Part 15 (1/2)
The women laughed harder.
I tried to make it seem that I heard this kind of talk every day.
”Gibson, give me some help,” Becker told the newly arrived constable. With distaste, the two men searched Doris's pockets.
”The b.u.g.g.e.r's thievin' from me!” Doris objected. ”Yer my witnesses!”
”I'm not trying to steal from you,” Becker insisted. ”Stop fighting. What have you got here?”
Becker held up two gold coins. ”Who else has these?”
A noisy, frenzied struggle resulted in the discovery that each of the women, all twenty-four of them, had two gold coins.
Becker frowned. ”Where'd you get your coins, Doris?”
”Worked for 'em, and not the way you think.”
”Then how?”
”A gentleman paid me.”
”To do what?”
”To sneak in this morning before the gardens opened.”
”And then what?” Ryan interrupted.
”To hide in the forest.”
”And then?” Ryan persisted.
”When he came along”-the woman pointed toward Father-”I was to call to him.” Doris mimicked the tone that I had heard earlier among the trees. ”Thomas. Thomas.”
She sounded as if she were pleading for help.
At the sound of his name, I felt Father become tense.
”Thomas! Thomas!” the other women joined in. The sound boomed violently off the Oriental walls.
It hurt my ears.
Father stopped weeping.
”All right!” Ryan shouted, raising his hands. ”Stop! If you want your sovereigns returned, shut up!”
Gradually, they quieted.
”The gentleman told me to say I was Ann,” one of the women volunteered.
”And I was to say I was Jane,” another said.
”Elizabeth,” a third joined in.
”Catharine,” a fourth added.
”No, I'm Ann.”
”I'm Jane.”
”I'm Elizabeth.”
”I'm Catharine.”
I felt Father's head rise from where he slumped next to me. Holding him, I looked down and was struck by how red his eyes were from sobbing and how hard the blue of them was.
The litany of names resounded off the walls.
Again Ryan shouted, ”d.a.m.n it, stop!”
His stern look had its effect, although the harsh echo of their voices took long seconds before the room became still.
”A gentleman told you to say these names?” Ryan demanded. ”What gentleman?”
They pouted and didn't answer.
”I asked, what gentleman? Describe him!”
Doris looked at Becker. ”I don't like the way he speaks to me. You're much nicer.”
”Thank you, Doris,” Becker responded. ”Tell me about the gentleman, and I'll bring you hot tea.”
”Hot tea?”
”I promise.” Becker turned toward a constable by the door. ”Webster, would you mind taking care of that?”
The constable looked at Ryan, who nodded his permission.
”The gardens have a shop just down the path,” Webster said.
”And you'll give us our sovereigns back?” Doris asked Becker fretfully.
”I promise to give you your sovereigns back.”
Doris smiled, showing toothless gaps.
As when Ryan and Becker had first met Father and me, I suspected the two had a stratagem in which Ryan made the women feel threatened while Becker was solicitous, winning their cooperation.
”Doris, what did the gentleman look like?” Becker asked.
”Tall, he was. Strong-looking.”