Read The Atlas Murders for Free Online

time to get it all sorted out. If you have any other queries I'm sure I
can help you with them."
    "I'm very much indebted
to you and the good captain."
    The door handle slowly turned
and the slight squeak of brass on brass alerted her and she turned her head
like a frightened rabbit. She quickly stood and picked up her tray just as
Captain Leavy-Hobbs came through the door. "Henry, would you please go
down to where Miss Twist has gone through and wait there just a few minutes,
I'll explain later. It’ll only be for a few minutes."
    Henry didn't speak but
followed Vera with her tray of clinking china into the little room. She didn't
look surprised as she went about washing the cups.
    "Can you dry?"
     She handed him a clean tea
towel.
    "Yes, believe or not I'm
very domesticated. Looking after myself for quite a number of years now, I'm
not too clumsy in the kitchen."
    As she washed she handed him
the porcelain to dry.
    "You must be wondering
why the captain asked you to come in here with me, and it wasn't to help with
the dishes."
     "Yes, I realize that,
although it's my pleasure to be of assistance to you."
     "Very noble I'm sure,
but realistically we, Captain Leavy-Hobbs I mean, doesn’t want you to be seen
by the ship's master. Whatever future your investigation holds, if you were one
day having to sail on the Rangoon, we couldn't be sure who might be master of
her then. He having seen you here in the office might arouse some suspicion,
especially if you were sailing under a pseudonym on his ship."
    "I'm very grateful for
your concern. You seem to have me sailing the high seas already."
    Her demeanor changed as she
stood looking into Henry's eyes with a fierce seriousness. "If the person
you are looking for is a crew member on that ship, I very much want you to
bring him to justice."
    Captain Leavy-Hobbs came out
to the main office and called out. "Henry you can come out now, sorry old
chap for the covert games but I didn't want to expose you to any of our ships
personnel."
    "I didn't realize the
implications of what was meant by crew changes and crew members sailing on any
of the six company ships. I've a lot to learn about the nautical world."
    “Yes, there’s a bit more to
it than you may envisage.”
    He turned back as he ushered
Henry into his inner sanctum.
    "Miss Twist, will you hand
me the paperwork we have for Henry?"
    "Here is the list of the
present crew that signed articles in London on the thirtieth of May1958, in
other words, a few days before she sailed for Manchester. Next is a list of the
crew who signed off in London, and they are the same who signed articles on the
sixth of July 1957. Now here is a list of her ports of call and the time spent
in each one, from July 1957 to May1958."
    "Miss Twist, will you be
seated please."
    "As you may realize
Henry, Miss Twist has been versed by me in what we are about. Without her
assistance we couldn't progress very far, as she is the most knowledgeable
person in the company on all aspects of ship's personnel."
    Henry could see a slight
blush rising on her cheeks. It was obvious she wasn't used to this much praise or
attention. She took another paper from her files. "Here is a list of crew members
from the previous voyage who signed back on in London – crucially, there are
only four."
     "It’s very interesting
to see men sign back on a ship after spending nearly twelve months without
leave.”
    "I have their names
here." She took another page and handed it to the captain.
    "Yes, I see one is our
radio operator a Sean Sweeney, Irish no doubt as most of these radio men are. Garrett
Conrad, assistant steward. He goes by the name Gary; nationality British. Hadar
Tukola able seaman, nationality Singaporean, and one of our deck apprentices.
Oswyn P. Welland - nationality British no doubt.”
    “Would you know if any of
these are married?."
    "Young Welland is not
married, and as I see from their shipboard accounts the other three are also
unattached, to the extent