED BADGER Hanscome for a long time and had no idea where he was being led. The cart moved at a steady pace the whole time and the only movement was Badger lashing either the horses or the man behind him from time to time, most likely telling him to be quiet or to stop moving about. He’d passed by some policemen but they didn't give him or the cart a second glance. Mullins wasn’t sure what to read into this, but he thought it best not to approach the policemen himself for the time being.

  They continued on down past the docks and Mullins was worried that the end destination might be some point far beyond the city. At what point would he have to either confront Badger- making the whole effort to follow him a pointless exercise- or else break off and try again another day?

  As this thought was filtering through his mind, Mullins saw Hanscome lean back and twat his prisoner hard with his whip. This made up Mullins’ mind that no matter how far he had to go this evening to find out who was behind this kidnapping he was going to stick at it.

  Thankfully for Mullins, not long after the docks the cart pulled over to the side of the road and Hanscome got down and pulled his prisoner down roughly. They crossed the road and entered some waste ground and Mullins could see the outline of a wood cabin down by the rocky shore.

  “What a god awful place to build a shed,” he commented gazing out over the landscape.

  It was dark enough by now, that Mullins felt more comfortable about getting closer to the men as they crossed the rocky ground. The noise of the sea would ensure he wouldn't be heard and once he kept low and circled them a bit, his dark clothes should be of aid to him as well.

  Hanscome and his charge entered the cabin, the door being opened for them from inside. Who was in there? Mullins was going to have to get closer if he was going to find out.

  Making a wider arc than before Mullins maneuvered around the cabin so that he ended up coming at it from the seaward side. He crept as quietly as he could despite the noise around him and pressed one ear to the wall of the cabin and covered his other ear with his hand.

  “He’ll be here in about forty minutes,” someone said, “He’ll only have one man with him.”

  “What then?” the voice of Badger came.

  “Then the three lads here will go outside and I'll let Muc in here alone try spin us a yarn to free this fella.” Mullins couldn’t believe it, this man in the back of the cart had been the one Muc had been looking for! Mullins could kick himself for not taking him from Badger sooner.

  “What will happen then?”

  “The lads outside will take care of whoever Muc brings with him and then they’ll come back in and it will be us six against Muc. That will be the end of it.”

  “I think you should have brought more men,” Badger said and Mullins agreed with him. “If I’m taken out somehow I don’t know that the rest of you together would be able to take him.”

  “You worry too much Hanscome,” the lead man said. “All will be fine.”

  When they began to talk of other things seemingly unrelated to this evening, Mullins snuck away again and found a position he could see well from and be hidden at the same time. He formed a quick plan in his head and lay in wait.

  WHEN MUC CAME INTO the cabin he saw Stirling, hooded and tied up, standing in a corner. A rough looking beast whom Lord Muc knew as Badger Hanscome stood by Stirling with a blade in his hands, ready to kill the young man at a moment’s notice. Joseph O’Malley stood on one side of the room, looking less bereaved than before, his skin pallor better and some life in his eyes- this was good. On the other side of the room Peter O’Malley stood smiling.

  “Where is he?” Joseph asked Muc. “Is that him out there, or is it this one?” he pointed to Stirling.

  “Neither one,” Muc said and he tried to hear if anything was happening outside but it was impossible with the sea. He hoped he wasn’t being surrounded.

  “So Stirling is our man after all,” Peter said, “What a waste of time this has been.”

  “No, Stirling is still as innocent as he was three days ago,” Muc said but offered no more. Joseph looked to his brother in confusion and then back to Muc saying,

  “What’s going on?” Muc kept his eyes locked on Peter and didn’t answer right away. Peter O’Malley’s own eyes seemed to set deeper in his head as he met Muc’s glare. This was a fearless one alright, Muc felt. Badger Hanscome shifted in Muc’s peripheral vision, no doubt he could feel the change in the air even if he didn’t quite understand it yet.

  MULLINS HAD WATCHED as Lord Muc and Tobias arrived and looked on as Muc went inside as per Hanscome’s boss’s plan. Tobias stood facing the three men, a bit of distance between them for now. Mullins knew it wasn’t to last long, however, so he set off around the back of the cabin once more.

  As he was pressed close to the wall he could hear mumbling coming from inside but not what they were talking about. The three men were talking to Tobias now, laughing and showing him friendly faces, but Mullins knew this was all part of the ruse to get closer to him to strike. Casting about the ground, Mullins found a heavy stone that would do the job he wanted.

  As the three men took small steps towards Tobias, amiably chatting along the way, Mullins came out from his hiding place and approached them from behind. Tobias saw him and Mullins put a finger to his lips. It was too late though, one of the men had seen Tobias’s eyes dart to Mullins and away. The man turned to see what had caught Tobias eye and was met with a crushing blow of the stone across his cheek, knocking him out instantly and his limp body crumpled to the ground.

  Tobias rushed forward at this moment and Mullins came from behind and the other two didn’t know what hit them. All three men were unconscious in a heap without Mullins or Tobias suffering so much as a scratch, save to their knuckles.

  “WHY DON’T YOU TELL him what I’m talking about,” Muc said to Peter back inside the cabin.

  “How would I do that, do you imagine?” Peter asked him.

  “You’ve never heard of Long Jones?” Muc asked. At this Peter laughed and Joseph smiled a little though hesitantly.

  “Is that what you’ve come here with? Slave stories and legends?” Peter said.

  “Unfortunately that is what it did come down to,” Muc said.

  “Will you get to the point!” Joseph suddenly shouted; this was understandable- they were talking about the person who killed his daughter after all. Muc nodded, there was no need to prolong the man’s suffering.

  “At first it looked very odd,” Muc said. “I was presented with two murders very alike but with nothing connecting them. Then I found out about another murder, one that had taken place before the others.

  “All three murders were committed in the same way and by the same person, but the victims were completely different and there was no way to tie them all together.”

  “And?” Peter said calmly, though Muc thought he saw a slight tremor in the man’s jaw.

  “The first murder was pure theatre,” Muc said. “A boy was killed in the African burial Grounds on the other side of the Collect Pond, a large grave had been dug up to resurrect the old Legend of Long Jones as another sideshow to distract from what was really going on.”

  “Which was what?” Joseph asked.

  “Jerimiah Roan’s murder was another to add to the sideshow,” Muc went on. “It had been opportunistic and there was no reason for it other than to cover up the real motivated murder.” Muc looked to Joseph now, “The murder of your lovely daughter.” Muc finished.

  Joseph’s eyes erupted in tears but he didn't break down and weep,

  “Who did this to my little girl?” he pleaded, his hands wringing in front of him imploringly to Muc.

  “The person who has led us all on this new sideshow,” Muc said and he looked to Peter, “Your brother, Peter.”

  “What?” Peter said almost laughing. “This is what you have come with!” Muc nodded,

  “I saw something off in you right from the start,” Muc said, “You were very
keen to have Stirling killed at once for your crime so it could be put to rest.”

  “Why then would I keep him alive until now?” Peter asked incredulously.

  “More sideshow, you just can’t help yourself, even when it’s not in your best interests.” Peter scoffed. “It has been your undoing in this case,” Muc finished. Joseph looked to his brother in utter confusion.

  “Peter?” he said.

  “When Jeremiah Roan was killed, the murderer was about to turn up the next street while getting away, but he stopped and went back on himself to choose another route,” Muc said and they all looked at him again. “This was because Joseph here was coming down the road at just that moment in a blind stupor roaring and shouting. You knew he would recognise you and put you at the scene of Roan’s murder. If that happened he might suspect you of his daughter’s killing too.”

  “This is preposterous!” Peter said.

  “Not really,” Muc went on, “I have also spoken to June, Joseph's maid and she has told of your unwanted advances on Stephanie, and how upset you were when she spurned your advances for the affections of Stirling here.”

  “Bastard!” Stirling suddenly shouted and he thrashed about a moment, but he was too well bound to do anything to get out of the corner. Badger pushed him back against the wall.

  “Keep still and keep quiet,” he said to the younger man with a forearm pressed over his neck.

  “Peter?” Joseph said, his voice shaking in anger, “Look at me and tell me this is not true.” Peter glanced at his brother and then back to Muc,

  “Are you seriously listening to what this lunatic says? Just look at him, he’s like a creature from the past!”

  “That may be so, but I’ve found you out, Peter O’Malley,” Muc said. Peter went to say something but no words came out and then he closed his mouth. He didn’t look to his brother.

  “We can sort all of this out later, Joe,” he said after a moment. He then let out a shrill whistle and stood back from the door. Muc expected the three men with the bats would come in and he prepared himself for a fight, but he was very surprised when Mullins entered the room followed closely by Tobias, both men with grim expressions on their faces. Peter looked stunned and he stepped closer to Hanscome.

  “We’ve been listening in,” Mullins said, “And I’ve a little to add myself.”

  “Go on then,” Muc said to his friend.

  “You had a light metal frame made up, and you wanted it kept a secret, so much so that you had this Badger fellow kidnap a girl so her father would hire a blacksmith to mend it in a location no one would see it. I understand what use the frame had now. It was to sit over your shoulders to give the impression you were huge as you went about killing or scaring people as Long Jones.”

  “I bet you have stored the bear trap you used to tear the throats out of your victims in one of your businesses and the police would find it easy enough.”

  “Badger, kill him!” Peter said hurriedly referring to Stirling.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Muc said shaking his head. Badger looked about at the men facing him and took his arm from Stirling’s neck. He turned to Peter.

  “I’ll be available for hire if you manage to get yourself out of this one,” he said and he set off for the door.

  “What?” Peter shouted after him,” You work for me! Get back here!”

  Badger Hanscome didn’t respond or turn to look at him. Muc let him by and the door opened and he was gone out into the night.

  The whole time this was happening, Joseph O’Malley never once took his eyes from his brother. Cold hatred was in those eyes and Muc knew Joseph believed it all. It was a hard thing to see. Peter looked to Joseph but couldn't hold his eye.

  “You’re not being taken in by all of this are you?” he asked but it rang hollow.

  “Do you want us to leave you?” Muc asked.

  “Yes, I think that would be best,” Joseph said his fists balled and white with pressure. Muc nodded to the others to go out and they did. Muc walked over past Peter and took hold of Stirling’s arms, pulled hard on the ropes to release them from the corner and walked him outside too. Muc looked back once at Peter and shook his head as though at a disappointing child. The returned glare was one that said Peter would never forget what Muc had done to him as long as he lived.

  OUTSIDE, THEY FREED Stirling from his hood and he gulped in the fresh sea air. The three of Peter’s men still lay on the ground though they were starting to stir. There was no need for concern; it would be a long time before any of them would be fit for fighting again.

  “We better get going,” Muc said starting to walk away in the same direction the far off Badger Hanscome was heading.

  “Aren’t we going to wait here?” Mullins asked.

  “For what?” Muc replied.

  “In case the wrong one wins.” Mullins said.

  “No one is going to come out of that a winner,” Muc said and he set off walking. Mullins, Tobias and Stirling all exchanged glances and shook their heads. They didn’t know what to make of it so they fell into step after Lord Muc.

  “Are we going to the police with this news?” Stirling asked, still nervous his neck was due for the gallows.

  “I’ll explain it all to the Sergeant,” Muc said, “But I’d still lay low until it is sorted if I were you.”

  “Can I hide at your place?” Stirling asked.

  “Don’t be so ridiculous,” Muc said, “Tobias and my men have to get ready for a new fight now, and my place will be one of the least safe places in the city for a while.” He was thinking of the man who'd tried to kill him and the gang violence that was sure to come very soon.

  “Can you work with your hands?” Mullins asked Stirling.

  “I suppose,” the young man answered.

  “I could do with some help at the smithy if you want. It’s a warm place to stay and I’m not expecting any gang warfare on my doorstep again.”

  “That sounds good,” Stirling said with a smile.

  A FRESH SPRINKLING of snow was falling when Lord Muc climbed into bed that evening. For now, he had no idea how things had worked out between the O’Malley brothers and it was no longer on his mind. Stirling had been reunited with a very grateful sister and Muc had unloaded them both into Mullins’ household. He smiled at the thought of the blacksmith's face when he knew there was a sister into the bargain.

  The main focus now was to stay alive, and stay in control of the hard won turf of the Wild Boars. He was very tired, though, and the work would have to wait until morning. Susan nuzzled warmly into him, her hair falling on his bare chest. The snow was light and slow by the window and tonight Lord Muc would sleep the sleep of the just.

  The End