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“Because MacGowan’s ambitious. He wasn’t just stealing pocket watches and bill clips. His gang has been going after ever-larger hauls. Warehouses, jewelry shops . . . he even robbed a factory of its payroll last month. Crime like that produces large amounts of cash or goods, which are not easily moved.”
“And is that why he needed so many of my children?” Samantha asked. “For those jobs?”
“Children are small and agile, and quite adept at breaking into buildings once properly trained. Little ones and girls can also serve as lookouts. No one notices the girls.”
Samantha again whipped up her blade to an inch from Haxton’s right eye. “If any of those children have been harmed, you won’t live to see another day. I swear it.”
The banker shrank even farther into the cushions, terrified.
Braden placed his hand on Samantha’s arm and brought it down. “Haxton won’t get away with it, I promise. But there’s no point in frightening him. He’ll just clam up.”
She darted a look at him, her gaze looking almost feverish with fury and bone-deep pain that made his heart ache. He forced himself to be calm, for her sake.
“We need to focus, Samantha,” he said. “We have a long night ahead of us and much to do.”
She stared at him for a few moments longer, as if barely seeing him. Then she blew out a long, slow breath.
“You’re right. Sorry.”
“Sweetheart, you have nothing to apologize for.” Then he looked at Haxton. “What does a man like Baines get out of this? He’ll likely go to the gallows if he’s caught.”
Haxton winced as he eased his shoulder onto the cushion. Some of his color had come back, now that Samantha was no longer threatening him.
“Arthur made some very bad investments and lost almost everything he had. If anyone found out, he’d lose his reputation and his business, too. He needed the money.”
“So he teamed up with his mistress and her crime lord brother to kidnap children and defraud a charity,” Logan said, incredulous with disgust.
“I never would have gone near the damned foundation if I’d known,” Haxton bitterly replied.
“That night you were arguing with Girvin at the charity gala,” Samantha said. “Was that when you refused to be part of their schemes?”
“Yes. What they wanted to do next was too big, too dangerous.”
Logan twirled a hand after the man fell silent. “And?”
“MacGowan and Arthur want to rob a bank,” Haxton reluctantly replied.
Braden thought for a moment and then shook his head. “They want to robyourbank, don’t they?”
Haxton gave a miserable nod.
“So, they rob your bank, run the funds through the Penwith Foundation, and then redeposit them back into your bank,” Samantha said.
Haxton nodded. “Yes, into the capital account.”
She frowned. “But we don’t have a capital account.”
“You’ve had one for three years. You just didn’t know it.”
“Let me guess,” said Logan in a sarcastic voice. “You and Baines were the signing authorities on that account.”
Haxton’s grimace was his admission.
Braden glanced at Logan. “That capital account must have kept both Baines and MacGowan well-supplied with funds.”
Logan nodded. “It’s why I couldn’t figure out that last piece of the puzzle. I didn’t know about the secret capital account.”
“Where’s Arthur now?” Samantha asked Haxton.
