“Is that why you came to town? To find that smuggler and look over all the ships?”
“Well, I also met the local magistrate today.”
“Indeed! And what did he say?” asked Poppy. “Had he heard of the operation before?”
“Despite the news I brought him about the opium, he doesn’t seem especially inclined to aid my inquiry.”
“You mean the magistrate wouldn’t offer men to retrieve the crates? Or even to help keep watch?”
Carlos grimaced. “From his behavior, I’d guess the magistrate is in the employ of the smugglers themselves. At the very least, he’s paid to look the other way.”
“That’s appalling.”
“It’s not unusual.” He looked resigned. “He all but warned me to stay away completely, lest the smugglers teach me a lesson.”
“What would they dare do to you?”
“The smugglers? At worst, kill me and let the fish eat my corpse.”
“You don’t sound nearly as perturbed by that notion as I am myself.”
He smiled at her. “Don’t worry. I have no intention of letting it go so far.”
“But you do intend to pursue it?”
“I have to.” Carlos briefly explained his theory that the opium was diverted from its intended use for soldiers. “I think someone at the house is part of the scheme. A signal must have been sent to alert the smugglers, and Pencliff House is the best place to send it from.”
“What sort of signal?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe a flag flown at a certain time of day, or…I don’t know…”
“Or a light in a certain room?”
“What makes you say that?”
Poppy thought back. “When we reached the top of the stairs, I noticed a bright flash in one of the upper windows.”
“So did I, but getting you back into the house unseen took precedence.” He wasn’t surprised that Poppy had registered the light, or that she was now wondering if it could be a signal. She had the sort of mind that put pieces together very quickly…usually so she could make a sharp remark.
“I was rather distracted at the time, so I didn’t say anything,” she admitted. “And of course, it may be a coincidence…”
“No. The timing is too perfect,” he said. “I could watch the house from the outside myself over the coming nights.”
“Sleepless work,” Poppy noted.
He nodded. “And it’s difficult to watch for a signal when one has no idea when the signal will occur or what it might be.”
“Why not ask Miss Ainsworth?” Poppy said suddenly.
Carlos was surprised. “Her father’s definitely involved in the smuggling trade, but why would she know anything?”
“Oh, she’s quite aware of who in town sells goods that came in free of duties. She all but rubbed my nose in her superior knowledge this morning. And you’ll notice she wears outfits made in Paris, which should be impossible to purchase legally.”
“She may purchase contraband goods, but that doesn’t make her complicit in this particular scheme,” said Carlos. “It’s a long way from lace to opium.”
“Why do you defend her?”
“Why are you so keen to condemn her?”
