possessions
seized, and we could be held indefinitely without charge.’
The audience murmured angrily.
‘We have even received notice that some of our members will again be arrested today,’
Mrs Dudley continued, shaking her fist. ‘This is torture! Our sisters will be force-fed,
jailed and victimised for their beliefs!’
Some of the audience began shouting. Jack glanced towards them. One woman, he saw,
looked quite ill. They are so brave. They would sacrifice their lives to have the
same rights as men.
As Mrs Dudley continued, Jack noticed something under his chair. A hatbox. Frowning,
he leant down to examine it. One of the women must have left it there, he thought.
Carefully lifting the lid, Jack froze. He was no expert on bombs, but there was no
mistaking the device in the box. Six pieces of dynamite were attached to a set of
scales and a timer. The bottom of the box was wedged under the chair.
‘Scarlet,’ he whispered. ‘Help.’
She leant close. ‘In a minute,’ she said. ‘I really want to hear what Mrs Dudley
has to say about The Cat and Mouse Act.’
Jack hit her leg. ‘I need help,’ he said. ‘Now!’
She glanced down—and yelled. Within seconds, Mr Doyle had begun clearing the room.
As he did, he told Jack to remain still as he examined the package.
A group of police constables charged through the door.
‘What’s going on here?’ one asked, his name badge identifying him as Constable Cosby.
‘We’ve come here to arrest—’
‘Forget your arrests!’ Mr Doyle snapped. ‘There’s a bomb under this seat.’
Cosby blanched. ‘A bomb,’ he said. ‘You mean those—’
‘The Valkyrie Circle would appear to be the logical culprits,’ Mr Doyle confirmed.
‘Evacuate the area. I will try to defuse the device.’
The constable raced away, yelling orders.
‘Can’t we just go?’ Jack asked. Mr Doyle had kept a firm hold on him the whole time.
‘Surely if it’s on a timer—’
‘That’s the problem,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘This bomb has both a timer and a depression
trigger. You activated it by sitting down. Releasing your weight will activate the
timer, but we have no way of knowing if we have seconds or hours before it explodes.’
Jack swallowed. It can’t end like this, he thought. Blown into a million pieces.
‘Scarlet,’ he said, trying to stay motionless. ‘You should go.’
‘Jack’s right,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘There’s no need for you to remain.’
‘I never abandon my friends,’ Scarlet said, firmly.
Mr Doyle peered at the device. ‘I need something to wedge against one end of the
scales,’ he said. ‘Something long and thin. It doesn’t need to be heavy.’
Scarlet searched her handbag. ‘How about a pencil?’ she asked.
‘Perfect.’
Reaching into the box, he jammed it into place. ‘That’s it,’ he said. ‘I think it’s
safe to stand.’
Jack felt faint as they led him from the hall. Moments later they were outside on
the street.
Mrs Dudley came charging over. ‘Who would do such a thing?’ she asked. ‘Are the Valkyrie
Circle now targeting other suffragette organisations?’
‘I don’t know,’ Mr Doyle admitted, wiping sweat from his brow. ‘I must confess to
being completely baffled.’
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Back at Bee Street, Jack asked Mr Doyle again about the bomb.
‘We know the Valkyrie Circle wants to create mayhem,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘My guess would
be that they knew the bombing of another suffragette organisation would cause even
more protests.’
‘As I’ve always maintained,’ Scarlet said, ‘the Valkyrie Circle has nothing in common
with legitimate suffrage societies.’
Gloria entered with a note for Mr Doyle. Looking at it, he frowned. ‘That’s odd,’
he said. ‘This is from Greystoke at Scotland Yard. He’s enquiring as to whether we’ve
discovered anything new.’
‘Why is that strange?’
Mr Doyle became thoughtful. ‘The message we received in Spain was from Greystoke,’
he said. ‘It’s
seized, and we could be held indefinitely without charge.’
The audience murmured angrily.
‘We have even received notice that some of our members will again be arrested today,’
Mrs Dudley continued, shaking her fist. ‘This is torture! Our sisters will be force-fed,
jailed and victimised for their beliefs!’
Some of the audience began shouting. Jack glanced towards them. One woman, he saw,
looked quite ill. They are so brave. They would sacrifice their lives to have the
same rights as men.
As Mrs Dudley continued, Jack noticed something under his chair. A hatbox. Frowning,
he leant down to examine it. One of the women must have left it there, he thought.
Carefully lifting the lid, Jack froze. He was no expert on bombs, but there was no
mistaking the device in the box. Six pieces of dynamite were attached to a set of
scales and a timer. The bottom of the box was wedged under the chair.
‘Scarlet,’ he whispered. ‘Help.’
She leant close. ‘In a minute,’ she said. ‘I really want to hear what Mrs Dudley
has to say about The Cat and Mouse Act.’
Jack hit her leg. ‘I need help,’ he said. ‘Now!’
She glanced down—and yelled. Within seconds, Mr Doyle had begun clearing the room.
As he did, he told Jack to remain still as he examined the package.
A group of police constables charged through the door.
‘What’s going on here?’ one asked, his name badge identifying him as Constable Cosby.
‘We’ve come here to arrest—’
‘Forget your arrests!’ Mr Doyle snapped. ‘There’s a bomb under this seat.’
Cosby blanched. ‘A bomb,’ he said. ‘You mean those—’
‘The Valkyrie Circle would appear to be the logical culprits,’ Mr Doyle confirmed.
‘Evacuate the area. I will try to defuse the device.’
The constable raced away, yelling orders.
‘Can’t we just go?’ Jack asked. Mr Doyle had kept a firm hold on him the whole time.
‘Surely if it’s on a timer—’
‘That’s the problem,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘This bomb has both a timer and a depression
trigger. You activated it by sitting down. Releasing your weight will activate the
timer, but we have no way of knowing if we have seconds or hours before it explodes.’
Jack swallowed. It can’t end like this, he thought. Blown into a million pieces.
‘Scarlet,’ he said, trying to stay motionless. ‘You should go.’
‘Jack’s right,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘There’s no need for you to remain.’
‘I never abandon my friends,’ Scarlet said, firmly.
Mr Doyle peered at the device. ‘I need something to wedge against one end of the
scales,’ he said. ‘Something long and thin. It doesn’t need to be heavy.’
Scarlet searched her handbag. ‘How about a pencil?’ she asked.
‘Perfect.’
Reaching into the box, he jammed it into place. ‘That’s it,’ he said. ‘I think it’s
safe to stand.’
Jack felt faint as they led him from the hall. Moments later they were outside on
the street.
Mrs Dudley came charging over. ‘Who would do such a thing?’ she asked. ‘Are the Valkyrie
Circle now targeting other suffragette organisations?’
‘I don’t know,’ Mr Doyle admitted, wiping sweat from his brow. ‘I must confess to
being completely baffled.’
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Back at Bee Street, Jack asked Mr Doyle again about the bomb.
‘We know the Valkyrie Circle wants to create mayhem,’ Mr Doyle said. ‘My guess would
be that they knew the bombing of another suffragette organisation would cause even
more protests.’
‘As I’ve always maintained,’ Scarlet said, ‘the Valkyrie Circle has nothing in common
with legitimate suffrage societies.’
Gloria entered with a note for Mr Doyle. Looking at it, he frowned. ‘That’s odd,’
he said. ‘This is from Greystoke at Scotland Yard. He’s enquiring as to whether we’ve
discovered anything new.’
‘Why is that strange?’
Mr Doyle became thoughtful. ‘The message we received in Spain was from Greystoke,’
he said. ‘It’s
Similar Books
