“Mr. Jenkins?” Tommy said as they entered, his voice steady despite the tension Minnie could feel thrumming through him from where their hands were still connected.
"Ward," he grunted. "Heard you might be stopping by. And who's this with you?"
Minnie stepped forward slightly. "Minnie Ward. Tommy's wife."
The man's bushy eyebrows shot up as he took her in. "Ah yes. Now I recall hearing about this. Draper's daughter, eh? Married beneath you, didn't you?"
Minnie bristled but kept her tone even. "On the contrary, I couldn't have made a better match. But we're not here to discuss my marriage, Mr. Jenkins.”
“Don’t suppose you are.” The customs inspector’s gaze slid to Tommy. "I'm guessing this isn't a social call.” He gestured for them to sit in the rickety chairs opposite his desk. “What can I do for you?”
Tommy squeezed Minnie’s hand before releasing it to open his satchel, producing the ledgers and placing them on Jenkins’s desk with a thud. "We have evidence about a smuggling scheme.”
“Is that so?” Jenkins said, narrowing his eyes, steepling his fingers. “And just what does that have to do with me?”
“The evidence clearly implicates you, Jenkins. You’ve been accepting bribes from one Reginald Blackwood to look the other way as he conducts his smuggling and match-fixing scheme from these very docks. Because of people like you, Blackwood is soon going to control all of Manchester.”
Jenkins leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "That's a bold accusation, Ward. I hope you have proof to back it up."
Minnie flipped open one of the ledgers, pointingto an entry. "Your name can be found here, Mr. Jenkins. Alongside a sizable sum. And the date coincides with a shipment of goods that mysteriously vanished from my father's warehouse."
Jenkins glanced at the ledger, then back at Minnie, a slow smile spreading across his face. "You've got pluck, Mrs. Ward. I'll give you that." He sighed, running a hand over his balding head. "But I'm afraid you're in over your heads here."
Tommy's jaw clenched. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means," Jenkins said, leaning forward again, "that Blackwood's got half the city in his pocket. Police, politicians, you name it. You really think a couple of ledger entries are going to bring him down?"
Minnie's heart sank at the truth of his words, realizing that Blackwood had gone further than they had even realized, but she refused to let her disappointment show. "We have to try. We can't let him continue to threaten honest businesses, to manipulate and exploit people. You must realize that when Blackwood brings down the city, he’ll be taking you with it. You’d be best to get on the right side of things, to find a way to fight this. To fight him.”
Jenkins gave her an appraising look. "You've got spirit, lass. Remind me of my own daughter. But spirit alone won't keep you safe." He glanced at Tommy. "You're a good man, Ward. But you're out of your depth. Walk away now, while you still can."
Tommy shook his head stubbornly. "I can't do that. I won't let Blackwood destroy everything I love about this city. At least take a look at the ledgers. Tell me that they don’t prove anything.”
The official's brow furrowed as he flipped open the ledgers, his eyes scanning the neat columns of numbers. Minnie held her breath, praying he would see the truth laid bare in black and white.
Long minutes ticked by, broken only by the rustle ofturning pages and the distant clang and clatter of the dockyard. Finally, Jenkins looked up, his expression unreadable.
"This is compelling," he admitted grudgingly. "But Blackwood is not a man to cross lightly. Even with this evidence, it will be your word against his. And he has many powerful friends."
Minnie's disappointment continued, but Tommy leaned forward, his eyes blazing with determination. "We're not asking you to confront him directly. Just take this information to your superiors. Let them launch an official investigation. Blackwood's house of cards will tumble once people start looking closely."
Jenkins hesitated, conflict playing across his sharp features. Minnie sensed his indecision and reached out, laying a hand on his arm. "Please, Mr. Jenkins. You have the power to stop this corruption and help all the many people already suffering under Blackwood's greed. My husband and I are ready to do whatever it takes to see justice done. But we need your help to get started."
“You must realize that if I take this forward, I’ll only be implicating myself.”
“Say you didn’t know,” Tommy implored. “We’ll have to find a way.”
Jenkins hesitated a moment longer, then nodded slowly. "All right. I'll see what I can do. But I can't make any promises."
Relief flooded through Minnie. It wasn't a guarantee, but it was a start. She opened her mouth to thank Jenkins, but before she could speak, the door burst open with a bang.
Three burly men stormed into the cramped office, their faces hard and their eyes glinting with malice. Minnie's heart leapt into her throat as she recognized the man in the center – it was the same one who had threatened Tommy at the football pitch.
"Well, well," the man sneered, his gaze locking on Tommy. “What do we have here? Ward, you just don’t know when to quit, do you?” His gaze raked over Minnie, making her skin crawl. "And you brought your pretty wife, too. How touching. Glad to see her, as it will make my job of fetching her much easier."
Tommy shot to his feet, placing himself between Minnie and the intruders. "What do you want, Garrick?" he growled.
The man tsked. "Now, is that any way to greet an old friend? I thought I made myself clear, Ward. You don't interfere with Blackwood's business, unless you’re doing as he says.” His eyes flicked to the ledgers on Jenkins’s desk. "And you definitely don't go tattling to the authorities.”
