The Body at Carnival Bridge

Michelle Salter

Description

A single shot is fired. Was it intended to kill?

September 1922 – Iris Woodmore returns to Walden after a scandalous trip abroad – and not everyone is pleased to see her.

Her efforts to mend relations are hindered by her growing attraction to the unpredictable Reverend Archie Powell. Only her friend, wealthy businesswoman Constance Timpson, welcomes her back.

Constance has made deadly enemies and needs Iris to defend her from a hostile press. When a single shot is fired at Constance, no one is sure if the sniper intended to scare or kill – but when two of her factory workers go missing, it’s clear the threat is real.

Iris turns amateur sleuth to investigate the mystery – and realises the sniper isn’t the only hidden enemy preying on women.

'The Iris Woodmore mysteries are fast becoming some of my favourites.' M J Porter

Readers LOVE The Body at Carnival Bridge

‘WOW! I’m Hooked! … hooked on this series in the best way! This is the most daring and refreshing historical mystery series that I have ever encountered!’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reader review

‘Everything you want in a historical mystery! Historical facts that play into the story, a murder, mystery and many twist and turns that keep you loving every page!’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reader review

‘Just loved this! I'm fascinated by the time period and the way the story is written. Definitely a must read...’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reader review

‘… a fantabulous historical mystery. Engrossing, unique and riveting. Highly recommended!’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reader review **

Sujets

• Mashups
• Women Sleuths
• Amateur Sleuth
• Feminist
• 20th Century
• Historical
• Women
• Reino Unido
• Segunda Guerra Mundial
• Friendship
• World War I
• Cozy
• General officer
• Historical fiction
• Woman
• World War II
• United Kingdom
• Feminism
• The Women
• Great Britain
• General
• Crime
• Fiction
• Première Guerre mondiale
• Seconde Guerre mondiale
• Royaume-Uni

Informations

• Publié par: Boldwood Books
• Date de parution: 11 mai 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781837510603
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE BODY AT CARNIVAL BRIDGE
AN IRIS WOODMORE MYSTERY


MICHELLE SALTER
For Mum & Dad
CONTENTS



Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45


More From Michelle Salter

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Also by Michelle Salter

Poison & Pens

About Boldwood Books
1
DEPTFORD, LONDON



September 1922

‘Iris Woodmore. Journalist.’ This was a lie. Unemployed was a more accurate description of my current status.
The young woman ran a pen down a list of names until she came to mine. ‘Thank you, Miss Woodmore. Please go through.’
A police constable opened the gates of Timpson Foods. Newspaper articles had branded Constance Timpson a dangerous socialist, but I hadn’t expected this level of security.
From the outside, the factory appeared to be a single grey-stone building. Once inside the gates, I could see it was a series of separate buildings. A makeshift stage was surrounded on three sides by the factory – it faced outwards, separated from the grimy streets of Deptford by a tall iron gate and railings.
PC Ben Gilbert was standing by the stage. I started to walk towards him, then realised that Percy Baverstock was by his side. I pulled my straw hat down over my eyes and moved sideways to hide among a throng of people. Ben hadn’t said anything about Percy being there. He’d probably kept it from me on purpose in case it stopped me from attending. I’d been away for nearly a year and had only told my close family I was back in England.
Constance Timpson wafted into view, and I saw Percy’s eyes light up. He looked like his old self, laughing and pushing his mop of unruly hair back over his eyes. Although Ben was smiling too, he didn’t share Percy’s carefree manner. In matters of the heart, things hadn’t worked out for either of them. Nor had they for me, for that matter. But Percy and I would recover. I wasn’t so sure about Ben.
I watched Percy and Constance walk away and waited until they were out of view before going over to Ben. I knew I was being silly. There was no point in being there if I wasn’t going to talk to Constance. I just hadn’t counted on Percy’s presence.
‘You came.’ Ben’s tone suggested he knew I would. When he’d handed me the invitation, I’d been annoyed with him for telling Constance I was back. At first, I’d said I couldn’t attend, then curiosity had got the better of me. And I had another motive. Constance was keen to generate more favourable press coverage than she was currently receiving. It occurred to me that if I wrote an article about her work, I could use it to approach a few editors.
‘I didn’t expect to see so many police here.’ Another police constable, a female one, to my surprise, was standing on the other side of the stage.
Ben pulled me closer and lowered his voice. ‘Constance found a threatening letter on her desk this morning.’
‘And she still decided to go ahead with this?’ The forecourt was filling up with workers from the factory.
‘She couldn’t be persuaded to cancel. She said it’s too important.’
Constance Timpson had taken full control of the Timpson Foods empire earlier that year after the death of her mother, Lady Delphina Timpson (née Hinchcliffe). Lady Timpson had inherited Hinchcliffe Holdings from her father, and apart from renaming it, she’d run his food production company in exactly the same manner that he had.
Constance, on the other hand, had made radical changes since taking over. She’d removed all child workers from the company’s factories and female employees now received the same salaries as their male counterparts. This made her extremely unpopular with trade unions and fellow business owners.
Today’s announcement was going to do nothing to improve her popularity. Constance had to explain why she was closing the Basingstoke Canal, the navigation that linked the factory in Deptford with the Tolfree & Timpson biscuit plant in Walden. The Deptford barge workers had been offered alternative jobs in Timpson factories, but the closure of the navigation would have wider implications for the biscuit factory and other manufacturers in Walden who used the canal to transport their goods.
Constance had picked a Friday afternoon to make her speech and had closed both factories early, transporting the Tolfree & Timpson workers up to Deptford by charabanc so they could listen. Refreshments would be provided afterwards, then her staff would be free to start their weekends early.
A sudden influx of employees arriving from the Walden factory caused the forecourt to fill up. It was a sultry September afternoon and the treacly scent coming from the factory’s chimneys merged with the clammy odour of a crush of bodies.
Ben called over to the female police constable. ‘WPC Jones, the staff from Tolfree & Timpson have arrived. Once they’re all inside, can you make sure the gate is closed.’
The blonde WPC nodded and strode towards the woman at the entrance who was still checking names off her list.
Ben turned back to me. ‘Percy’s here.’
‘I saw him.’
‘He’s appointed himself Constance’s protector. I think he’d like to be her knight in shining armour.’
This was typical of Percy. After everything that had happened, I was pleased that he was still enamoured of Constance. ‘How is he?’
Ben smiled. ‘His old self.’
‘Still dancing?’
‘Oh, yes. He goes to the Foxtrot Club every Friday night. He’ll probably try to persuade Constance to go with him tonight, but I don’t think it’s her style.’
‘Have you been there?’ I didn’t think dancing was Ben’s style either. Then again, I’d never have imagined him policing the streets of London. In truth, I didn’t like city police officers much; I remembered their treatment of the suffragettes. But things seemed to have worked out for Ben. Not least, the cosy domestic arrangement he had with my gran and aunt.
While I’d been away on my travels, my father’s housekeeper, Lizzy, had written to tell me Ben had decided to leave Walden and join the Metropolitan Police. Like me, he’d found the confines of the small market town we’d grown up in too suffocating after the loss of our close childhood friend. Thanks to Lizzy’s powers of persuasion, he was now lodging with my grandmother and Aunt Maud in Hither Green.
When I’d shown up at Gran’s door, it had soon become apparent that Ben had usurped my position in the household. I hadn’t expected to receive a prodigal’s welcome, neither had I expected to feel like a cuckoo in the nest. Gran and Aunt Maud doted on Ben and I had to play second fiddle.
‘Percy dragged me to the club once. I ended up having to escort him back to his flat after “a few too many lemonades”, as he put it.’ Ben glanced over my shoulder. ‘Brace yourself. Here he comes with Constance.’
‘Iris. How lovely to see you again.’ Constance Timpson was as elegant and poised as ever in a silk navy suit. ‘I’m so glad you could come.’
‘It was kind of you to invite me.’ I smiled at her and Percy, but he stared down at his shoes.
‘I’m about to make my speech. Let’s chat afterwards,’ she said in her silvery voice.
Ben took Constance’s arm. ‘I’ll be to the left of the stage and WPC Jones will be to the right.’ They walked away, leaving me with Percy and an awkward silence.
‘It’s good to see you again,’ I ventured.
He turned to face the stage. ‘Are you still with that chap? I forget his name.’
Although I knew he remembered George’s name, I supplied it anyway. ‘George Hale. He’s still travelling. I decided to come back.’
‘Didn’t live up to your expectations?’ He glanced sideways at me.
I didn’t ask if he meant George or my travels. I’d left without a word and I didn’t blame him for feeling hurt. But I’d expected him to understand my reasons for going.
‘It was wonderful.’ This wasn’t entirely true. ‘I came back to see my family.’
‘Really?’ I could tell he didn’t believe me.
I wanted to change the subject. ‘How are you? Still at the museum?’ He worked at the Natural History Museum and was a member of the Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves.
He nodded.
‘Ben said you still go to the Foxtrot Club. Do you remember my hopeless dancing?’ I was desperate to try to rekindle some of our old comradery.
‘I still go there. I haven’t changed.’ The implication was clear. He obviously felt I’d changed. And maybe too much for us to be friends again.
I gave up and turned my attention to the stage. All I wanted was some normality, for things to go back to how they were. Evidently, I wasn’t going to be forgiven that easily.
Constance stood at the centre of the stage and gazed down at the mass of upturned expectant faces. Emblazoned behind her on a large display board were the words A fairer future for all . She made a slight gesture with her hand and the crowd was silent. She’d lost none of her easy authority.
She cleared her throat. ‘Thank you all for coming. I⁠—’
A loud cracking noise ripped through the air. The audience recoiled in unison at the strange sound. Constance appeared momentarily startled and then slumped forwards onto the wooden boards of the stage.
2

An eery silence was followed by screaming. The crowd ran for cover, realising a shot had been fired. Would there be more?
Ignoring the chaos around us, Percy rushed toward the stage. I followed him, aware we’d be in the line of fire but not sure where else to go.
Ben got to Constance first. He was shielding her with his body. ‘Are