Setting The Trap
Baron Britpop Blastfurnace • Chapter 23
As recounted by Snoffduffle.
That evening, the Grand Duke and I, Moubray, and two other men dressed as sailors met in the Grand Duke’s office. One of the men dressed as a sailor was a police constable brought in from a neighboring village so he wouldn’t be recognized by Stenfelt. The other man was a member of Emperor Joseph’s staff. Introductions were made, and the Grand Duke began.
“Gentlemen, to avoid suspicion, this plan must be enacted swiftly. Moubray, we know the butler Stenfelt offered you silver to kill Britpop. How were you supposed to find him when you returned?”
“He said to meet him at the same inn on our return. He would find us and bring us the silver.”
“And you took him at his word?” The Grand Duke asked.
“We was all stunned by what he said, and none of us said anything. Then he just turned and walked away before we had a chance. Afterward, we all agreed that he must be crazy, and none of us would ever murder anyone for silver.”
“So why did you tell Baron Britpop about it?”
“I had taken a liking to Britpop and felt he ought to be warned that someone wanted him dead. I told him none of us would do it but to be careful,” Moubray replied.
The Grand Duke paused in thought for a moment and then continued.
“I suppose it was for the best. But it could have just as easily been disastrous,” the Grand Duke stated.
Moubray looked at the floor and said, “My heart was mighty heavy when Britpop and Andelbert boarded The Jellyfish. I thought them pirates would surely take their money and throw them overboard.”
The Grand Duke continued.
“I will visit Britpop’s estate and inform Stenfelt of the tragic news. If Stenfelt is a man of his word, he will meet you at the inn to make payment for the deed. If—as I predict—he tries to avoid payment, I will summon him down to my office in the morning. I will tell him he needs to sign some incident papers and collect Britpop and Andelbert’s personal belongings. You can ambush him as he arrives. You must get him to pay you or admit to offering you the money. Then Constable Beatwalker will arrest him and end this nightmare. Do you have any questions?”
“No,” Moubray replied.
“Excellent. Let’s begin.”
We left the office. The Grand Duke and I headed toward Baron Blastfurnace’s estate. The other three men headed toward the dock.
As the Grand Duke and I approached Baron Blastfurnace’s estate, the Grand Duke confided in me.
“Snoffduffle, it grieves me deeply that Britpop’s staff will think Britpop is dead, even for a short time. It is a cruel deception to play on them. But Stenfelt must be told of the untimely demise of Britpop and Andelbert to set the plan in motion. And he must believe it. I pray the staff will forgive me when they learn why I had to do it.”
“I have no doubt they will once they learn of the butler’s murderous intentions.”
“I hope you are correct, Snoffduffle. It must be done regardless.”
Meanwhile, Moubray had gone to the ship and gathered some of the Sea Merchant II crew. They went to The Port Belly Inn and sat at two tables. The four who were originally bribed sat at one table in the center of the room, and the other sailors sat at a table in the corner. They ordered food and drink and watched the door.
When we arrived at the Baron’s door, we were greeted by the head butler, Stenfelt. He invited us in, and we accompanied him to the parlor, declining his invitation to sit.
“To what do I owe the honor of this visit, Grand Duke?” Stenfelt asked.
“I am afraid I have tragic news. Baron Britpop Blastfurnace and his companion Andelbert Swift were victims of a terrible storm that swept them both overboard to their untimely demise.”
Instantly, a loud wail was heard from the adjoining hallway. A housekeeper rushed into the parlor and said, “Say it ain’t true. It can’t be true. What will we do now? Oh, those poor boys.” Then, she began to sob heavily.
Stenfelt started to say something to the housekeeper, but the Grand Duke interrupted him.
“Leave her be. We are all in great distress.”
“It is a tragedy, indeed. Unimaginable. Thank you for informing us in person. If I can be of any assistance, let me know,” Stenfelt replied.
“In fact, you can. I have some documents describing the incident, and the personal belongings of Baron Britpop Blastfurnace and Andelbert Swift in my office. If you can come to my office in the morning to collect them, I would be most grateful. I met with the Baron’s father earlier, and he is in no condition to retrieve them.”
“Of course. I will collect the items and see that they are given to the Baron’s father in due time.”
“Thank you. I will take my leave now.”
We left the estate and headed back to town. The trap was set.
