Madman's Dance (Time Rovers #3)(118)

“It’s been rocky, sir. One minute I hold great hope, and then the next I know I am a dead man.”

Ramsey drew out the bench with a noisy scrape and lowered himself onto it. “Got to be hell,” he said, shaking his head.

What is this? He’d expected the Ram to lord it over him.

Perhaps it was time to repay the man. “You did…a remarkable job, sir.”

Ramsey’s eyes caught his. “I shouldn’t have had to. That was Hulme’s job.”

Keats’ temper flared at the name. “Damn the man’s incompetence. If I am found innocent, I’ll tell him that personally.”

“Don’t bother. He died this morning, one shot in the temple. It looks like suicide.”

“Good Lord!” Keats exclaimed. “What would drive a man to that?”

“He admitted he was being ridden hard by some of the higher-ups to make sure your alibi didn’t stick. He said they were holding something over him.”

Keats’ mouth dropped open in astonishment. “Then there was a grand conspiracy to see me hang.”

Ramsey ran his thick fingers through his hair, then let his shoulders drop. “I may have pushed him to it, I don’t know. He was on the edge, that was clear. He was brooding over a revolver and a bottle of scotch. It’s when he gave me your notebook.”

“He had it all along?” Keats said, scratching his chin in thought.

“Yes. Found it in the alley.”



“My God,” Keats murmured.

“I took the bullets out of his gun when he wasn’t looking,” Ramsey replied.

“That was decent of you,” Keats said, surprised. “But maybe he had more.”

“I don’t know,” Ramsey said. “I was hard on him. Maybe too hard.”

“He knew what he was doing was wrong.” Keats swore under his breath. “They’ve tampered with the investigating officer, lost or withheld evidence, tried to murder my barrister. They’ll do something this time around. I’ll still hang.”

“Maybe not. The Prince of Wales is involved now. The Royals know a bit about riding people hard. It’s what they do best.”

Keats was caught by the man’s honesty. “Why did you do all this? You hate me.”

The inspector frowned at him. “Fisher asked me to.”

“Ordered you to, more likely.”

A nod. “He didn’t have to, though. I would have taken it on anyway.”

“Why?” Keats challenged.

“Because the other men would always think I’d let you go to the noose just to be rid of you. Then they’d wonder if I’d do the same to them.”

Keats didn’t know what to say. He’d so misjudged this man. Misjudged so many things in his life.

Ramsey retrieved something from under his coat and dropped it on the table with a thump. “Your diary.”

“Why do you have it?” Keats asked, furious someone may have read his personal thoughts.

“It was evidence. Don’t worry, I only read your last entry. It’s what made me realize I might have been wrong about you.”

Before Keats could reply, the cell door creaked open. Kingsbury entered. Behind him was Alastair. He could read nothing on their faces. Nevertheless, his heart began to pound.

“Sergeant?” Kingsbury began. “The Lord Chief Justice has issued his ruling, in record time, I might add.” In the hall, Keats heard someone complaining about a lost bet. His heart sank.



“Am I still for the rope, sir?”

The barrister’s face formed into a triumphant smile. “No, Mr. Berry’s next appointment will not be you.”

“What?”

Alastair shot both fists into the air like a prizefighter at the end of a match. “You’re a free man, Keats! Do you understand? Free!”

Before he could react, Ramsey slapped him hard on the back, nearly knocking him over. “Bloody hell, you did it, gnome.”

“I’m free?”

“Absolutely,” Kingsbury replied. “Arnett grilled Mr. O’Donnell, but nothing he could do would shake that man’s basic honesty. He couldn’t shift the other witness’ testimony either. Miss Kelly put you in Whitechapel at just the right time. The Crown Prosecutor finally gave in. The Lord Chief Justice accepted the new evidence, in total, and your conviction has been overturned.”

“Dear God…” he whispered, collapsing onto his cot. Then a moment later, he shot to his feet. “How soon may I leave?”

“At this very moment.”

Euphoria floated him out of Newgate Prison as guards called out their best wishes, including the two who’d watched over him.

“Cost me five shillings, you did,” one said. “I’da thought they’d hang you for sure.”

Keats smiled wanly. “I won’t say I’m upset you lost the bet.”

The guard laughed. “Stay outside these walls, will ya?”

“I’ll do my best.”

The moment he stepped outside the prison walls, he looked up, just as he had in Birdcage Walk.

Thank you, God. I shall never forget this.

He followed Alastair to a waiting carriage. Once inside, the elation began to wane, like air from a leaking balloon.