I looked over my map for about the third time. I thought I had been
on Scotland Road, but no it was only Aft Scotland Road. I sighed as I
rounded the corner. I started to think that maybe Andrew Conkling had left
when I finally found him.
"Hello. I'm Conkling. Good of you to come. I trust your finding the accommodations satisfactory?" He said in a very businesslike serious matter-of-fact way.
I raised my eyebrows. "I'm Carlson...and I know you didn't ask me to meet you so your could find out what I thought of the ship. What do you want?" I asked, not in the mood for any games.
He chuckled. "Sorry to seem mysterious. You must understand someone in my position, an investor in this ship, needs discretion."
I nodded. "I know that you sold steel to The White Star Line. Is that what this is about?"
He shook his head. "No it's not. It's about something entirely different."
"What is it about?"
"Your under no obligation of course. You may be able to help." He said pausing. I nodded, hoping that he would continue. I had already wasted too much time and should have met with Willie a long time ago.
"A servant has stolen an important business document from me. And I must recover it. A couple of years ago my wife Beautrix hired a young Irish girl as a maid in our London house. We treated her well. Two weeks ago she up and left without notice. Taking a certain letter with her. I'd given up all hope of recovering it until my wife saw her this morning. Needless to say I checked with the Purser. She'd been scheduled to sail on the Philadelphia. But those passengers were transferred onto the Titanic because of a coal strike."
"Well, then your lucky that she's on the ship. But I have my hands full at the moment. Why come to me?"
A sly grin formed on the man's face. "Government officials, friends of mine, told me of a bureau agent on board. I found you through Mrs. Cashmere. A preposterous woman, but she does have an eye for accomplishment. Look, will you help me? You will be rewarded, handsomely."
I sighed. "What's the maid's name? I'm not promising anything...but I will look into it."
"Her name is Shayla Hacker. She's twenty, or thereabout. I was her benefactor, one might say." He reddened slightly, and I understood. But I didn't press. I was already short on time.
"Where is she?"
"I've gotten word to her to meet me on the poop deck. Go in my place. Tell her there'll be no trouble, if she returns the letter. Could you do that?" He asked almost pleadingly.
I sighed, and nodded. "All right. I'll meet with her."
"Afterwards, report to me in my sweet, B-59. Her name is Shayla Hacker." He said. "But I must be going now...my wife is waiting."
I nodded as he walked away. Why was I picking something else up? It's not like I had any spare time. I was already running short...and should have been going to meet with Willie.
I walked quickly up the stairs and headed towards the deck. After searching for a little while I found it. I walked up onto it and looked around. There were benches everywhere, but no woman. I was about to leave when I noticed a man and a woman at the very front.
I began to walk over to them. Before I could even open my mouth, the man spoke.
"What did I tell ye Shay? I knew he'd not come in person." He rolled his eyes and scoffed at me.
"Hush, Jack, hush." The woman said softly. "Conkling, he did send ye did he." She asked after a moment.
I nodded and extended my hand. "I'm Carlson. And I didn't know that it was so important for you to meet with him. But...I was told to meet with the lady."
"I told ye! It's a trick! I knew Conkling wouldn't come. It's a trick. He sent one of his crony's instead." He sneered. I took offence to that and stepped forward.
"Excuse me, but I've been nothing but polite to you. Who are you anyway?"
"I'm her brother. And Conkling, because of him Shayla's had to leave everything and everyone she knows." I raised my eyebrows.
"How so?"
"Jack! Don't!" Shayla exclaimed. She looked so upset, that I shut my mouth. But her brother continued.
"She was his maid, and all the time violating her." He grumbled angrily. So I had been right. There had been something going on between them.
"Hush Jack! I'll have no more of it." She said angrily. "Now go on, say it, Jack." She added.
"You tell Conkling," He pointed at me as if it were my fault. "We have his letter, and he'll not be seein it till he coughs a up a tidy sum, too."
I nodded. "All right. Well, I had better go and let him know that." I turned to leave but the man grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.
"Meet us here at one. Tonight." Shayla said.
"Five thousand dollars, and then he'll get his damn letter. Agreed?"
I nodded. "Agreed." I answered. At this point I didn't really care if Conkling didn't want to pay it. It wasn't like he didn't have the money. Besides, after what he had done to the poor woman...the same that Sasha had done to Georgia. I turned and walked away just as Shayla called out one last time to me.
"We'll be waiting for ye." I nodded, but continued to walk. It was time for me to get back to the mission. Well, after I spoke to Conkling.
I found his room. B-59. It was so close to Georgia's...if I hadn't been in a hurry I would go and see her. Make sure that she was all right. I knocked on his door, and he answered right away.
"Please, come in. I'd hoped to meet you earlier, however, my wife and I were calling on the Astor's. Madeline is pregnant, and Beautrix was thrilled." He paused as if cooking something up. "We have no children."
What he said struck me. Something told me that it was only have truth. My thoughts traveled back to Shayla and the point of my visit to Conkling. "They want five thousand dollars for the letter." I said. Not wanting to chat about his personal life. I already knew more than I wanted to know.
"I see. It's a ransom." The door opened, and a woman with a large hat, and cigarette entered. "May I present Mrs. Conkling. Beautrix, this is Carlson. He's helping us to get the letter back from Shayla."
"You should pitch the ungrateful girl overboard." Beautrix said as she took a drag.
"Charmed." I lied.
"Your clothes. French cut, quite nice. Delighted to meet you." She said with a smile. Then I remembered that she was the fashion designer.
"Beautrix is on her way to California. She's got a new project in...Where is it dear?" He asked. I sighed, wanting to get back on topic.
She rolled her eyes. "A cow town. Someplace called, Los Angles. I'm doing up a resort there. Something called the Beverly Hills Hotel." She paused and took another drag. "So where is the Irish tart? Dreaming of her new found riches?"
"We were just talking about that darling." Conkling answer with a smile as he helped her take off her coat.
"My husband and I extended every courtesy, showed every kindness to Shayla. We have no children. Shayla became very dear to us. Her theft hurt us more, with the trust we'd placed in her. Don't fail us. Now excuse me. I must retire. I have a frightful headache."
I nodded. "Goodnight then."
"It's been...a pleasure. Goodnight. Andrew?"
Andrew nodded and led me to the door. "My wife felt strongly about Shayla as I've said we have no children. You must get that letter, don't wait until tomorrow. See if you can speak to Shayla directly. With out her brother. She is in F-59. I'll speak to you tomorrow." He said as he shut the door, not giving me a chance to protest.
I turned away and glanced down the hall. Maybe I should go and see Charles. Maybe he'd be drunken enough that I could get some real information out of him. I looked at my watch. I still had time. I would go speak with Shayla, and then Charles...then Willie.
"Hello. I'm Conkling. Good of you to come. I trust your finding the accommodations satisfactory?" He said in a very businesslike serious matter-of-fact way.
I raised my eyebrows. "I'm Carlson...and I know you didn't ask me to meet you so your could find out what I thought of the ship. What do you want?" I asked, not in the mood for any games.
He chuckled. "Sorry to seem mysterious. You must understand someone in my position, an investor in this ship, needs discretion."
I nodded. "I know that you sold steel to The White Star Line. Is that what this is about?"
He shook his head. "No it's not. It's about something entirely different."
"What is it about?"
"Your under no obligation of course. You may be able to help." He said pausing. I nodded, hoping that he would continue. I had already wasted too much time and should have met with Willie a long time ago.
"A servant has stolen an important business document from me. And I must recover it. A couple of years ago my wife Beautrix hired a young Irish girl as a maid in our London house. We treated her well. Two weeks ago she up and left without notice. Taking a certain letter with her. I'd given up all hope of recovering it until my wife saw her this morning. Needless to say I checked with the Purser. She'd been scheduled to sail on the Philadelphia. But those passengers were transferred onto the Titanic because of a coal strike."
"Well, then your lucky that she's on the ship. But I have my hands full at the moment. Why come to me?"
A sly grin formed on the man's face. "Government officials, friends of mine, told me of a bureau agent on board. I found you through Mrs. Cashmere. A preposterous woman, but she does have an eye for accomplishment. Look, will you help me? You will be rewarded, handsomely."
I sighed. "What's the maid's name? I'm not promising anything...but I will look into it."
"Her name is Shayla Hacker. She's twenty, or thereabout. I was her benefactor, one might say." He reddened slightly, and I understood. But I didn't press. I was already short on time.
"Where is she?"
"I've gotten word to her to meet me on the poop deck. Go in my place. Tell her there'll be no trouble, if she returns the letter. Could you do that?" He asked almost pleadingly.
I sighed, and nodded. "All right. I'll meet with her."
"Afterwards, report to me in my sweet, B-59. Her name is Shayla Hacker." He said. "But I must be going now...my wife is waiting."
I nodded as he walked away. Why was I picking something else up? It's not like I had any spare time. I was already running short...and should have been going to meet with Willie.
I walked quickly up the stairs and headed towards the deck. After searching for a little while I found it. I walked up onto it and looked around. There were benches everywhere, but no woman. I was about to leave when I noticed a man and a woman at the very front.
I began to walk over to them. Before I could even open my mouth, the man spoke.
"What did I tell ye Shay? I knew he'd not come in person." He rolled his eyes and scoffed at me.
"Hush, Jack, hush." The woman said softly. "Conkling, he did send ye did he." She asked after a moment.
I nodded and extended my hand. "I'm Carlson. And I didn't know that it was so important for you to meet with him. But...I was told to meet with the lady."
"I told ye! It's a trick! I knew Conkling wouldn't come. It's a trick. He sent one of his crony's instead." He sneered. I took offence to that and stepped forward.
"Excuse me, but I've been nothing but polite to you. Who are you anyway?"
"I'm her brother. And Conkling, because of him Shayla's had to leave everything and everyone she knows." I raised my eyebrows.
"How so?"
"Jack! Don't!" Shayla exclaimed. She looked so upset, that I shut my mouth. But her brother continued.
"She was his maid, and all the time violating her." He grumbled angrily. So I had been right. There had been something going on between them.
"Hush Jack! I'll have no more of it." She said angrily. "Now go on, say it, Jack." She added.
"You tell Conkling," He pointed at me as if it were my fault. "We have his letter, and he'll not be seein it till he coughs a up a tidy sum, too."
I nodded. "All right. Well, I had better go and let him know that." I turned to leave but the man grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.
"Meet us here at one. Tonight." Shayla said.
"Five thousand dollars, and then he'll get his damn letter. Agreed?"
I nodded. "Agreed." I answered. At this point I didn't really care if Conkling didn't want to pay it. It wasn't like he didn't have the money. Besides, after what he had done to the poor woman...the same that Sasha had done to Georgia. I turned and walked away just as Shayla called out one last time to me.
"We'll be waiting for ye." I nodded, but continued to walk. It was time for me to get back to the mission. Well, after I spoke to Conkling.
I found his room. B-59. It was so close to Georgia's...if I hadn't been in a hurry I would go and see her. Make sure that she was all right. I knocked on his door, and he answered right away.
"Please, come in. I'd hoped to meet you earlier, however, my wife and I were calling on the Astor's. Madeline is pregnant, and Beautrix was thrilled." He paused as if cooking something up. "We have no children."
What he said struck me. Something told me that it was only have truth. My thoughts traveled back to Shayla and the point of my visit to Conkling. "They want five thousand dollars for the letter." I said. Not wanting to chat about his personal life. I already knew more than I wanted to know.
"I see. It's a ransom." The door opened, and a woman with a large hat, and cigarette entered. "May I present Mrs. Conkling. Beautrix, this is Carlson. He's helping us to get the letter back from Shayla."
"You should pitch the ungrateful girl overboard." Beautrix said as she took a drag.
"Charmed." I lied.
"Your clothes. French cut, quite nice. Delighted to meet you." She said with a smile. Then I remembered that she was the fashion designer.
"Beautrix is on her way to California. She's got a new project in...Where is it dear?" He asked. I sighed, wanting to get back on topic.
She rolled her eyes. "A cow town. Someplace called, Los Angles. I'm doing up a resort there. Something called the Beverly Hills Hotel." She paused and took another drag. "So where is the Irish tart? Dreaming of her new found riches?"
"We were just talking about that darling." Conkling answer with a smile as he helped her take off her coat.
"My husband and I extended every courtesy, showed every kindness to Shayla. We have no children. Shayla became very dear to us. Her theft hurt us more, with the trust we'd placed in her. Don't fail us. Now excuse me. I must retire. I have a frightful headache."
I nodded. "Goodnight then."
"It's been...a pleasure. Goodnight. Andrew?"
Andrew nodded and led me to the door. "My wife felt strongly about Shayla as I've said we have no children. You must get that letter, don't wait until tomorrow. See if you can speak to Shayla directly. With out her brother. She is in F-59. I'll speak to you tomorrow." He said as he shut the door, not giving me a chance to protest.
I turned away and glanced down the hall. Maybe I should go and see Charles. Maybe he'd be drunken enough that I could get some real information out of him. I looked at my watch. I still had time. I would go speak with Shayla, and then Charles...then Willie.