The Hidden Man: A Phineas Starblower Adventure (Phineas Starblower Adventures) Read online

  “Yes madam, Miss Nordstrom is indeed safe and is residing in a location that I cannot disclose to you at this time.”

  “Yes, yes, of course.” Tash impatiently waved away the “cannot disclose to you at this time” part of the man’s comment and stood with a rustle of skirts. She took several steps away from Mansfield and abruptly turned back. “What are your qualifications here Mansfield,” she demanded.

  “Now see here miss!” Mansfield stood as well, his anger plain at her abrupt address.

  Tash held up a hand. “Please Lord Mansfield, forgive me, I have forgotten my manners in my…distress.” Tash dropped a deep curtsy and chafed at the social mores she was held to as a woman. Damn, damn, damn she thought, I have to knowtow to this pig if I want any more information!

  “That is quite alright m’dear.” Mansfield said gently. “I understand that this has been quite a shock for you. I hope you can now understand my urgency to reach Mr. Starblower.”

  “Actually, no I can’t Lord Mansfield.” Tash quashed her desire to pace and took her place in the chair again holding her hands stiffly in her lap. “Please continue so that when I finally reach Mr. Starblower I can give him exacting details. This is what he expects of me in my rôle as his secretary.”

  Mansfield reached over and softly patted her clasped hands. “That’s a good girl! Yes, let us focus on what we need from Mr. Starblower. You asked for my credentials, I am in the service of Her Majesty and I am here at Her Authority. I am the lead investigator in the Nordstrom case. Do you need to take notes m’dear?”

  “Yes, that is a good idea M’Lord, a moment please.” Tash got up and went behind the desk again. She fervently hoped that he would mistake her clenched teeth for something other than the anger she felt. Pat my hand like I am a child! Boorish prig, she had him pegged right from the beginning. “I am ready Sir, please proceed.”

  Mansfield sat back in his chair and nodded, his kindly smile made Tash want to slap him silly. He then pulled a small leather bound notebook from his pocket. “Now then, the facts. Dr. Nordstrom was abducted from the steps of the Royal Society at approximately half past two on June 3rd. There were three witnesses, one of whom is Dr. Nordstrom’s close associate.”

  “That would be Richard Parker.” Tash interrupted and then quickly covered her gaff by scribbling furiously at the paper in front of her.

  “Uh, yes Dr. Parker. How did you…?”

  “Forgive me Sir. As I said I personally know the Nordstroms and I have met Dr. Parker on several occasions. When you said close associate I assumed it would be Rich…Dr. Parker. Please, go on.”

  Mansfield studied Tash a moment more before returning to his notebook. “Yes, well Dr. Parker told us that he and Dr. Nordstrom were just leaving the Royal Society and had noted the presence of a horseless carriage parked on the street. It was at that moment that two men jumped out of said vehicle and grabbed Dr. Nordstrom and dragged him into the carriage and drove off. Dr. Parker and many of the fellows leaving the Society at that time were so shocked that they failed to note any helpful detail. Dr. Parker believes that one of the men had blond hair but that was the only description he could give us at that time.”

  “Umm.” Tash agreed continuing to take notes.

  “Yes well, Dr. Parker immediately summoned the local constable and returned inside the building to inform Lord James Clerk Maxwell, the most senior member of the Society attending Dr. Nordstrom’s lecture. Who then sent an urgent message to Number Ten Downing Street. My men and I were on the scene immediately.” Mansfield cleared his throat and gestured politely toward the teapot. “May I?”

  Tash looked up. “Oh! Forgive me.” She started to rise.

  “No, no, please sit back down. There is much more to tell. May I pour for you as well?”

  “Yes, thank you.” Tash slowly sat back down, Mansfields’ esteem rising in her eyes it was not often a man offered to pour for a woman. She accepted the luke-warm cup with a brief nod of thanks.

  Mansfield returned to his chair and retrieved his notebook from where it had fallen to the floor. “Ah, yes, here we are.” He mumbled before looking up at Tash again. “As I said, my men and I were on the scene within the hour. In conjunction with the local constabulary we carefully questioned everyone who was present. The only description of the perpetrators we were able to obtain is that one was blond and not wearing a hat and the other was wearing a hat pulled firmly down so as to obscure his hair color and features. Both men were of a medium height and both wearing dark greatcoats, dark trousers, dark gloves and dark shoes.” Mansfield sighed and looked up. “I believe you get the idea.”

  “Greatcoats. You said great coats, in the middle of June?” Tash tapped the pen she had been playing with against her lips.

  Mansfield nodded briskly. “Very astute. Yes, greatcoats. Meaning this was obviously a planned and carefully executed act. Not the work of petty criminals and certainly not a spur of the moment notion.

  “So what of the horseless carriage? They’re not so common; surly the passing of such an unusual machine did not go unnoticed?”

  “Right again. We were able to question several witnesses who saw the machine speeding down the street. In fact just two days later our mystery vehicle was sighted in Nottingham. It looked as if our abductors were heading north. Unfortunately no one appears to have seen or made note of the occupants.”

  Tash dropped the pen on the desk, sat up reached for her tea. “So, you have nothing?”

  “Oh I would not say that madam.” He paused taking a sip from his own cup before continuing. “How much do you know about Nordstrom’s work?”

  “Quite a bit actually, we have been working with Beardmore and Co. to affect certain modifications to some of his engine designs to make use of this new ‘petroleum’. Mansfield opened his mouth but Tash held up her hand. “Please, I could go into detail but it would bore you senseless, just let me say that our work too has been for the crown.”

  Mansfield nodded and produced a pencil to scribble a few notes in his book. Tash felt pretty certain that he would be checking up on the information she had just given him. Wouldn’t you? She asked herself.

  Mansfield took another minute to flip through a few more pages before looking up. “So, you are aware then, that Germany is under the opinion that Nordstrom’s discovery belongs to them?”

  Tash rolled her eyes. “Yes I am, and right ridiculous it is too! They are claiming that Dr. Nordstrom is continuing the work of his father who began his research in Germany before immigrating to England. For god’s sake! They don’t have a legal leg to stand on! Everard was born on English soil to a lawfully married English lady. Besides, if you know anything of the family Evy’s work is based on the fact that his father was wrong. He took the research in an entirely different direction.”

  “You are correct again madam.” Mansfield sat looking at her, expecting her to say more.

  A full minute of silence passed before Tash made the connection. “Oh! You believe it was the Germans that kidnapped Dr. Nordstrom? You can’t possibly be serious?”

  “I'm afraid I am. Unfortunately the kidnapping of famous personages is not unusual in this day and age. Furthermore there is one thing all of these kidnappings have in common. There is always a demand note for money. And in this case it has been over a week and no one has received one of these demand letters.”

  Tash sat back in her chair, toying with the fountain pen again; a thoughtful look on her face. Over a week? How could I not have heard about this? The distressing thought that she had been too immersed in work caused her to frown. “Do you have any evidence Sir that this may be a political abduction?”

  “Possibly.”

  Tash eyed Mansfield but remained silent. He flipped through more pages of the little notebook, the crisp sound of the paper seemed to echo in the silence.

  “The evening before Dr. Nordstrom left Scotland, to come to London for his lecture, his house was broken into. The Doctor and his daughter had arrived
home from having dinner out and surprised a man going through Nordstrom’s office. Apparently the man cursed them in German and made a curious statement that translated roughly as “For the Fatherland!”

  “Furthermore, the Scottish constabulary, god bless their souls, were able to identify and trace the perpetrator to the coast where they discovered that he had paid an outrageous sum of money to a fishing vessel to take him across to Norway.”

  “Good work.” Tash murmured.

  Mansfield seemed to be warming to the subject and forgetting that Tash was a woman, he continued with genuine enthusiasm. “There is a bit more. Apparently the crew of the fishing vessel claimed they were unaware that the man was wanted.”

  Tash snorted.

  “My sentiments exactly. They were however persuaded to part with another bit of information. It seems that this same man….where is his name….ah...Erlich. This Erlich fellow had also booked passage with this same fisherman to take three more men from Aberdeen to Norway ten days later. Precautions were taken and the fishing boat was being watched.”

  Mansfield took a sip of his cold tea and carefully placed the cup on the desk’s edge. “Now then, to step back a moment, if I may. When we received a reliable report of the horseless carriage having been sited in Nottingham we immediately telegraphed all of the port authorities in England. It appeared that our kidnappers might be attempting to remove Dr. Nordstrom from the country. The good Doctor’s description, along with what small information we had on his abductors was circulated.”

  “I also contacted our agent, Carstares, in Edinburgh who left immediately for Glasgow to check out Miss Nordstrom’s account of the attempted burglary. He has, since then, been working with the Scottish authorities in sorting out this whole business with Erlich.

  This morning I received a telegram from him stating that he believes, despite our best efforts, that the kidnappers have escaped to Norway. At about 7:00 am this morning, an unregistered boat picked up three passengers about two miles down the coast from Aberdeen. The witnessing fishermen were able to describe quite clearly Dr. Nordstrom and two other men, one was a blonde, whom we now have a rather accurate description of.”

  “So, you’re telling me that they have succeeded in removing Dr. Nordstrom from this country?” Tash did not know whether to throttle the man or worse, burst into tears.

  “Not exactly.”

  “Not exactly? What is that supposed to mean?” Tash was openly gritting her teeth at this point, the cold hard stare had returned. Every man who ever had a mother recognized that look, it was the one that made you desire to be anywhere but here.

  Mansfield swallowed but soldiered on. “Does not Mr. Phineas Starblower own one of only two private airships to be found in this country?”

  “Yes.” Tash said hesitantly, she was not sure where this was going.

  “Well Her Majesty has need of that ship. And I am here to formally request the use of Mr. Starblower’s airship, The Soul of Discretion. I believe she is currently birthed here in London on the Isle of Dogs?"

  “That is correct Lord Mansfield, but I must warn you she experienced an accident a few days ago. We have been able to repair her for a flight to Scotland but she will need further repairs when we reach Beardmore’s factory in Glasgow.”

  “I see,” said Mansfield. “And how long do you expect the repairs to take?”

  “Oh surely not more than a day, Sir. Mr. Beardmore has been informed by telegraph that we are coming. He also has been apprised of the damages and has already assembled the means for her repairs.” Tash desperately wanted to add that she also had the power to be assured that the repairs only took a day but she bit down on her tongue instead.

  Mansfield was thinking and obviously thinking hard. Tash could almost see the wheels turning and longed to ask what that was all about. He finally spoke up.

  “Miss Smythe-Harris, will you be able to get word to Mr. Starblower tonight? I am thinking that if the ship were able to depart London early morning tomorrow then she could be in Scotland by tomorrow evening. The repairs could be started and hopefully completed quickly. I shall have Carstares meet the ship at Beardmore’s. I calculate if they take-off at dawn day after tomorrow, then Carstares will be able to beat that unregistered boat to Norway by a half of a day. He will be well situated to capture our kidnappers and get Dr. Nordstrom home.”

  Tash nodded slowly. Although what she was thinking was that the man was playing fast-and-loose with Starblower & Co.’s equipment; she let him prattle on. She had already done the numbers in her head and figured the Discretion would arrive in Scotland by the afternoon and repairs could start then. In fact after reading the damage reports Tash felt confident that the repairs could be completed by late that evening, making a dawn departure the next day a viable option. But how did Mansfield know this?

  “Excellent, I am glad you agree madam. I will have Carstares arrive as soon as possible so he can look over the ship before the take-off. I trust you will be going to the telegraph office as soon as I leave to inform Mr. Starblower of the events in motion?

  Tash opened her mouth to state that she had in fact not agreed to anything but closed it quickly and gracefully inclined her head in assent. If the Discretion could catch Evy’s kiddnappers then there was really no question here. They would be taking off tomorrow morning.

  Mansfield pulled a gold pocket watch out and flipped open the engraved cover. Peering at it a moment he seemed to make a decision. “Good, I will be off now as we both have quite a bit of work to do before we rest tonight. I expect, you will inform the captain and crew of the airship that they are to be placed at Mr. Carstares disposal for as long as he needs them? Good, good. I will also expect you in my office tomorrow morning after the ship has lifted off. I will need to give some details regarding the ship to agent Carstares so that he might further plan the rescue. Thank you very much Miss Smythe-Harris for you cooperation and please thank Mr. Starblower as well. I can assure you of Her Majesty’s gratitude.” Mansfield got to his feet and bowed. “I will see myself out Miss Smythe-Harris, good day.”

  The moment the door closed firmly behind that overblown fool, Tash’s teacup smashed against it. She watched the dregs of the cup slide slowly down the door with a small regret that she could not have thrown the thing at his head. At no point did Tash agree to give over the Discretion to this Carstares. And did he actually command her to appear in his office tomorrow morning? Her Majesty’s gratitude be damned! She was going to get Evy back!

  The furious woman waited patiently until she heard the front door close downstairs before she strode across the room, kicked the remains of the china cup out of the way, and flung open the door. “Gopal!” She shouted, “Please have the carriage brought ‘round!”

  3:30 pm

  The Broken Piston Tavern

  East End, London

  Jerard walked briskly through the pouring rain; his mood as black as the soot running down the factory walls. The rain invaded the collar of his outer coat and threatened to invade the sanctity of his oiled hat. Today as he walked by the factory he was not willing to take comfort in the thumping of its machinery nor was he willing to spend any more time in the cursed rain of the East End street.

  Slamming open the swollen and battered door of The Broken Piston he made his entrance. The smells of the gin house assailed his nostrils and caused his lip to curl. But it was always this way and Jerard knew that soon he could drown out the smell and the filth and his bad mood by drinking the rock-gut brew this place was so famous for. He wove his way past the rickety long tables and sparsely spaced smoking gas lights to the corner farthest away from the bar. His boots alternately crunched and stuck to the wood plank floor and he wondered, not for the first time, if those woe-begotten boards had ever seen the likes of a mop. Well at least his regular table had been scrubbed or perhaps it was just one of the first ones cleaned for the night and thus the cleaning towels used by the staff were fresh? No matter he did not come here for tea and nice
ties.

  “You’re early today Love.”

  “What’s early Daisy? Is it ever too early to drown one’s sorrows? Has the keep not drawn the swill from the bottoms of his overflowing barrels? Nay my sweet sparrow we both know differently. Bring me three today, line them up like good little soldiers in front of me so that I may inspect the troops.” Jerard laughed, but it was not a pleasant sound and Daisy turned quickly to retrieve the man’s drink.

  She returned with three filthy mugs filled halfway with gin and put them on the table. Jerard growled and leapt to his feet, sweeping his arm across the table knocking over the mugs.

  “This is NOT a proper inspection!” He roared. “Look at my men! They are filthy and not brimming with enthusiasm! I hold you accountable Sergeant Daisy! Clean up this mess and muster these men properly!”

  Daisy quickly gathered the mugs, ducking to avoid a possible blow. He’s turned into a right proper nutter, she thought. Wonder wot’s caused his nibs to go off?

  Jerard wondered much the same thing as he watched the rotund bar maid’s hasty retreat. Come on old boy, he told himself. This is not the way a Gentleman conducts one’s self. Stay that anger! This is your last bastion and it just would not do to make enemies here. Inhaling deeply Jerard moved down to the other end of the table to avoid the dripping gin and offered Daisy a tentative smile as she approached with the three fresh (and remarkably clean) mugs brimming with gin.

  “Madam, please forgive my outburst. The ghosts of my past have reared their ugly heads and I am ashamed to have vented them upon your lovely person. Can you forgive me sweet Daisy? Will you do me the honor of forgetting the past few minutes?”

  Daisy blushed as she laid down the drink. “Aye Sir, that I can but the keep is no willing and says you must pay for the spilled gin.”

  “It is of no consequence and I shall be glad to remit recompense.”

  Daisy executed a rather clumsy curtsy in reply to Jerard and attempted a smile. Even though the barmaid had been somewhat mollified by the gent’s fancy words and sincere apology she hoped that “remit recompense” meant he was going to pay the keep. That was all she needed today was to have to deal with a surly boss as well as a nutter customer.