All That Glitters: A Maggie Power Adventure (Maggie Power #2) *Unedited version*

Document Insert 5 - Letter From The Margaret Power Archive

Document Insert – From The Margaret Power Archive

Letter, dated 26th October, 1842, from Detective Sergeant Blake of Metropolitan Police.

My Dear Maggie

As promised, here are the details of my meeting with the two remaining partners of the Town and Country Joint Stock Bank. Even as I write upon this very paper about my encounter with the two gentlemen, I am unsure as to what it all means, so ignorant I am in matters of finance.

I arrived early to meet with the partners, as I had promised the gentlemen that my inquires would not get in the way of their usual business hours. Yet when I reached the bank, a full hour before it was due to open, there seemed a great deal of people queuing outside. Business continues, it would appear, despite the disappearance of Mr Templeton-Wells.

I was met by an official at the side entrance to the bank and he told me that I was expected by Mr Conway and Mr Makewell.

After a short wait in an interior room, I was greeted by two gentleman in sober dress. Conway was the eldest of the two and he did most of the talking. The younger gentlemen had a look of worry and disquiet on his face throughout the entire time we spent together.

Immediately after greeting me, they asked whether or not there had been any further news in the search for their missing friend and partner, Mr Templeton-Wells. I informed them that, regretfully, at present we were no closer to locating him than we had been on the evening of his disappearance.

"And what of the body found at the lodging house earlier this week?" a worried-looking Makewell asked.

"I'm afraid that's hysterical newspaper speculation again, sir," I replied.

"Very sad, and a very odd business altogether," said Conway.

I asked of the bank's business and whether or not the missing gentleman disappearance may have been due to matters of commerce.

"You do not have to worry on that score, detective. We are doing just fine. Since the railway boom, we have never had it so good. Indeed, Mr Templeton-Wells was visiting manufacturers in the north to discover the full extent of how far the railways still needed to expand," replied Conway. "Alas his findings, like he, are no longer available to us."

Conway did most of the talking to begin with. However, when the conversation switched to the gentleman they both called the phantom, or the silent partner, Makewell became most animated. For this mysterious gentleman had not attended any board meeting and had never presented himself at any time during banking hours.

I asked him to tell me more of the mysterious silent partner.

"About a year or so ago, Mr Templeton-Wells informed us that a Mr Morelle, our phantom, was interested in investing a great deal of capital into our business. So much indeed, that it would make him an equal partner. He too had discovered the opportunities for money making, especially since we have been at the forefront of capital investment in the railway. Recently, however, over this past summer indeed, Mr Templeton-Wells and our Mr Morelle had something of a dispute, and our fourth partner decided to divest his money from the business."

"Do you know the source of the dispute?" I asked them.

"Only Mr Templeton-Wells and Mr Morelle know of that, I am afraid," said Makewell.

"He made a tidy profit on his initial investment, detective," said Conway. "All three of us did not hesitate for a moment when he decide to pull out, and we all equally bought out his stock."

"Why did you allow him to invest in the first place?" I asked.

"Mr Templeton-Wells was very adamant at the time. He said he could vouchsafe for the gentleman and said that he owed Mr Morelle a huge debt. They were old school friends and our phantom had shown him great kindness once in the past. He told us that Mr Morelle had come into a vast inheritance and wished to invest in our bank. Why would we question the man who, over the course of the past ten years, has been the responsible for making us very rich men?" said Conway.