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been a patient as a result of a wound suffered during the war. However, after they ascertained that he had been returned to duty before Verity’s arrival at the hospital, their talk turned to India where she had nursed both troops and civilians during the mutiny of East India Company native troops in 1857 and 1858.
    She was immediately interested when it was mentioned that the husband of the woman whose murder was being investigated by Amos and Tom had been an employee of the Honourable East India Company and who, according to available information, had been in India during the mutiny.
    â€˜Do you have any idea where he was stationed while he was there?’ Verity enquired.
    â€˜No, but speaking to you has given me an opportunity to find out a little more of exactly what he did there,’ Amos replied. ‘Magistrate Trethewy is his employer at Trelyn and is also benefactor
of the school at nearby North Hill. If you could possibly find time to talk to the girls there I will take you to meet Colonel Trethewy and drop into the conversation that you were in India during the mutiny. With any luck he will suggest you meet Morgan. You might be able to find out a little more than I did about his time in India.’
    â€˜Is there any particular reason you wish to know more about him?’ Verity asked. ‘Surely you do not suspect him of murdering his wife and doing away with his own baby son?’
    â€˜He has not been ruled out as a suspect,’ Amos admitted, ‘and he has been extremely vague about his life before coming to Cornwall. If he has something to hide I would like to know about it. If he hasn’t…? Well, then we can concentrate on our other suspects – and unfortunately there are a growing number!’
    â€˜As your stepfather is Chief Constable of the Wiltshire force there is another matter on which you might be able to help us,’ Tom broke into their conversation. He had taken out his pocket book while Verity and Amos were talking and now, turning to the entries of the day, he said, ‘The landlord of the Ring o’ Bells at North Hill is also a suspect and claims his wife is in a Wiltshire village where she has gone to have a baby. In fact, he declared she has probably had the baby by now – this despite the fact that the local midwife in North Hill is not at all convinced she was pregnant when she left Cornwall. Amos and I think it possible a gypsy we have been told about might have been involved in obtaining a baby for her. That, in turn, could have something to do with the disappearance of baby Albert Morgan, although at the moment it’s no more than speculation.’
    â€˜How intriguing. Where in Wiltshire is this woman?’
    â€˜That is a problem,’ Amos admitted. ‘Alfie Kittow claims to have forgotten the address … although he says he could take us there!’

    â€˜Do you believe him?’
    â€˜Quite frankly, no! But Tom is going to speak to the local mail carrier. We are hoping he might remember the postmarks on the letters from Mrs Kittow that he’s delivered to the Ring o’ Bells while she’s been away. If he has you might know the place from which they were sent and be able to tell us about it.’
    â€˜I know many places in Wiltshire, although I certainly haven’t been to every one of them,’ Verity admitted, ‘But even if I don’t know a place you are interested in I can ask my stepfather to send someone to make enquiries about this woman if you think it might help.’
    â€˜It would be very helpful,’ Amos said. ‘Thank you.’

Chapter 9
    L ATER THAT EVENING, after dinner had been eaten and enjoyed, Tom and Verity found themselves together in the Hawkes’ garden. Amos had pleaded that he needed to complete a report on Kerensa’s murder and the apparent abduction of baby Albert for the chief constable, and Talwyn had ushered them outside, claiming she needed to