He slipped away and was soon lost to sight between the straggling buildings. Dominic waited a few minutes, then set off after him. The whole area was deserted, no fishing boats were tied up at the quay, the houses and outbuildings were empty and an air of quiet desolation hung over everything. He kept close to the buildings, the rain splashing from the roof tiles onto his hat and shoulders as he hurried along the muddy lane and into the narrow alley that led to the rear of the inn. The long, low building formed an L-shape around a cobbled yard. On one side the roof was extended to form a covered way, which looked as if it had once been a skittle alley, but was now filled with empty beer barrels stacked untidily against the back wall.
He could hear Jasper’s voice, loud and bombastic as he shouted for the landlord. Dominic moved cautiously towards the open doorway. He found himself in a narrow passage. An open door immediately on his right led to the kitchen and a set of narrow stairs ran up to his left. He slipped up the stairs, which mercifully did not creak. A series of doors led off the landing. Boldly he put his hand on the latch of the first one and walked in, prepared to apologise and retreat if it was occupied, as if he was a genuine guest.
The room was empty, shabby but clean with the bed made up and ready for use. The second and third attempts revealed similar empty rooms.
‘Hmm,’ he muttered to himself, ‘that gives the lie to their being full.’
The next door was locked and a heavy bolt had been fastened to the outside, the freshly splintered wood evidence that it had been fitted very recently. He knocked softly and heard a sobbing whimper.
Dominic took out a pocket knife and set to work on the old lock, which soon gave way.
Cautiously he opened the door. The room was as sparsely furnished as the others, but Nicky was there, alone, sitting disconsolately on the edge of the narrow bed. As soon as he saw Dominic he threw himself at him.
‘Thank God,’ muttered Dominic, laying a hand on the boy’s shoulder. ‘Come now, let us get out of here—’
‘Not so fast, my fine friends.’
The rolling West Country vowels made Dominic’s head snap around. The landlord was at the door, a shotgun held menacingly in his hands.
‘Ah. I thought I heard a noise up ’ere.’
Dominic stepped in front of Nicky. ‘Don’t be a fool, man. Put the gun down. The game is up now, unless you mean to murder us.’
The landlord shrugged. ‘Murder, abduction, it makes no odds. We’d hang anyway if we was found out—and keep yer hands where I can see ’em,’ he ordered, as Dominic reached for the pistol in his pocket.
‘Dan’l, what’re you doin’...?’ the landlady’s shrill tones preceded her up the stairs. A slatternly looking woman with untidy hair and a greasy apron appeared beside her husband, who sniffed.
‘We got a visitor, Martha. Come to get the boy. Do you check ’is pockets, and see if he’s carryin’ a weapon.’
The landlady wiped her hands nervously on her apron and approached Dominic, keeping well to the side so there was no possibility of blocking her husband’s aim. She lifted the pistol from his pocket and the man called Daniel gave a satisfied nod.
‘I thought as much.’
‘So are you going to shoot ’im, Dan’l?’
‘No!’ cried Nicky, clinging to Dominic.
‘It’s all right, Nicky,’ said Dom quickly. ‘Don’t worry, lad.’
‘Aye, that’s right, you tell ’im,’ leered the landlord, waving the shotgun menacingly. ‘If you are wise, you’ll both behave yerselves.’
‘And if you are wise, you will let them go.’ Jasper’s cool drawl came from the landing, a pistol in his hand.
‘Is that right?’ The landlord spat on the floor. ‘Seems to me that pop gun o’ yers might get me, but not afore I’ve pulled the trigger, and one blast from this would send the nipper and yer friend to kingdom come. And it’s not to say that Martha here might not loose off yer friend’s shooter, too.’
A cold chill ran down Dominic’s spine. He wondered how quickly he could drop down and shield the boy. If he was quick enough, he could take the force of the blast and Nicky might survive.
‘So what’s it t’be?’ the landlord demanded. ‘I ain’t gonna stand here all day. Either you comes in here with yer friend and the boy, or I’ll shoot ’em both.’
‘Don’t ’ee be too hasty, Dan’l.’ The woman placed her hand on the landlord’s arm. ‘If we has trouble here then we’ll have the Revenue men crawling all over the place.’
‘She’s right,’ agreed Jasper. ‘You cannot fire that thing without an almighty disturbance that will bring every Revenue man for miles down upon you.’
The landlord shrugged. ‘No matter. They ain’t found nothing yet so I reckons I’ll tek my chances, if I ’as to. And as to shooting anybody...’ his lip curled, displaying a mouth full of yellow, rotted teeth ‘...a man’s entitled to defend his property. No, my fine buck, I thinks you’d better give that pretty pop o’ yours to my good lady, afore my finger gets itchy on this trigger and I shoots the boy.’
Through the open doorway Dominic met Jasper’s eyes and read the message there. The risk was too great. Jasper lowered his pistol.
‘Well, fellow, it seems you have me there.’
The landlord stood away from the door. ‘You come on in here, then, where I can see thee. And, Martha, you go and fetch some cord to tie up these fine gennlemen!’
‘I’m sorry, brother,’ murmured Jasper as he came to stand beside Dominic. ‘Perhaps we will have another chance.’
‘Perhaps.’ Dominic shrugged.
Faced with the shotgun pointing at them, they could do nothing but wait until the landlady returned with a length of thin rope, with which she proceeded to bind their hands behind their back.
‘Tight, mind,’ ordered Daniel. ‘They’s big divils and I don’t want no messin with ’em.’
‘Aye, but what now?’ said Martha, when she had finished. ‘Do you want to leave ’em all here?’
‘No, the boy can stay—the lock’s bust, but the bolt on the door will hold’n.’ He looked up suddenly. ‘Where’s your horses?’
‘Back at the village,’ said Dominic. ‘At the inn.’
‘Aye,’ added Jasper. ‘We told them we were here to paint the landscape.’
The landlord’s face twisted into a cruel grin. ‘Well, then, they won’t think nothing of it if you takes a tumble off the cliff into the sea. We’ll put you in the cellar ’til nightfall, then tek you out to sea an’—’
‘No!’ shouted Nicky, ‘You shan’t hurt them, you shan’t.’
The landlady pulled him against her greasy skirts. ‘No, no, they won’t be ’armed, my babby.’ She glared at her husband. ‘Do you want to have the nipper bawling and troublesome all night? Will said we was to keep ’im safe—no marks, ’e said.’ She looked down at the little boy. ‘Don’t ’ee worry, me lad. We’re jus gonna put yer friends into the cellar for a while, till William comes to take you all home, ain’t that right, Dan’l?’
‘Aye,’ growled Daniel. ‘So you two get yerselves downstairs, now, and don’t try anything, I ain’t afraid to deal with you.’
‘No, of course not, now we have our hands tied behind our backs!’ retorted Dominic. He turned and nodded at Nicky. ‘We will see you later, Nicky.’
Daniel waved the shotgun again. ‘That’s enough, now get yerselves down them stairs.’
The landlord kept a safe distance behind them and the landlady, waving Jasper’s pistol in her hand, informed them that she was quite prepared to use it.
A door under the stairs led to the cellar. The landlord waved them forwards, waited until they were both on the stairs, then kicked his foot into Jasper’s back, sending them crashing down into the darkness.